Warning! Look after the teeth you want to keep!

Now is the time to look after your teeth, and by helping you with your oral health routine, our dental hygienist, Sharon Everett here at NQ Surgical Dentistry in Townsville will help you achieve the golden standard of oral health to help you look after your teeth.

Periodontal disease is potentially devastating to your oral health…

Periodontal disease (gum disease) is a disease that severely affects a minority of the population (around 13-20% of people). It has been found to be associated with certain risk factors that make it more likely that gum disease will be present.

Those factors that appear from recent research to predispose people to gum disease include:

• Age over 35 years
• Males affected more than females
• Poor oral hygiene
• Poor nutritional status
• Emotional stress and work stress
• Avoiding dental examinations and dental care
• Smokers have a greatly increased risk of suffering gum disease
• Smokers suffer more severe gum disease
• Heavy smokers suffer the most extreme forms of gum disease
• Diabetes with poorly controlled and fluctuating blood sugar levels suffer more gum disease
• There is a link between a number of severe general health issues and patients with gum disease including high risk of Stroke, heart attack, coronary artery disease, premature birth of babies and low birth weight of babies.

Certain risk factors cannot be altered (age and gender) but most risk factors are under the control of the patient. Certainly oral hygiene, smoking status and nutrition can be influenced to reduce risk. At NQ Surgical Dentistry we focus on ensuring that all of our patients maintain optimal oral health.

Preventive care means ensuring the disease is kept at bay…

The best thing you can do for your oral health is to maintain a comprehensive oral health​ routine, and this should consist of:

• Brushing teeth twice daily to remove any bacterial plaque that has accumulated throughout the day and night.
• Floss daily, this helps to remove bacterial plaque found between the teeth in the narrow “interdental spaces”.
• The use of “interdental brushes” of various designs to clean the spaces between teeth and to help remove any food debris that becomes trapped.

We recommend our patients:

• Receive a professional dental check-up every six to twelve months (how often depends on the level of dental disease risk as determined by the dentist) and
• Receive a preventive oral health review with our dental hygienist twice each year that will include both, individual assessment of plaque control including support and advice on making any necessary improvements, and thorough removal of any calculus (known to many patients as tartar) and removal of plaque deposits using state of the art technology, Piezo-scalers, that gently clean the root surfaces of the teeth without damaging the root surface using high frequency vibration and cavitation. Finally all tooth surfaces are cleaned with an AirFlow using fine particles in a stream of air that gently removes all staining from the visible surfaces of the teeth leaving teeth feeling incredibly smooth and fresh.

OUR MESSAGE: By neglecting your mouth you set yourself up for oral diseases…

If you do not conduct a THOROUGH ORAL HEALTH ROUTINE at home, you are neglecting your oral health and are increasing your risk of developing destructive periodontal disease that will lead to tooth loss.

At NQ Surgical Dentistry, we see many patients with periodontal disease and missing teeth, and endeavour to help all them return to having healthy mouths and attractive smiles!

Our tooth replacement options…

Periodontal disease, decay and facial injuries account for loss of teeth in patients of all ages. To re-establish a healthy functional mouth after losing teeth, tooth replacement can be best achieved in many adult cases using dental implants. Implant dentistry is explained in further articles in this website through our blog. Implant treatment may be provided in conjunction with your own general dentist with surgery provided here at NQ Surgical Dentistry and the replacement crowns provided by your dentist. If you do not have a dentist, then we can offer you the full treatment package to include crowns or replacement teeth.

Less fortunate patients have suffered the devastating loss of all the teeth in one or both jaws. Such cases can now be treated very successfully using dental implants as a foundation to retain or support replacement teeth.

Nowadays, when it comes to restoring missing teeth, we have two of the most modern and effective treatment options that are available to restore your smile and your function:

• Implant-Retained Dentures: This is a useful technique for those who have suffered extensive tooth loss or complete tooth loss. This treatment involves dentures that are attached to implants using precision attachments providing a firm and stable denture to eat and smile with confidence.
• Implant-borne crowns and bridges: Fixed crowns and bridges on dental implants (teeth fitted permanently) can be used to replace any number of teeth from one to a complete arch of teeth.

All implant treatment involves inserting a titanium screw into the jawbone at the site of the tooth loss. This implant then fuses with the bone (a process called osseointegration) which provides a stable and permanent answer to missing teeth.

These implant techniques are available at NQ Surgical Dentistry in Townsville and we are happy to assist our patients in choosing the most appropriate tooth replacement technique for them. Book an appointment at our practice so we can recommend which treatment will provide you with the best result for your particular problem.

To discover more about dental implants, maintaining oral health or to book an appointment at our Townsville practice, please do not hesitate to contact the friendly team at NQ Surgical Dentistry today on (07) 4725 1656 or call in to see us at 183 Kings Rd, Pimlico 

For more information: Dental Hygiene Therapy