Healthy Gums

Your gums are like cushions for your teeth; they surround the tooth from its crown to its root in your jaw and help to support a healthy mouth. Looking after your gums is just as important as looking after your teeth. Without essential routine cleaning gum disease can occur. 

At Whitecart Dental Care we provide 30-minute appointments with our hygienist, Catrina Macintosh. Catrina has gained experience working in some of Scotland’s top private practices. She is very enthusiastic and takes a lot of pride in her work, which is reflected in the excellent results she achieves.

Catrina provides a really thorough, personalised approach to her patients’ dental health and uses disclosing tablets to identify plaque and the areas toothbrushing is missing. She will then remove every speck of plaque by hand, finishing off your care with air polishing. 

Air polishing – a jacuzzi in your mouth!

Help avoid tooth decay and keep gum disease in check with air polishing, which uses water, air and a fine, flavoured powder to gently and naturally remove plaque and stubborn stains from your teeth. 

This treatment is ideal for painlessly ridding teeth of the stains caused by tea, coffee, red wine and nicotine and will return them to their spotlessly clean, natural colour. It is also strongly recommended before tooth whitening, as it will help improve the final result.

The stages of gum disease

1. Red and swollen gums that bleed when you brush them are a sign of a type of gum disease, gingivitis.

2. When gingivitis is left untreated it can develop further into a type of infection known as periodontitis, which affects the entire area surrounding the tooth, causing discomfort and difficulty when eating.

3. Eventually this kind of infection can lead to tooth loss and may require invasive procedures to replace the missing tooth.

It’s important to emphasise that hygiene therapy may also reduce the risk of developing several serious medical conditions, especially as research links gum disease to arthritis, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, degenerative brain diseases and premature births. A staggering 90 per cent of us suffer from gum disease at some point in our lives but with good dental care the risks can be easily controlled.

Avoid gum disease by attending regularly for hygiene care and maintaining a good daily hygiene routine by brushing between your teeth, flossing and replacing your toothbrush every three months.

Life benefits

• Minimised risk of tooth loss

• Reduced risk of developing tooth decay and need for fillings

• Fresh breath