Prevention and care

At City Bridge Dental & Implant Clinic our philosophy is “prevention is better than cure” as in all health matters.

Preventive dentistry is a modern approach to keeping your mouth healthy by practising a good oral healthcare routine. This helps keep your mouth pain and problem free and means you need to have less dental treatment.

The two main causes of tooth loss are decay and gum disease. Around a third of adults and children still have tooth decay in the UK. Both are entirely preventable, but they’re also very common. Gum disease is the largest cause of tooth loss in adults, and it’s something you’re likely to get. But worry not, as keeping up the basics can help to prevent it and shift it. The better you prevent or deal with these two problems, the more chance you will have of keeping your teeth for life.

Here at City Bridge Dental & Implant Clinic, we are focused on enabling patients to take care of their oral health. Our dentists and hygienists will offer tailored dental advice to you, helping you keep your mouth clean and healthy. Our hygienist will also professionally clean your teeth (scale and polish) when appropriate. This can help to prevent the need for treatment – especially fillings and extractions. Your dental team may recommend a course of treatment to get your mouth into good condition, and then work out a ‘maintenance plan’ to help you keep it that way.

In addition to regular appointments with the hygienist, you can do a lot to help yourself, as you are the one who looks after your mouth in between visits to the practice. Your hygienist will have shown you how to remove plaque with a toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. They will also have shown you how to clean between your teeth with ‘interdental’ brushes, floss or tape. There are many oral care products you can get, including specialist toothpastes, electric or ‘power’ toothbrushes, and mouthwashes. Your hygienist will recommend those that are best for you.

We recommend that you follow three simple steps to help keep your teeth and gums healthy:

Brush your teeth last thing at night and at least one other time during the day, with a fluoride toothpaste
Cut down on how often you have sugary foods and drinks
Visit your dental team regularly, as often as they recommend.

Cutting down the amount of sugar in your diet, and the number of times that you eat during the day, can help to reduce decay. Your hygienist can help you by looking at your decay problem and your diet, and by making some recommendations for you to consider.

Check out our advice below for more tips to help you take best care of your teeth.

Tips for brushing

Proper brushing takes at least two minutes – thats right, 120 seconds! Most adults do not come close to brushing that long. This page contains a few tips to help while brushing your teeth.

Floss once a day. Flossing gets rid of food and plaque between the teeth, where your toothbrush cannot reach. If plaque stays between teeth, it can cause cavities or gum disease.

Every time you eat or drink anything sugary, your teeth are under acid attack for up to one hour. This is because the sugar will react with the bacteria in plaque (the sticky coating on your teeth) and produce the harmful acids.

Erosion is the loss of tooth enamel caused by acid attack. Enamel is the hard, protective coating of the tooth, which protects the sensitive dentine underneath. When the enamel is worn away, the dentine underneath is exposed, which may lead to pain and sensitivity.

Good dental health is a clean, bacteria- and plaque-free mouth. You want to keep emergency visits to the dentist at a minimum throughout your life.

The causes of bad breath (or halitosis) can vary from simply lifestyle and the food in your diet to more serious underlying health problems, such as gum disease and gum inflammation (gingivitis).