HOWARD SHRIMPTON DENTAL PRACTICE

64 New Park Street
Devizes, Wiltshire
SN10 1DP
Tel: 01380 722387

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PREVENTION
In this Wiltshire dental practice, we are serious about Prevention. Are you really serious about avoiding false teeth? Here are six facts:

  1. More people lose teeth due to gum disease than to dental decay. Gum disease is widespread, progressive and mostly painless.

  2. Certain groups of people are prone to gum disease.

  3. There are links between gum disease and these conditions:
    • heart disease
    • stroke
    • diabetes
    • smoking
    • alcohol abuse
    • poor diet

  4. Smoking and alcohol use are linked to oral cancer.

  5. Most patients are unaware that there is a disease process progressing in their mouths, because there is usually no pain and no obvious loosening of teeth until very late stages. Your dentist can detect early stages of the disease and help you.

  6. Too many patients don’t take us seriously until the disease is obvious enough to cause them to notice. By then, it’s getting almost too late…
I've only got half a dozen teeth left in my mouth. It's never worth coming regularly, is it? I'll come when I have a problem.
Your six teeth are probably very important for you. Maybe they secure or stabilise a denture? Maybe they are your best teeth for biting? Perhaps loss of one would necessitate a new dental arrangement to be provided for you? They are precious. Keep them while you can. We can help you to maintain them as long as possible.

Those who do leave it till they have a problem almost invariably say they won’t leave it to chance ever again. All that happens is that disease, which often is "quiet" in the mouth, develops unnoticed by the patient until it reaches a point where help from the professionals to cure pain is suddenly required. The emergency case has to be seen at the Practice’s chosen time and it often entails further visits.

Please let us examine your mouth regularly, normally 6 monthly and no longer than 12 monthly. Please take notice of our recommendations – we want the best for you, as do you.

SEE OUR HYGIENIST at this Devizes dental practice who is highly trained and qualified. She is an important member of the team who works closely with the dentist in the treatment and prevention of gum disease and maintaining a Fresh Breath Programme for you.

In a friendly informal way, she will both guide and advise you and also carry out prescribed cleaning and maintenance. She can give valuable advice on cleaning methods and even dietary advice if needed. She is happy to see a small group of children in the holidays for a fun preventive session that they can enjoy rather than dread.

Legally, the Hygienist only treats her patients under the prescription (or direction) of the dentist. Hygienists in the UK are permitted to carry out a wide variety of simple treatments under prescription. The patients must be examined by their dentist not less than every 12 months in order to keep the prescription to the Hygienist valid and accurate, because the patients’ tissues will be constantly changing over time.

Bad breath is a common problem amongst non-attenders and tackled for you as part of a Preventive Plan.

Prevention is the most important treatment we provide for you since it empowers the patient with the means of achieving and maintaining their teeth and gum health in their best state.

Regrettably, patients generally put a low value on Prevention, perhaps because they have not grasped just how important it is. Having got this far, you know it has high value for you. Minimal problems. Lower dental costs long term. Easier visits. You want those for yourself. Don’t you?

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I'm seeing the Hygienist regularly. Why should I have to go for a checkup with the dentist?
Because it’s a legal requirement that the dentist prescribe for you the treatment that the Hygienist is to provide for you. She can’t be responsible for spotting problems as they arise. Please see the dentist at least once every 12 months, but preferably every 6 months for a really effective prevention plan.

My friend says don't go to the Hygienist because it's always painful, they make your gums bleed, and your teeth are sensitive afterwards. That's right, isn't it?
 Our Hygienist is very gentle and caring. She knows what it’s like having a cleaning. She will take notice if you say you’re uncomfortable, and act on it to improve matters for you. Your friend may well have had a very neglected mouth with a delicate gum condition. In such cases, we would be treating her gently, breaking her in as it were over at least two or three appointments to ensure discomfort was kept to a minimum.

How do I know if I have gum disease?
 Bite into an apple – any blood on your fruit? Blood when you brush? Teeth wobble a bit? Longer in the tooth than you were? Funny taste when you suck your gums, and we don’t mean fruit gums.

We inspect your gum health and advise you at your routine Exam appointment.

What if I don't bother to see the dentist and insist that I carry on seeing the Hygienist? I haven't got any toothache, after all.
 We would have to advise you that your Hygienist visits cannot continue. We are obliged to act in the best interests of our patients.

FRESH BREATH – HEALTHY MOUTH
How often have you noticed that someone can be close to you, speaking to you, and you just want to avoid his breath because it’s faintly unpleasant at the least or foetid at worst?

But your breath is always fine isn’t it? No-one says anything so it must be OK. Heard that one before?

Especially in those over 35 to 40, the tendency to unpleasant odours can be due to bacterial action on specks of debris between your teeth and under gum level. So you just brush – right? Well, you can try, and you can spray deodorisers in your mouth and so on. But the odours will creep back.

So what can you do? Come to us. We will help you manage any breath problems, and we can give advice, even if it’s not of mouth-based origin.

Early or late gum disease is often around in breath problem cases. Trouble is, do you know gum disease when you see it? Can you feel it? Most people have absolutely no idea that they have either a gum or breath problem.

Those who are aware of their bad breath have got really bad breath. Do you want to wait until then?

95% of bad breath or halitosis is caused by bacterial action in the mouth. Complex chemical changes occur and smelly volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs) are produced.

TRY THIS: Lick the back of your wrist. Wait 30 seconds. Sniff gently. If there is a whiff of bad breath, it is revealed.

OR: Run some dental floss through a back tooth space. Remove carefully. Put under nose (yours preferably) and sniff.

It is no good just camouflaging with a nice minty spray, rinse or whatever. You must get to the real cause. And the cause is mouth bacteria plus trapped debris, even just tiny amounts.

Learn how to manage the problem efficiently with some help from us on a regular basis and some daily DIY. Easy prevention.


What's all this stuff about bad breath? Mine's OK. Well, nobody's complained. Yet.
A surprising proportion of the population has bad breath (or halitosis) and is unaware. Generally, we are too polite and feel embarrassed about mentioning bad breath to our acquaintances at work, to our friends, and not often enough to our immediate family.

Bad breath may be due to food and tobacco use. More cases, though, are due to bacterial activity. Mouth sprays and medications only hide the cause.

We can help you cure or manage it. Easily.

Online leaflets: If you want general information on a condition or treatment, go to the British Dental Health Foundation's web site where they have over 40 online leaflets.

Online Resource: Want to find out about dental treatment?  Want to know how to look after your teeth better? Visit the new BDA Smile web site.

3D Education: Learn about dental anatomy, conditions, treatments and good oral health with the BDA's cutting edge 3D Educational web site.

 

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