Oral hygiene

What is prophylaxis?

Not all plaque can be combated by home oral hygiene alone. Bacteria found in deeper gum pockets or in hard-to-reach places should be removed once or twice a year with professional oral hygiene to keep the teeth and the periodontium, i.e. the gums and the bone surrounding the tooth, healthy. Bleeding gums when brushing teeth is the first sign that certain brushing deficiencies exist. If these are ignored, the inflammation of the gums (so-called gingivitis) progresses to the more severe form, periodontitis, in which the bone surrounding the tooth is also attacked by the bacteria. The consequences are mobile teeth and even tooth loss. That is why professional oral hygiene in the dental office is also called prophylaxis, because it is a kind of precaution to preserve the periodontium.

Professional oral hygiene

This consists of 2 important parts

• Home oral hygiene through brushing instruction: Here, dental plaque is stained and it is explained to the patient how and with which aids it can be removed at home.

This is followed by

• Professional oral hygiene: coarse discolorations and tartar are removed with so-called ultrasonic devices. For superficial smoke, coffee and tea discoloration, a powder jet device (Airflow) is the method of choice. This works like a high-pressure cleaning device. For plaque between the teeth or in deeper gum regions, there is ultrasound and so-called scalers. These are hand instruments that remove hard plaque from the tooth. After that, the tooth surfaces are polished smooth and fluoridated, which in turn leaves a kind of protective film.

Both at home and professional oral hygiene are part of prophylaxis to ensure that the periodontium remains healthy in the long term.

Oral hygiene children and adolescents

Of course, it is important to pay attention to the proper care of the teeth of even the youngest children. This starts with the baby's first teeth and continues into the teenage years.

From the age of 10, the so-called children's oral hygiene is even supported by the insurance companies. Once a year, or twice a year for teenagers with braces, you can request a co-payment. With SVS and KFA, we directly bill for the service.

For more information see also Oral hygiene children and teenagers.

For further questions please call or use the possibility to book an appointment online. Our team will be happy to meet you for a consultation!