Can You Reverse Bad Dental Hygiene?

If you have been experiencing signs of bad dental hygiene lately then it isn’t too late to do something about it, as it can be reversed with good oral health practices. The most important thing is to not ignore it and to act immediately as soon as you notice any of the signs mentioned in this article. For most people, the symptoms of poor oral health can be easily reversed in just a few weeks, but for others, it can take a little longer and further intervention to fix the problem.

In this post, we discuss how you can reverse bad dental hygiene, including good dental hygiene practices, visiting a dental hygienist and why you should consider switching to a private dental surgery.

What is dental hygiene?

Dental hygiene is an important part of your health and should be looked after every single day, from brushing your teeth and flossing to what you eat and visiting the dentist regularly.

Dental hygiene refers to the overall cleanliness and health of your mouth, including your teeth and gums.

Looking after your dental hygiene doesn’t have to be a big chore. Doing simple things every day like brushing your teeth twice a day with a good-quality brush, using fluoride toothpaste, flossing regularly and reducing your sugar intake all work towards keeping up with good oral health. One of the most important things you can do for healthy teeth and gums is to make sure you visit your dentist at least twice a year as well as a dental hygienist.

What is bad dental hygiene?

Not only is dental hygiene important for your gums and teeth but for your overall health too. You may be surprised to learn that poor dental hygiene can make you ill, in ways that you have probably never imagined. More likely though, many people experience symptoms of gum disease if they don’t look after their oral health, which means bleeding, sore gums and sensitivity.

The impact of bad dental hygiene

Whilst other health implications are less likely to occur, if bad dental hygiene isn’t treated or taken seriously then it can have a more severe impact on your overall health, in ways that you probably haven’t thought about before.

When bacteria gets from your mouth onto your skin, poor dental hygiene can cause acne and it can even lead to cardiovascular issues and heart disease. If bad bacteria from your mouth travels downwards, it can lead to stomach problems and in rare cases, poor dental hygiene is even thought to have been the cause of certain types of cancer.

Signs of bad dental hygiene

Some symptoms of bad dental hygiene include:

Ulsers, sores or tender spots in your mouth
Bleeding or swollen gums
Bad breath
Sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures
Toothache
Loose teeth
Receding gums
Pain when eating
Swelling of the face, mouth and cheeks
Frequent dry mouth.

Reversing bad dental hygiene

The good news is that poor dental hygiene can be fixed but it will take time and effort. For more people, it is fairly straightforward to get your teeth and gums back to good health, just by getting back into a good dental routine. For others, with more severe oral hygiene issues, it may take a trip to the dentist or a dental hygienist to improve the symptoms.

Practising good dental hygiene every day is the key to reversing the side effects of bad oral health, like gum disease. More importantly, you need to make sure you maintain good dental hygiene and don’t let it slip, otherwise, the symptoms will likely return.

Here are some steps you can take to improve your dental hygiene:

Brush your teeth twice a day with a good-quality toothbrush
Use fluoride toothpaste
Floss and use interdental brushes regularly
Use mouthwash designed to combat gum disease
Visit your dentist for a check-up twice a year
Eat food and drinks that are low in sugar
Visit a dental hygienist (which is beneficial for people who don’t have poor dental hygiene habits too, as a preventative measure).

Visit a dental hygienist

A dental hygienist will clean your mouth and that doesn’t mean brushing your teeth for you, they use special tools and a technique called scaling and polishing to remove hardened plaque and surface stains from your teeth. After your appointment, your mouth will feel fresh, the shape around your teeth more defined and the appearance of your teeth will be improved, too.

Getting your teeth professionally cleaned can help to reverse bad dental hygiene and your appointment with the dental hygienist shouldn’t take any longer than 30 minutes and will be pain-free. You may experience a little bleeding from your gums when the hygienists works at cleaning around them, but nothing more than that.

A dental hygiene program lasts around 2-4 years so you’ll be in the hands of a professional dental hygiene professional. They are highly trained people whose job is to give your teeth and gums a thorough cleaning to help you maintain good oral health.

At a private dental practice like Disbury Dental Practice, your dental hygiene appointment will cost around £80-£120, depending on the extent of your treatment.

Private dental practices vs NHS dental practices

Many people experience better treatment with private practices rather than with an NHS dental surgery and there are many reasons for this.

There are several differences between an NHS dental practice and a private dental practice.

NHS dental practices

Some people are entitled to free treatment, such as young people under the age of 18, people being treated in hospital, pregnant women and people on low-income benefits.
Most people will still need to pay for most treatments they have through an NHS dentist, with some exceptions.
Cosmetic treatments are generally not available on the NHS.
Rigid appointment times with little flexibility.
The NHS has a lot more patients to deal with than private dental surgeries, which means longer wait times and less money available (with fixed budgets) for equipment staff etc.

Private dental practices

At a private dental practice, patients pay for every treatment they receive and no one is entitled to free treatment.
Patients have access to much more than they would with an NHS dental practice, due to more funding (no fixed budget).
Shorter wait times for treatment, including emergencies.
Flexible appointment times and a higher chance of getting an appointment when it suits you rather than the other way around.
Cosmetic treatments such as veneers are available at many private dental practices.

Didsbury Dental Practice

We are Didsbury Dental Practice, a 24-hour emergency private dental surgery, located in South Manchester. Regarded as one of Manchester’s premium dental facilities, we have a highly experienced team offering a range of treatments that include helping you to reverse bad dental hygiene. We also offer emergency dentistry, dental implants teeth whitening, restorative dentistry and orthodontics.

Didsbury Dental Practice is equipped with the very latest state-of-the-art technology to create beautiful, healthy smiles in tranquil surroundings. We pride ourselves on delivering a level of patient comfort like no other dental practice.

For more information on how we can help you reverse bad dental hygiene or cosmetic procedures or for an emergency appointment, contact us and we will be happy to assist you.

Restore your oral health

So yes, it is possible to reverse bad dental hygiene by practising simple dental hygiene routines. Brush your teeth twice a day, making sure you spend time on each tooth and turn your brush to get into the small gap and space in between your teeth and gums. Floss, use interdental brushes and mouthwash and make sure you visit a dentist, ideally a private dental practice that has the facilities, equipment and flexibility to help you on your journey.