Why Oral Hygiene Matters
What plaque does when it's left in place, why healthy gums matter beyond your mouth, and the everyday routine that keeps problems away.
Why Does Oral Hygiene Matter So Much?
Keeping your mouth clean prevents tooth decay and gum disease, the two main reasons adults lose teeth. Both are caused by plaque, a film of bacteria that builds up on teeth daily and, within a day or two, starts to harden into tartar that brushing can't shift. Gum disease is also associated with wider health problems, notably diabetes and heart disease. Twice-daily brushing, daily cleaning between the teeth and regular visits to Stefanie Goodall, our dental hygienist at Peninsula Dentists on Greenwich Peninsula, protect your teeth and your wider health with very little effort.
Plaque, and Why It Matters
Plaque is the soft, sticky coating of bacteria that settles on teeth every day, starting within a few hours of brushing. Run your tongue across your teeth late in the day and that slightly furry feel is plaque. The bacteria in it live on the sugars in your food and drink, producing acids and irritants as they feed. If plaque is left undisturbed, it begins to calcify into tartar, also called calculus, a hard crust fused to the tooth that only professional instruments can remove. Tartar's rough surface then traps more plaque, and a minor issue at the gum line grows into a larger one. Daily brushing and interdental cleaning exist for one reason: to clear plaque away before it does damage.
What Happens When Hygiene Slips
- Decay. Plaque bacteria convert sugar into acid, which softens enamel. It starts as a chalky white spot, then becomes a cavity, then pain, and eventually a tooth needing root canal treatment or extraction
- Gum disease. Plaque at the gum margin makes the gums red, swollen and quick to bleed. If it carries on, the inflammation eats away at the bone supporting the teeth
- Persistent bad breath, from bacteria on the tongue, in the gaps between teeth and under the gums
- Losing teeth. Advanced gum disease and neglected decay account for most adult tooth loss
- Dull, discoloured teeth, because plaque and tartar soak up colour from tea, coffee, red wine and tobacco
- Higher costs. A hygiene appointment costs a fraction of a filling, root canal treatment or an implant
Due a Professional Clean?
Book directly with Stefanie Goodall, our dental hygienist. No dentist appointment needed first.
Your Gums and Your General Health
Studies have connected gum disease with a number of conditions elsewhere in the body. The clearest connection is with diabetes, and it runs in both directions: diabetes raises the risk and severity of gum disease, while inflamed gums push blood sugar control in the wrong direction. Associations with heart disease have also been found. During pregnancy, hormonal changes leave the gums more prone to swelling and bleeding, so thorough cleaning becomes even more important. The likely common thread is inflammation, since chronic gum disease keeps a low level of it running all the time. Looking after your gums is therefore part of looking after yourself. If diabetes, pregnancy or a medicine that affects the gums applies to you, let us know and we'll advise how often to come in.
A Daily Routine That Works
- Brush for two minutes twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, once last thing at night and once earlier in the day, with the bristles tilted towards the gum
- Spit out the foam without rinsing, so the fluoride stays on the teeth
- Clean between your teeth every day, choosing interdental brushes wherever they fit and floss for the tightest contacts. Of everything on this list, it does the most for your gums
- Have sugary food and drinks less often, and save them for mealtimes. Every sugary snack sets off a fresh acid attack
- Stick to water between meals rather than sipping sweet or fizzy drinks throughout the day
- If you smoke, quitting is the best single step you can take for your mouth
- Start a new brush, or a new electric head, every three months
For the technique behind each step, see our guide to caring for your gums at home.
What a Hygienist Adds
Even excellent brushers miss a few spots, and tartar forms there; once it has hardened, only a professional clean will remove it. At Peninsula Dentists you can book Stefanie Goodall, our dental hygienist, directly. She checks your gums and measures for early signs of disease, removes tartar from above and just under the gum line, lifts plaque and stain with Airflow if you choose a Diamond Smile Clean, and then shows you what to concentrate on at home, sizing interdental brushes to each of your gaps. A Classic Smile Clean takes around half an hour, and a deep clean an hour; see our hygiene page for details. Early gum disease rarely hurts, so regular visits matter even when everything feels fine. Routine appointments spot trouble while it's small and inexpensive to put right.
Hygiene and the Dental Work You've Invested In
Cosmetic and restorative work only lasts if the mouth around it stays healthy. Gums around implants have to be kept especially clean, because the surrounding bone defends itself less well against bacteria, which is also why our implant guarantee requires three-monthly hygiene visits. Put Invisalign aligners in over unbrushed teeth and they seal plaque in place for hours. Composite bonding and veneers gather stain at the gum line, and the polish at your hygiene appointment keeps them looking fresh. Stefanie can tailor your maintenance to whichever treatment you've had, so what you've invested in your smile stays healthy as well as looking good.
What Staying on Top of It Costs
A Classic Smile Clean is £99, a Diamond Smile Clean with Airflow £134, and a routine dental examination £30.2 Our dental plans combine them. Plan A, £24.10 a month, covers two dental examinations, two Airflow hygiene visits and two small X-rays every year. Plan B, £40.16 a month, raises that to four hygiene visits and suits people with gum disease or implants, or anyone needing more frequent care. Both include emergency appointments at no extra cost and 10% off most private treatment. Compared with a filling, root canal treatment or a replacement tooth, prevention is much the cheaper habit.
Questions
This guide explains the options in general terms. Only an examination can tell you which of them suits your own teeth.