Oral Hygiene

Having a healthy and well-functioning set of gums and teeth are crucial for good oral health. The mouth is the part of our system that is the gateway nutritional resources. Keeping it healthy not only ensures good oral health, but also overall health.

While your children are still growing and developing, as parents, it is important to ensure that they pick up the right oral habits at a young age.

What is good oral hygiene?

Good oral hygiene is the practice of keeping your teeth and gums free of germs and unwanted food debris. The signs of a healthy oral cavity are the presence of pink gums that do not hurt or bleed during brushing or flossing, and absence of mouth odor.

How is good oral hygiene practiced?

Maintaining good dental hygiene is the combined effort of the at-home dental hygiene practices and professional preventative care that would be performed by a licensed dental hygienist.

Having a healthy set of teeth not only boosts confidence and enhances appearance, but also helps the patient to properly carry out other functions of the mouth.

At-home Dental Hygiene

At home, the patient can take follow simple dental hygiene steps that would decrease the risks of developing oral conditions such as tooth decay, periodontal disease, and halitosis.

These include the following practices:

• Brushing and flossing twice a day
• Consuming a well-balanced diet
• Using a fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush
• Rinsing the mouth with an antibacterial mouthwash

Professional Preventative Care

Apart from following regular dental hygiene practices at home, it is essential to visit your dentist at least once in every six months for your complete dental check-up. During your hygiene visit, dental cleaning is one of the many preventive services that are offered to keep your gums and teeth clean.

Professional dental cleanings aim at keeping your oral cavity free of bacteria and germs. It involves scaling and root planing that removes plaque and tartar from the tooth surface. The procedure is also a non-surgical method of treating mild to moderate levels of gum disease.

Scaling and root planing deep clean below the gum line to remove any signs of plaque buildup. It also removes biofilms and tartar.

Scaling is generally focused on removing bacteria from teeth's surface while root planing address problems that are near to the tooth's root.

Your professional dental cleaning is catered to provide supreme dental care. Apart from dental cleaning, preventative visits also involve diagnostic check ups that would allow you to be more informed about signs of progressive dental conditions if any.

Request an appointment with Dr. Tognotti for your dental consultation by calling our office at (925) 934 2066 or by placing an appointment online.