Oral health and hygiene dentistry

At Smile in Style, our approach to dentistry is based on overall wellness. Of course, we want you to enjoy a healthy, beautiful smile. We also want to feel great and enjoy excellent overall health. Oral health is about more than taking care of your teeth. It is about taking care of your entire body, and optimising your quality of life.

Fighting back against plaque

Both caries (cavities) and gum disease have a common cause. Plaque is the clear sticky biofilm that accumulates on teeth after eating food or drinking sugary drinks. Over time, if the plaque is not removed by brushing, the plaque hardens and forms tartar on your teeth. Once tartar forms on your teeth, it can only be removed by a dental professional. Tartar also harbours bacteria that can inflammation of the gums, gingivitis and if left untreated can eventually cause periodontitis leading to tooth loss and other health conditions. Combating tartar requires a cooperative effort between you and your dental care team. Thorough brushing and flossing, along with good nutrition and healthy habits, are critical to keep your smile healthy between visits.

Regular dental visits are equally important because specialised tools in trained hands can remove any accumulation of plaque and tartar in hard to reach places, even below the gum line. A comprehensive examination is also part of every visit. With advanced diagnostics, we can detect and treat oral disease in the early stages before serious damage occurs.

Oral health benefits for your whole body

You have 32 very important reasons to take oral health seriously. No one wants to endure toothaches or lose their teeth. However, the impact of oral health doesn’t stop with your smile. Gum disease is a chronic infection, which causes chronic inflammation, having serious systemic effects. Research has demonstrated a link between gum disease and many health concerns, including:

• Diabetes – Uncontrolled diabetes can make gum disease more difficult to manage, and the reverse is also true.
• Heart disease – Over 90 percent of heart disease patients have gum disease, according to several studies
• Preterm birth – Evidence suggests that gum infection and inflammation can affect fetal development, possibly increasing the odds of problematic pregnancy.
• Osteoporosis – Studies have shown that osteoporosis rates are higher among women with gum disease.
• Obesity – Two separate studies suggest that gum disease progresses more quickly in obese individuals.

Your mouth isn’t separate from your body, and oral health isn’t separate from whole health. Choose a dentist who understands that. Choose Smile in Style. Call us at 03 8400 4104 (Moonee Ponds) or 03 8001 6021 (Sunbury) and arrange an appointment.