Dental Hygiene and Periodontal Disease

What is Hygiene and what is a Periodontal Disease? It is important to define these terms so one can clearly lay out what one is trying to achieve.

Hygiene is defined as: "The preservation of health" or "the practice or principles of cleanliness".

Periodontal is defined as: "in tissues around tooth - more broadly, it is relating to or affecting the tissues that surround the neck and root of a tooth."

A Disease is an "illness, caused by infection or failure of health rather than by accident."

Thereby a Periodontal Disease is an illness of the tissues surrounding the teeth. How can a Dental Hygienist prevent periodontal disease?

• They educate you thoroughly on how to take care of your own teeth - including how to properly floss and brush you teeth. Also, which toothbrushes, including electric ones, are most beneficial to you.
• They check your teeth for any signs of periodontal disease start-up and are able to address any signs of disease on the spot. If not detected at an early stage, severe damage could occur to your teeth or gums.
• They thoroughly clean your teeth with professional equipment using a variety of procedures and methods such as scaling and root cleaning. These procedures are used to get rid of the hardened tartar around the base of the teeth including underneath the gums.

It is recommended you visit your Dentist or Dental Hygienist every three months in order to maintain impeccably healthy teeth.

While the tissues around your teeth (gums) can be maintained perfectly, it is important that a good all-round diet is maintained including regular vitamin, mineral and protein intake. Your tissues are alive and will only remain healthy and firm if they get the required nutrition they require.

There are a number of periodontal diseases with a variety of names and symptoms. While we can go into details of what one or the other does - the basis is that they are not pleasant and can all be easily prevented.

• Keep your teeth as clean as possible at all times at home. This includes avoiding sweet foods.
• Visit your dentist or dental hygienist at regular intervals. Three months is the recommended interval period.
• Maintain a good diet full of nutrition. Taking additional supplements is highly recommended as most foods these days are highly processed with most nutrition stripped from them.

This article was supplied courtesy of Greenway Dental Group, MA.