At Lane Ends Dental Practice, we strongly believe in taking a preventative approach to dental care. Dental hygiene services can, in the long term, be the most valuable service we can offer our patients. More than just "cleaning", these visits allow us to monitor your health and catch problems early when they are easier and less costly to repair.

Our experienced dental Hygienist can be compared to your own personal trainer on your quest to keep your teeth healthy. He will evaluate the plaque-status of your teeth on a regular basis and has your permission to reprimand you on poor oral hygiene habits, in order to achieve your goals.

It is impossible for you to know whether the 60 seconds or 5 minutes you spend each morning cleaning your teeth, is sufficient or not! You will need some form of feedback and this is exactly what happens during your visit. Remember that you only have one set of adult teeth and insufficient cleaning and bad habits can easily cost you lots of money, and even more, your smile!

Our Dental Hygiene services are the first line in the defence, detection and the treatment of periodontal disease.  Dental Hygienists have years of academic and professional training in the detection and prevention of gum disease.

Services of your dental hygiene visit may include:

• Instruction in oral hygiene and dental hygiene education tailored to the individual's needs
• Regular monitoring of teeth and gums for the first signs of any problems
• Scaling and polishing teeth and root surface debridement (periodontal treatment) to eliminate harmful plaque and tartar
• Dietary advice to help minimise the risk of decay
• Fissure sealant treatment to protect back teeth by sealing them against decay
• Application of Airflow, which is a system of bicarbonate of soda, water and air which removes stubborn stains such as nicotine, tea and coffee
• De-sensitizing of sensitive teeth: ( applying a special seal to the teeth margins to preventive sensitivity)

When it comes to your dental health, clean is synonymous to healthy. Because many dental problems result from plaque buildup, hygiene is a critical, if not the most critical, aspect of dental care. Regular brushing and flossing at home are highly recommended, as well as consulting your dentist for regular cleaning. We focus on giving your teeth a thorough cleaning, which involves the removal of stubborn plaque that brushing and flossing cannot remove alone.

We achieve this through a procedure called scaling and polishing. Using the latest equipment and techniques, we remove soft deposits (plaque) and hard deposits (calculus) from your teeth. With the removal of these deposits, we can prevent tooth decay, bleeding gums and periodontal disease. Our experienced dentists recommend that patients visit the dental hygienist every 6 months , but some patients need to come for more regular sessions depending on their caries risk. Six months is the time period that a new cavity will form under insufficient oral hygiene conditions.

Full mouth cleaning or deep scaling and disinfection is the latest treatment for chronic periodontitis, or gum disease. This treatment involves assessing the damage already done to the teeth, followed by an intensive cleaning of the entire mouth, including the gum pockets. The hygienist also typically teaches the patient how to clean his or her teeth properly.

The patient may also be provided with a disinfecting mouthwash. Completing a full mouth disinfection usually takes up to four dental appointments. The efficacy of this treatment also largely depends on the patient’s willingness to follow proper dental hygiene procedures.

Periodontitis usually features inflamed gums due to bacteria lodged in the tooth sockets. This condition also features heavy plaque on the teeth and a high tendency to get cavities. This kind of disinfection often helps alleviate symptoms from periodontitis by scraping all of the plaque out of the mouth and descaling the tooth sockets. This procedure does not cure gum disease but it can help the gums heal and keep the mouth healthy. To maintain the effects of the disinfection process, the dental patient must follow guidelines set down by his or her dentist.

All our Professional dental cleanings are performed by our highly experienced dental hygienists. In addition to a dental exam, prophylaxis includes removal of calculus, removal of plaque, and tooth polishing. Calculus is a hardened plaque that develops on teeth over time and is attached firmly to the tooth above and below the gum line. Tartar is removed by scaling with specialized dental hygiene instruments.

The presence of calculus influences the health of tooth, gum, and bone and harbours toxin releasing bacteria. Plaque is a sticky, almost invisible film that forms on the tooth surface. It is a growing colony of bacteria, food debris and saliva.

The bacteria produce toxins that cause gingivitis and periodontal disease and converts sugars in the diet to lactic acid that causes teeth decay. In addition to scaling of plaque and calculus, tooth polishing removes plaque, calculus, and stain that is not removed by scaling or tooth brushing.

Many patients identify a trip to the dentist with twice a year cleaning. We are foremost interested in lifelong prevention of dental and oral disease. Our practice strives to recognize problems before they start and put measures in place to get patients in a stable stage in which they only require preventive maintenance.