Dental hygiene – and why we should talk more about gum disease

Dental hygiene – and why we should talk more about gum disease

7th August 2023

Dental hygiene visits are vital for good oral health – and here are some reasons why!

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Julie, and I am the practice manager at Bicton Place Dental.  I have no dental training – my background is in commercial property law.  But, since taking over the practice last year with my husband, Oskar, I have been on something of an oral health journey.  And I thought I would share some of my key takeaways from the last year with you.

Before working at Bicton Place Dental, my understanding of oral health, and particularly gum disease, was limited.  I have always attended my 6-monthly check-up, scale and polish, and brushed twice a day for 2 minutes.  I don’t smoke and I don’t drink too many fizzy drinks.  So, during my 20s and 30s, I was generally doing just about enough to look after my oral health.

Now in my early 40s, my thoughts have turned to planning for the future…both dentally and otherwise!  And, for a lot of people of my generation, I think there is a hope (and expectation) that we will be able to preserve our own teeth forever.  Certainly, advances in electric toothbrushes and toothpaste, dietary advice and preventative treatments are all on our side when it comes to caring for our oral health.

Nevertheless, as I have discovered, no one is talking enough about dental hygiene and gum disease.

Most of us are all too aware of dental decay – what it is and how we avoid it.  Yet many of us are not aware that gum disease is another leading cause of tooth loss in the UK.  The British Society of Periodontology and Implant Dentistry tells us that most people can get gum disease (also known as periodontal disease) and some people are susceptible to more aggressive forms.

But, what is gum disease and how can we treat it?

Very briefly, gum disease is the 11^th most common disease in the world and is often hereditary.  It is caused by the bacteria and plaque building up on the teeth, which can in turn lead to inflammation of the gums.

And, for many people, early gum disease does not have any symptoms.  In fact, it often does not become noticeable until your 40s and 50s (or later) when symptoms such as bleeding or swollen gums, bad breath, receding gums or sensitivity to cold or hot food and drinks may start to appear.

The good news is that regular visits to a dental hygienist can stop gum disease taking hold or at least minimise the damage caused when gum disease is caught early.  Even in the later stages of the disease, regular treatment can help stabilise the disease and prevent it from getting worse.

And so, as part of my preventative dental care routine, I am now visiting our wonderful dental hygienist, Katie, twice a year.

Admittedly, I was somewhat nervous before my first visit, as I did not know what to expect.  For those of you who have already visited Katie, she has a lovely manner and put me immediately at ease.

After Katie had run through my medical history, inspected my gums, and measured my gum pockets, she gave me a thorough scale and polish.  Katie took the time to make sure that any plaque build-up above and below the gum line was removed to reduce the risk of inflammation of my gums, which could eventually lead to bone loss (and ultimately tooth loss) if left.  The polish also took care of any staining that needed to be removed.

I left my hygiene appointment literally feeling that my teeth were sparkling!  Katie also sent me away with floss and interdental brushes to use daily between hygiene appointments, as well as top tips about the areas I particularly need to focus on.

Although none of us has a crystal ball, I believe that investment in time and money now will save me treatment costs (and toothache) down the line.

As we are all too aware, inflation and the cost-of-living crisis has made decisions about spending more difficult over the last 12 months.  At Bicton Place Dental, we have introduced check-up and hygiene monthly payment plans through Denplan to help patients spread the cost of appointments.

As a final thought, I have included a link to a BBC article from last year, “The silent danger of deep gum disease”.  It offers a compelling read about the effect of chronic infection on blood sugar levels as well as the risk of bacteria spreading from gum pockets to other areas of the body.  Gum disease has now been linked to a range of diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis and Parkinson’s.

If you are worried about gum disease, please do speak to your dentist at your next check-up or, if you are new to our practice, do book in for your new patient exam.

There is further information about gum disease on our website as well as the British Society of Periodontology and Implant Dentistry patient information leaflet.

Our reception team will also be happy to provide you with more information about the monthly cost of our Denplan Hygiene and Perio plans.