Oral Health - Parnell Darling July 08

We choose our clothes, we choose our life style, we keep our hair tidy, so why do we allow our mouths to decay and rot? Because mouths are hidden behind our lips or because we are too embarrassed to let a dental professional find out how bad we are at cleaning our teeth. Or perhaps you get told off for not flossing! And when we do look inside our mouths we only see the front teeth.

To the untrained eye they look fine – white-yellowish, maybe a brown stain can be seen from coffee and red wine, but hey! it’s only a little bit of staining we have to live with!

Have you ever pulled your lower lip out and look closely at your gums?

• Do they look a bit red, a little bit swollen?
• Do they occasionally bleed when you brush?
• Can you see some creamy plaque around the gum line?
• Are there some yellow or brown spots on the teeth?

These are all signs that you may have gum disease and or tooth decay. Both of these diseases are painless until they become advanced and painful. Dealing with these issues earlier will save you the social embarrassment of bad breath and will save you a lot of money later on in life because you have had regular dental hygiene appointments and prevented larger fillings and more extensive gum treatment.

What ever your age, these issues need to be addressed.

Recently a number of young adults in their twenties and thirties, who have not sought treatment since leaving home, have presented at the Dental Hygiene Clinic. They eat and drink whatever they like and we have both been surprised and shocked at what we have found. Apart from the amount of plaque in between and around there teeth, causing bad breath and bleeding gums, I have found many early sites of new decay which will continue to get bigger and end up having to be filled.

At the Dental Hygiene Clinic we are non judgemental. We discuss the issues and explain what is causing the gum disease and tooth decay and have the answers to reverse both gum disease and tooth decay if it hasn’t gone too far. Learn how to respect your mouth. Learn how to have a fantastic mouth for the rest of your life. Learn how to be socially acceptable – no bad breath.

Have you tested yourself recently to check if you have gum disease?

Try this - take a length of floss, slide the floss between the teeth until it reaches under the gum where the bacteria live. Remove the floss. If you have bleeding or can see thick plaque or the odour is unpleasant, you could have gum disease. Look closely at your gums. Are they pale pink and firm or are they red and swollen? The hardest hurdle is accepting that you may have a problem. We can help you to achieve a healthy smile and keep your mouth well and attractive.

Phone or email us today for an appointment