Dental Hygiene
Protecting Your Teeth and Gums
Dental hygiene is the daily and professional care that keeps your teeth, gums, and mouth healthy. Plaque is a sticky, colorless film that builds up on your teeth and creates an environment where bacteria can erode tooth enamel. Over time, this can lead to cavities, gum irritation and infection in the inner parts of the tooth and roots, and in severe cases, tooth loss.
As part of our preventive dentistry, dental hygiene visits work together with children’s dentistry, oral cancer screenings, and care for sensitive teeth to protect your whole family’s smiles.
What is Dental Hygiene All About?
Dental hygiene is all about taking good care of your teeth mouth, and gums. You know that plaque is a bad substance, right? Dental plaque is a colorless, sticky film that blankets your teeth and creates an environment in which bacteria erode tooth enamel. This causes gum irritation and infection in the inner parts of the tooth and the roots. In addition, in extreme cases, it can cause tooth loss.
How Dental Hygiene Visits Help You
Good dental hygiene starts with daily brushing and flossing at home, but professional care is what keeps problems from sneaking up on you. During a dental hygiene visit at Mid Cities Dental, we carefully clean away plaque and tartar that regular brushing can’t reach, especially around the gumline and between teeth.
Your hygienist will check for early signs of tooth decay, gum disease, and other issues that can affect your comfort and overall health. They’ll review your brushing and flossing technique, recommend the right tools for sensitive areas, and answer questions about foods and drinks that may be putting your teeth at risk.
Regular dental hygiene appointments, combined with our other preventive services, help reduce the need for more extensive treatments like fillings, root canals, or gum therapy and keep your smile healthier for the long term.
What can you do to have good dental hygiene?
Avoid Foods & Drinks that Cause Tooth Decay
Some of the biggest culprits causing plaque and bad dental hygiene are foods full of sugar and carbohydrates.
- Soda beverages
- Sports drinks
- Alcoholic drinks
- Sugar flavored waters
- Juices
- Candy
- Gum
- Pasta
- Bread
- Cereal
- Baked goods
Plaque can attack fillings and other restorations in your mouth. This can lead to more expensive treatment down the road such as cavities, root canals, gum disease, and tooth loss.
Brush those teeth after meals!
Good dental hygiene includes brushing and flossing your teeth at least twice a day. If you are somewhere where you can’t brush or floss, rinse your mouth out really well with water. And be sure to see your hygienist or dentist twice a year!
What Our Dental Hygienists Do for You
At Mid Cities Dental, dental hygienists are your trusted partners in dental hygiene and preventive care. Before the dentist sees you, your hygienist reviews your medical history, examines your teeth and gums, and performs a thorough cleaning to remove plaque and tartar in hard‑to‑reach areas.
During your visit, they may take dental x‑rays, apply fluoride treatments, or place dental sealants to help protect vulnerable teeth. They also screen for signs of tooth decay and gum disease and share what they see with the dentist so potential problems are caught early.
Just as important, your hygienist shows you how to brush and floss effectively at home and helps you understand which habits and foods are most likely to cause tooth decay or sensitivity. Their goal is to make your regular dental hygiene visits—and your daily brushing after meals—work together to keep your smile healthy and comfortable.
Our dental hygienists also work closely with our Children’s Dentistry, oral cancer screening, and Sensitive Teeth services, so your whole family receives complete preventive care at every visit.
What is a Dental Hygienist?
A Dental Hygienist supports the dentist and performs certain key duties. They are an important part of our dentist’s office and your dental hygiene care.
What do they do?
- Before the dentist sees you, the hygienist will take your medical history and examine your teeth.
- They will screen you for tooth decay.
- A hygienist will perform your dental teeth cleaning procedure and show you how to properly brush and floss your teeth.
- They may perform needed dental x-rays.
- Dental hygienists can apply fluoride treatments.
- Hygienists can apply dental sealants.
- They communicate with the dentists about what they see in your mouth.
At Mid Cities Dental, our dental hygienists are a very important part of your frontline care and help teach you how to have a healthy dental hygiene routine.
Dental Hygiene Facts
- Dental plaque is a colorless, sticky film that coats your teeth and creates a home for bacteria that attack tooth enamel.
- Plaque buildup can lead to cavities, gum irritation, and infections in the inner parts of the tooth and roots.
- Over time, untreated plaque and poor dental hygiene can result in tooth loss and more complex dental treatment.
- Sugary drinks and refined carbohydrates give plaque bacteria the fuel they need to make more acid and cause decay.
- Regular dental hygiene visits remove plaque and tartar in places you can’t reach at home and help you avoid costly treatments later.
Part of Dental Hygiene is Properly Brushing Your Teeth
Dr. Eberlein demonstrates how to properly brush your teeth in the video below.
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