Preventative Dental services

Preventative Dental Services Bad Breath Children's Teeth Gum Disease Mouth Cancer Screening Oral Hygiene Sensitive Teeth Quitting Smoking

Excellent oral health habits should begin in childhood and continue into late adult life. At Shildon Smile Care Dental & Implant Centre we offer a complete range of dental care, from preventative dental treatment for children, regular check-ups & hygiene appointments, to dental treatments that will help to keep your teeth looking great long into old age.

Preventative Dental Services Menu

Maintaining oral health

Having a dental check up regularly at 6 month intervals is an essential part of oral health. This allows your dentist to see if there are any potential problems developing with your teeth and deal with them early and hopefully prevent any tooth damage or decay.

Experience has taught us that damage is often already done and remedial dental services become necessary to deal with issues that may have been ignored and intervention is needed.

bad breath

There can be many reasons for having bad breath. This can be improved by cutting down on your sugar intake, in particular sugary foods and drinks and by following a daily oral hygiene routine. Your dental hygienist will keep your plaque levels under control if you attend regular check ups.

Chronic bad breath can be caused by medical conditions like nose or throat infections, sinus issues, bronchitis, diabetes or gastro-intestinal issues.
Poor dental hygiene - bacteria and food that can build up between your teeth if they are not brushed regularly, which releases an unpleasant smell over time.
Smoking
Eating a lot of strong smelling foods like coffee, onions and garlic

If you would like your breath to be fresher or are concerned that your breath is not as fresh as you would like it, make an appointment with our dental hygienist for some advice.

Children's teeth

At Shildon Smile Care we encourage our patients to bring their children from an early age. As we believe in preventative dental care, by attending regular check-ups we can help children avoid dental decay and damage to their growing teeth.

Positive experiences can be developed from your child’s first dental appointment. Something as simple and easy as a check-up can help your child grow up without fear of the dentist.

Early junior treatment at the dentist allows your dentist to spot early signs of dental conditions like underbites, overbites and crossbites developing. This early recognition allows us to prevent these problems from developing.

There are a number of preventative treatments that our team can provide for children:

Prevention is always better than cure, so call the practice today to make a dental appointment for your child.

gum disease

Your teeth are surrounded by your gums. Yout teeth are cushioned by your gums and envelope your teeth from root to crown. They are key to maintaining a healthy mouth. Without a good cleaning routine for both your gums and teeth, gum disease can develop.

ORAL HYGIENE

Peridontal disease is the number 1 cause of tooth loss. Maintaining a high level of oral hygiene at home is essential to controlling gum disease. It is essential that both children and adults are checked for the signs of gum disease. Gums that are healthy don’t bleed and should be brushed and flossed as part of a daily routine.

Treatment of periodontitis in people with diabetes has been shown to result in improved glycaemic control, with HbA1c reductions of 3-4 mmol/mol (0.3-0.4%) in the short term (3-4 months) post-treatment. Given that treatment of periodontitis results in clinically relevant reductions in HbA1c, the dental team has an important role in the management of patients with diabetes.

Periodontitis and diabetes are complex chronic diseases, linked by an established bidirectional relationship. Risk for periodontitis is increased two to three times in people with diabetes compared to individuals without, and the level of glycaemic control is key in determining risk.

Reference: Preshaw, P., Bissett, S. Periodontitis and diabetes. Br Dent J 227, 577–584 (2019).

Red and swollen gums that bleed when you brush them are a sign of gingivitis.
Untreated gingivitis can cause an infection called peridontitis.
Periodontitis causes discomfort when eating and affects the entire area around the tooth.
This type of infection can lead to tooth loss, but can be avoided by attending regular hygiene check-ups at your dentist.

A good daily hygiene routine of brushing & flossing your teeth, flossing and replacing your
toothbrush every three months will help your gum health.

Please speak to your Dentist and Hygienist for further information. Book appointment now

faqs - gum disease

What is Peridontal Disease?

Gum disease describes swelling, soreness and infection of the tissues supporting the teeth. Gingivitis is when the gums around the teeth become red and swollen. Long standing gingivitis can turn into periodontal disease. As the disease progresses, the bone anchoring the teeth in the jaw is slowly lost, making teeth loose. Patients with gum disease are likely to also suﬀer from abscesses.

What causes Gum Disease?

All gum disease is triggered by plaque in susceptible patients. Plaque is a film of bacteria, which forms on the surface of teeth every day. Many bacteria are harmless but there are some bacteria in plaque, which have been shown to be the main cause of gum disease.

Who is at risk of Gum Disease?

People that feature in the list below are at a higher risk for gum disease:

1) Smoking: Smokers suffer from more bone loss and heal less quickly than non-smokers.

2) Dental neglect: If you don’t visit your dentist regularly you are at more risk.

3) Heart disease: Products from gum inflammation combined with blood clotting cells can cause gum disease.

4) Stroke: Fatty deposits of stroke sufferers can contain bacteria from the mouth.

5) Diabetes: Diabetic patients are more likely to suffer from gum disease so it is essential to control blood sugar levels.

What if Gum Disease is not treated?

Over years, as gum disease progresses slowly, damage to gums may not be noticed and so bone is lost and teeth become loose and fall out.

How do I know if I have Gum Disease?

Often bleeding gums is the first sign, which is noticeable when brushing or rinsing your mouth.
You may also have a bad taste in your mouth and bad breath.

How can Gum Disease be treated?

You will be advised by the hygienist on how to clean your teeth and gums thoroughly. The hygienist
will use hand instruments and ultrasonic scaling instruments to remove plaque in inaccessible areas
under the gum. Local anaesthetic can be used to numb the gum if deep root cleaning is carried out.

Can Gum Disease be cured?

No. Gum disease is never cured but it can only be controlled. If good hygiene is not maintained, gum disease will continue to worsen.

Mouth Cancer Screening

Mouth cancer is on the rise and if detected early there is a much better chance of recovery.

Late detection of mouth cancers have resulted in a higher proportion of deaths per number of cases than breast cancer, cervical cancer or skin melanoma combined, with around 2,700 deaths per year in the UK.

Mouth cancer screening can easily be done at your dentist and involves the following:

A detailed analysis of your oral health history to determine any risk factors that you might have.
A thorough examination of the outside of your mouth, head and neck by observation and touch.
A hand held scanning device may also be used to examine any lumps or lesions that you might have.
Any inconclusive findings will be referred to a specialist consultant.

It is recommended that you come in for a screening on a yearly basis. If you have any sores, lumps or long-term ulcers in your mouth, no matter how small, it is very important that you come in to have it looked at.

We encourage our patients to stop smoking as it is strongly linked with many types of cancer and dental issues. If you would like more information there is good information from the Mouth Cancer Foundation.

oral hygiene

We want you to keep your teeth for as long as possible and we are sure you do too. Oral hygiene is imperative for a healthy smile.

Dental Hygienists are trained in the prevention of gum disease and tooth cavities. They work with your dentist and educate patients with how to use toothbrushes, electronic aids, dental floss and interdental brushes.

Our dental hygienist will remove any hard-to-reach plaque from the surfaces of your teeth that has built up.

Dental Hygienists remove plaque and surface stains by gentle scraping, polishing and other dental hygienist magic. They will examine your teeth and gums carefully and record any signs of inflammation, bleeding, pocket depths, mobility of teeth and presence of plaque and calculus.

If you have a bridge, denture, orthodontic treatment or a dental implant you will have specific
hygiene needs that our dental hygienist will be able to help you with.

Assessment of teeth and gums to see how much plaque removal is required and any risk factors will be highlighted.
Your teeth will be scaled & polished, or more simply, professionally cleaned with special equipment and pastes.
The hygienist will show you how minimise plaque in the future. You will be shown the best tooth brushing technique and given tips on using dental floss and using interdental brushes.

We advise that you attend regular hygiene appointments to ensure your mouth stays clean and healthy.

faqs - oral hygiene

What is Oral Hygiene?

Also called dental hygiene, oral hygiene is the process of cleaning your teeth and gums. Regular oral hygiene practice is essential for the prevention of gum disease and cavities and for fresh breath.

What treatments are regarded as Oral Hygiene?

Scaling, polishing, using a manual toothbrush, electric toothbrush, dental floss and interdental brushes. Antiseptic mouthwash can also be used as part of a good oral hygiene routine.

Why is Oral Hygiene important?

Oral Hygiene maintains the health of your teeth and gums. Without good oral hygiene you will ned up needing restorative dental treatments like fillings, crowns and bridges.

How often should I brush my teeth?

Twice a day for 2 minutes. Ideally this should be carried out in the morning and at night before you go to bed using a flouride toothpaste. Mouthwash can be used throughout the day to accompany your routine as it gets rid of bacteria and food particles.

How often should I see a dentist?

Usually between 6 & 12 months is enough so long as your mouth is healthy.

Sensitive teeth

Sensitive teeth can literally be a pain, especially when eating and drinking hot or cold food. It can be caused by multiple factors and you should seek advice from your dentist so that the cause can be identified and treated.

There are several causes of tooth sensitivity:

Tooth whitening can cause temporary pain and can be treated with painkillers you would buy from the chemist or supermarket.
Loss of tooth enamel through dental erosion can cause tooth sensitivity. Dentine is exposed when the hard outer coating of enamel is worn away.
Enamel can be worn away by several factors; too many sugary foods, brushing too hard, tooth grinding, some medical conditions and eating disorders.

If you would like tips on how to protect your tooth enamel and for effective sensitive tooth treatment, visit us at Shildon Smile Care for a check-up and we will create an individualised care plan for you.

Quitting smoking

Smoking and tobacco is not good for your teeth and gums. Tobacco affects your gum tissue cells making you more prone to infections like gum disease and peridontal disease.

It is our professional duty as dentists to inform you of the risks associated with smoking and also help you quit by providing information and the relevant support. Oral health benefits will be noticed almost immediately when you cut down or quit smoking or using tobacco products.

Bad breath
Stained Teeth
Jawbone Loss
Shrinking Gums
Tooth Loss
Mouth Sores
Poor Healing of Mouth Sores
Decreased Sense of Smell & Taste
Mouth Cancer

It is important that you visit us for regular check-ups so that we can help you maintain good oral health and give you advice and encouragement.

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Get In Touch

If you have a question, or need to speak to us about your appointment or an aspect of your dental treatment, then please get in touch with us.

Dental Services

Preventative Dental services