Dental Hygiene

Who doesn’t crave a spic-and span mouth? The fact is, we all relish the feeling when all the tartar and furry stuff is removed from our teeth, and we emerge flashing our biggest smile, showing off that fresh and shiny mouth. The express route to such a mouth is the professional cleaning, as performed by a dental hygienist or dentist. This is the only way to remove the hard deposits of calculus that can’t be budged by brushing and flossing.

Regular professional cleanings are an important part of maintaining good oral and dental health. For stain removal and polishing we use a ProphyJet, the latest technology for professional cleanings. Rather than that rubber cup with the flavored pumice paste, a ProphyJet uses air pressure, water and baking soda, to blast the stains off. It is less abrasive to the teeth and really cleans the areas between the teeth better. Most people benefit from professional cleanings every 6 months. However, some people require more frequent cleanings – we will let you know if that is the case.

Diana Huang, our registered dental hygienist performs most cleanings and periodontal therapy.

Germs of Endearment

As the 1964 Betty Everett’s hit song said “If you wanna know if he loves you so, it’s in his kiss.

So What is in the Kiss” from an oral hygiene point of view?

The main result of a kiss, dentally speaking, is enhanced saliva flow, which is good for the teeth. A rise in adrenaline pumps up saliva output, which limit the growth of bacteria that causes tooth decay. Saliva in a kiss may also involve the transfer of bacteria and viruses-“germs of endearment.” While an occasional kiss isn’t going to change the oral chemistry, frequent exposure to the same partner’s saliva (in non-dental terms, we’re talking Long –term relationship here) makes it likelier that the two of you will mingle your pathogens.

So…bio-romantically speaking, you’re inoculating each other with your own personal saliva organisms. This form of bonding can prove quite innocent or it can transfer anything from oral malodor to caries infection to a cold or colds sore or gum disease. Your best defense? Keep your mouth healthy. Brush and floss regularly and get more frequent cleanings. In Dr. Pavlin’s office we recommend a prophy cleaning every 6 months for the healthy patients and every 3-4 months for patients with periodontal diseases. For those patients that have acquired a pesky bacteria that cause periodontal disease we test through Oral DNA labs and recommend treatments that usually get rid of the unwanted visitors sometimes with just the weeks course of antibiotics.