The foundation of a good dental practice is Dental Hygiene. If we prevent problems from arising then you are ahead of the game. The best Dentistry is no Dentistry. A good Dental Hygienist is worth their weight in gold. They keep your mouth clean and give you hints or tips to avoid problems. Hygiene visits should last an hour. Its not easy to clean a mouth in an hour and its simply not possible to do a good job in less time. Hygiene visits should be scheduled so that the Hygienist can do a good job without having to rush. Typically this is 4-6 months apart. The interval between visits can be tailored to a patients needs accordingly. The Dental Hygienist gets to spend an hour with you frequently. They may see problems that occur before your next checkup. This in turn allows me to be more conservative with treatment.
Home care instructions are another valuable service they perform. Good home care is critical! We recommend a soft toothbrush always in our office. I prefer patients to brush in small circles. This prevents wear and recession caused by brushing too aggressively. I do like electric toothbrushes if they are used properly. An electric toothbrush can do a fantastic job. We recommend brushing for two minutes with manual or electric brushes. Most electric toothbrushes have a timer that alerts you when two minutes is up. Always floss before you brush your teeth. Proper flossing is important. Make a “C” with the floss to clean more of the tooth. You also avoid trauma to your gum tissue by doing this. Waxed floss is preferred and does the best job of cleaning.
Dental Hygiene is the cornerstone of a great practice. The symbiotic relationship between home care, Dental Hygienist, and Doctor is key. It is important to establish a relationship of trust. This way, you can ask questions without feeling uncomfortable. We can also give you recommendations or tell you when we see a problem and you can be confident we have your best interest in mind!
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