Oral Health Services

Our Oral Health Department, which includes our doctors and oral health therapists will together diagnose, determine your risk factors and formulate an individualized care plan.

Treating gum disease, help prevent disease

This is very much an individualized matter due to combination of genetics and environment. Overall general health, susceptibility to gum disease and home care habits really determine the frequency of care that is best suited to your needs.

No matter how good home care may be we all form a calcified stubborn build-up, which will need to be professionally removed by your oral health professional.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis involves:
•    Filling out a thorough medical and dental history form.
•    Discussions about home care habits.
•    Diagnostic digital images to help see the bone below the gum line.
•    Examination of your mouth noting areas of gum recession (lower gum levels), swelling, redness and presence of plaque and calcified build up.
•    Taking measurements of bone levels and areas of bleeding in six points around every tooth (which is repeated every 12 months minimum)
•    Noting the extent of any mobility or looseness of the teeth.

How often do you require gum treatment?

This is very much an individualized matter due to combination of genetics and environment. Overall general health, susceptibility to gum disease and home care habits really determine the frequency of care that is best suited to your needs.

No matter how good home care may be we all form a calcified stubborn build-up, which will need to be professionally removed by your oral health professional.

Initial Treatment Care

Initial Treatment Care includes:
•    Professional cleaning of the teeth and gums. Depending on severity this may require several visits to move from disease to health.
•    Oral hygiene education
•    In more advanced cases the following may be advised:
•    Systemic antibiotics
•    Specific mouth rinses
•    Oral cleaning aids
•    Toothpastes
•    Genetic testing
•    Bacterial screening
•    Referral to Physician

Ongoing Maintenance Care

How your body responds to the initial phase of treatment and the severity of the disease will determine the frequency of recare appointments.

Periodontal disease needs ongoing professional care and good home care habits to prevent it from recurring and/or developing further. Once you lose gum and bone support around your teeth it will not grow back.

Changes in general health will impact your susceptibility to gum disease so ongoing professional care is a part of life to enable you to maintain your overall health.

It is without a doubt that the health of the mouth affects the health of the body. Numerous studies have shown that people with serious gum disease more likely to also have a chronic condition such as diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, arthritis and many other conditions . Given this fact, physicians are becoming more aware of the importance of oral health and are taking a more holistic approach to general health. The mouth is the gateway to the body, and there is a bi-directional relationship between the mouth and the body. Hartwell Dentistry understands that there is a strong relationship between the mouth and the body – so we place the utmost importance in treating the mouth to help treat the body.

Mouthguards

Injuries to the face and jaw, such as damaged or knocked out teeth, cut lips or even a broken jaw are possible while playing sport. These injuries can be minimised or even prevented by wearing a custom fitting mouthguard. Custom fitting mouthguards help to absorb and spread the impact of a blow to your face.

Over the counter mouthguards or “bite and boil” are far less effective than those that are custom fit by your dentist. Bite and boil mouthguards only require you to place the mouthguard in boiling water then fit by biting into the mould. This results in ill-fitting mouthguards consequently ending in dental trauma and injuries that could have been prevented if the mouthguard fitted better. Custom fitted mouthguards will not shift or fall out, therefore it is comfortable, and protects your facial structures.

The best mouthguards are those made by your dentist. Although custom mouthguards are more expensive than its store bought counterpart, it is far cheaper than the expense of complex and lengthy dental treatment that is a product of an ill-fitting mouthguard or no mouthguard at all. Hartwell Dentistry takes pride in providing custom made mouthguards to protect sports players of all ages!