Dental Hygiene Services

This is a procedure involving removal of dental plaque and calculus (scaling or debridement) and then smoothing, or planing, of the (exposed) surfaces of the roots, removing cementum or dentine that is impregnated with calculus. Dental scaling is the most common non-surgical way to treat gum disease.

This is a procedure that removes plaque and stain from the coronal surfaces of teeth and enamel after hard deposits of calculus have been removed. 

Air polishing prior to hard deposit removal focuses on the Guided biofilm therapy practice, to increase the surface area and overall bacterial reduction. removing biofilm and stain is an important step to full mouth hygiene treatment.

In most cases, the natural colour of teeth is within a range of light greyish-yellow shades. Teeth naturally darken with age and their appearance can be affected by the accumulation of surface stains acquired from the use of tobacco products and the consumption of certain foods or drinks.

In addition, the perception of the colour of teeth is severely affected by skin tone and make-up/accessories. I work with you to check your current shade and see where we can reach, with use of nutritional counseling, tobacco cessation, dental hygiene therapy as well as use of surface whiteners and peroxide based whitening products.

Myofunctional Assessment  focuses on head and neck measurements and identifying improper muscle movements or function. Myofunctional Disorders are commonly linked with tongue thrusts, mouth breathing, tongue ties, gastric problems, hyperactivity, hypersensitivity and sleep apnea.  Myofunctional therapy ranges in both breathing focused and head, neck and oral exercise programs to properly retrain the muscles, tone and support proper function and development.       

Myofunctional therapy can benefit all ages.     

Screening occurs in every dental hygiene appointment, regardless of age, and continued education is given to clients about risk factors and how to detect potential problems. Detecting the disease in the early stages is key to the survival rate.  An extraoral examination of the head and neck will be performed as well as a Intra Oral examination to look for any lumps, bumps, tender spots, or abnormalities. Clients will be referred to the appropriate physicians or specialists when required for additional assessment and biopsies where needed. 

 Some teeth have very mountainous anatomy and therefore deep “groves and lines” within them. These areas are difficult for the toothbrush bristle to reach and become higher risk for trapped food and decay. Effectively sealing pits and fissures (groves and lines) in the surfaces of teeth can prevent caries lesions and is part of a comprehensive caries management approach. Sealants are systems that can be applied to the occlusal surfaces of teeth (biting surface) to penetrate anatomic surface pits and fissures and form a physical barrier on the tooth surface. 

Not the most thought of topic of discussion,  but saliva pH measurement is also very important. Bacteria in the mouth, release various types of acids, which lower your saliva pH. While tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the body, it can be damaged by acidic saliva exposure and overtime break down your enamel permanently.  A saliva pH of 7.0 usually indicates a healthy dental and periodontal situation. At this pH, there is a low incidence of dental decay combined and little or no calculus.  

The mouth has well over 500 types of bacteria present at any given time.

 How do we fight the difficult strains of bacteria? 

We identify them and target them! 

Taking a bacterial slide will help us identify the activity level and abundance of different strains of bacteria and help us focus a hygiene plan specific for your needs. 

As a routine component of dental hygiene practice, it is imperative that tobacco use cessation services are an integral part of oral health services. Tobacco products can cause severe oral health conditions including such concerns as, severe periodontal disease resulting in tooth loss and oral cancer. The goal is to help you along the way and determine the best resources you need to help you kick the habit, for good         

Yes we want you even if you have no teeth! We clean and care for our denture wearing clients.

Flippers, Partials or Complete Dentures need to be cleaned and maintained yearly if not more! Denture fit is checked to ensure there is no repetitive trauma or the possibility of damaging any remaining teeth. 

We can also personalize and label dentures when needed.

Do you play high contact sports? 

Mouth Guards are personally fabricated for the main objective to reduce risk of concussion from a hit to the face. The high maxillary ridge of the guard helps reduce trauma linked directly to severe concussions. Additionally they add a layer of protection between the teeth to reduce chipping/breaking of teeth.

And don't forget they come in so many colour options!

A Dental hygiene diagnosis involves the use of critical thinking skills and the analysis of the assessment data to reach conclusions about the client's or community's dental hygiene needs. The dental hygiene diagnosis is a statement that ties the assessment findings to our planned interventions and treatment.