Is getting a scale and polish at the dentist really needed every 6 months?

Toothsmith

(Brook is a she!)

sofababe

Toothsmith wrote: »

(Brook is a she!)

Oops, sorry Brook!

roddydogs

Ok, I withdraw the word "Rubbish", but I stick by my opinion, that to post "If you clean & floss regulary" etc you wont get plaque/tartar is totally untrue. It may apply to 95%, but not all.
Bit like saying if you not overweight/take exercise & have a good diet you will never have a heart attack, you will of course greatly reduce the probability, but it isnt 100% true.

Toothsmith

I'd be interest to know what you think tartar is, and where it comes from?

It would also be interesting to know what you define 'true' as, if something that happens 95% of the time is 'totally untrue'!

I mean "The sun comes up in the morning" would be a 'totally untrue' statement by your definition, as above the arctic circle, there are periods when it doesn't

suki1964

I pay for the hygienist three times a year now ( down from six) and have just had my first session in the chair without having my mouth completely numbed with injections.

I can't clean my teeth properly myself. There are some areas that I just can not access as well as she can ( terrible gag reflex)I have fought gum disease for years and am slowly winning.

I use tepee brushes and floss on sticks and have just got a water pik but I'm struggling with that On the whole my oral hygiene is good but there are areas I need help with. I'm happy to see my hygienist and I'm happy to pay her charges. It's less then paying the dentist for long protracted treatment ( NI here so no fixed band pricing)

brook2jack

Roddydogs if it were not possible to stop tartar forming by proper cleaning then all gum disease would be totally uncontrollable.

When some sees a hygienist or dentist for a scale tartar will start to return within 72 hours unless the patient changes their cleaning regime.

What would be the point of having clean teeth for half an hour every six months or so?

The point is the hygienist removes the tartar that has formed and hopefully demonstrates techniques using e.g. tepe brushes that means the patient better controls plaque reforming so they won't need scaling again and their gums remain healthy.

It's why talking is probably the most important part of a hygiene visit as otherwise all they are doing is removing tartar for it to start to reform almost immediately.

This philosophy is being taken up in the new new NHS contract where people oral health will be measured and graded red ,Amber or green. Those who are graded red will include those who cannot control their tartar and will be given oral hygiene instruction and have to improve their oral health before complicated work is carried out.

95% of dental treatment is avoidable and unless you have deep pockets where plaque can form where tooth brush, floss and tepe can't reach 100% of tartar is avoidable.

roddydogs

Right, 95% not "Never" as you originally posted.

C_Mababejive

Thanks Brooke..you say most/(all?) mouth wash is err..hogwash.. and that i should brush and i should just toohpaste but spit not rinse..but wouldnt that leave you with a mouthfull of toothpaste which would dry? at some point you would have to rinse/spit? What job does toothpaste actually do? Im thinking it has some anti bacterial properties and also some "plugging" abilities to fill microscopic fissures/holes? ta

brook2jack

95% of all dental treatment is avoidable. 100% of tartar is avoidable.

Pockets only form because bacteria is allowed to sit on the gum and the toxins produced break down the gums attachment to the tooth.

When a hygienist removes the tartar they make it easier to clean the gum line. Occasionally deep pockets form that make cleaning difficult and if the patients cleaning is good enough various treatments like surgery are used to make it possible for the patient to keep this area clean.

There may be reasons why people cannot keep their teeth clean enough e.g. a gag reflex like Suki, or arthritis in older patients but it is absolutely true if you don't leave plaque on your teeth you won't get tartar.

The aim of a hygiene treatment is to make sure the patient doesn't need one again.

If you need a scale and polish every six months you are not cleaning effectively. As suggested before try disclosing tablets to check where the plaque is left and get your dentist or hygienist to check your use of floss, tepes etc. Less than 30% of people floss and 10 % of those do it properly!

brook2jack

By all means spit but you want to leave a film of toothpaste on the teeth to let the fluoride work.

Most toothpastes contain a foaming and abrasive element to physically clean the teeth, various favouring and stabilizers and most importantly fluoride. Fluoride stops the bacteria working so well and can help to heal the early stages of decay. To work well the fluoride needs to stay in contact with the tooth for as long as possible hence spit don't rinse.

specialist toothpastes for sensitivity may contain ingredients to block off the holes that lead to the nerves .

Antibacterial ingredients have very limited use as the mouth needs bacteria to remain healthy (otherwise you get thrush) , mechanical removal of plaque is far more important and the main antibacterial is chlorhexidine which is increasingly causing problems with allergies and bacterial resistance.