Oral Hygiene

Regular visits to your dentist and dental hygienist for professional oral hygiene are important for maintaining a healthy smile as is regular brushing and flossing.

Your smile is unique, so that means that your oral hygiene routine should be too. However, there are a few common areas of oral care that are vital for maintaining a healthy smile – including practicing good oral health habits at home. Our dental hygienists can help you maintain that healthy smile.

Flossing & Brushing

Flossing and brushing should be done regularly at home, in order to preserve the health of your teeth and gums. A general rule of thumb is to brush twice a day and floss once a day.

Professional Oral Maintenance from your Dental Hygienist

As a general rule, we suggest patients visit our dental hygienists once every six months to ensure their teeth and gums are healthy. However, a patient’s dental history and current status of their smile can also impact how often hygiene visits are recommended.

Our friendly, knowledgeable staff would be happy to discuss your oral dental care, and provide advice as to how many times per year you should visit the dentist for a cleaning.

Oral Cancer Screening

Oral cancer screening (OCS) may be the best way to detect oral cancer early, and our dental hygienists play an integral role in early detection. Detecting the disease in the early stages is key.

Your dental hygienist will perform a thorough visual examination of your mouth, head and neck to check for any abnormalities. This is a routine examination that is part of your regular hygiene appointment. Many screening techniques are available for use alone or in combination with a visual examination, including:

• Extra-oral examination – A visual examination of the head, face, front and back of the neck, including behind eyeglasses and under the hairline and ears.
• Intra-oral examination – A visual check for mucosal abnormalities and look for anything unusual in the mouth. (swelling, enlarged or swollen salivary glands, indentations, ulcer/crusting, symmetry and any changes in texture or colour such as white, red or mixed red and white patches or lesions).
• Oral Screening Technologies – VELscope screening technology designed for patients who would like a more thorough examination of their oral cancer risk.

Would you like to visit one of our dental hygienists for oral hygiene services?

Contact Southwest Dental Care