Cleaning and hygiene
Pathway Dental is committed to your dental health and we believe that good dental hygiene is the first step in keeping your teeth looking and feeling great. We have a range of teeth cleaning and hygiene treatments that are dedicated to keep your smile healthy and open wide.
Teeth Cleaning and Hygiene
We all like to think that we can keep our teeth clean and healthy at home, but in reality, we often let things slide a little. Busy work schedules and hectic family/social lives mean that we might not always have the time to floss after every meal. Sometimes we might be running late for work and it is much quicker to chew on a piece of gum to freshen your breath, then it is to grab your toothbrush and give your teeth/mouth a good clean instead.
Thankfully, by coming to see us regularly for a thorough assessment and clean, we can help you keep your teeth in tip top condition. We have a range of treatments that are dedicated to keep your smile healthy and open wide.
To schedule a teeth cleaning to improve your dental hygiene, call us on 03 366 8866 or request an appointment below.
For dental hygiene services Pathway Dental works in partnership with Christchurch PerioHygiene located at 140 Idris Road.
The Importance of Good Dental Hygiene
When you practice good dental hygiene, your teeth will be clean, white, and free from food debris and tartar. Your gums will also be a healthy pink colour, with no hint of bleeding or painful spots that can contribute to other dental health issues. You will also find that with regular deep cleaning, your breath will be much fresher and appealing to others.
Effects of Poor Dental Hygiene
If you have not kept your dental hygiene up to standard, you may experience the following symptoms:
- Your gums may become painful and can bleed after flossing or brushing your teeth
- Either you or those closest to you may smell “bad breath”
- You may notice the appearance of yellowing or brown stains on your teeth
- Gaps between your teeth and the gum appear, or a widening within your tooth-line becomes visible.
Do not ignore these signs. Make an appointment with Pathway Dental today!
Keep your teeth in tip top condition. Call our experienced dental hygienists on 03 366 8866 or request an appointment online—it is the first step to a whiter and brighter smile!
3. When brushing your teeth, don’t forget to include your tongue. Clean tongues should be pink. If yours is white, creamy yellow or brownish, it could be a layer of “mouth dirt”, and in need of a clean. You don’t need a separate tongue brush, your normal toothbrush will do the job though. When you first start cleaning your tongue, you might feel like you need to gag. Don’t worry, with a little time and practice, this feeling will go away and it will become just as easy a task as brushing your teeth.
4. To mouth wash or not to mouth wash? Unfortunately, most mouth washes do not help your dental health. They just freshen your breath. We think it more important to focus on developing a daily brushing and flossing habit.
5. Visit Pathway Dental on a regular basis to have your teeth polished and professionally cleaned. We will also be able to pick up any issues early and arrange treatment quickly, so things don’t turn into a big problem. Your dentist will let you know how regularly you need to attend, as it can vary between people.
Steps You Can Take
There are a number of things that you can do to ensure that your dental hygiene is up to standard.
1. If you don’t already do this, we strongly recommend developing a habit of brushing your teeth twice a day. Brushing your teeth before you go to bed is important. This is because any food waste left on teeth after dinner, combines with the saliva you produce while you sleep and becomes a delicious meal for bacteria. Sated bacteria produce acid, which wears away at the enamel on your teeth, increasing the likelihood of a cavity. Brushing your teeth in the morning, clears away the stagnated saliva produced over night and further reduces bacteria levels. It also means you begin your day with fresh breath and happy co-workers.
2. Floss at least once a day, and we don’t mean that hip sliding dance move popular with the young ‘uns. Dental floss removes pieces of food that can get stuck between teeth, especially your back molars, which allow those pesky acid producing bacteria to thrive. Daily flossing can be a hard habit to develop but worth it.
