• Prevention of Oral Diseases

    Most oral diseases are preventable. Their prevention/ management requires both you and your dental practitioner(s) to work together.

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    What can you do? 

    • Brushing 2 times/day and clean your tongue regularly
    • Interdental cleaning/flossing at least 1 time/day
    • A healthy diet with adequate nutritional intake
    • Use of suitable dental products e.g. toothpaste and tooth mousse
    • Regular check ups from a dental practitioner
    • Attendance for clinical management as requested*
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    What can your dental practitioner(s) do? 

    • Check your teeth, gums and other oral structures
    • Inform you of your oral health and provide comprehensive explanation
    • Provide consented management as deemed necessary within their competency
    • Provide referral pathway to other dental or health practitioners if necessary

    *Treatment may be completed in multiple visits to ensure the most effective and successful treatment outcome

  • Brushing

    The aim of tooth brushing is to remove dental plaque (bacteria) from our teeth and apply fluoide to reduce the risk of oral diseases.

     

    Recommended routine: brush 2 times/day for 2 minutes each with modified Bass Technique (as shown below)

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    Step 1 - Be gentle, use a soft and fine toothbrush, do not brush too hard

     

    Step 2 - Place your toothbrush at 45 degrees angle towards the gum line and brush gently up and down (especially if you have receding gums/exposed root surfaces)

     

    Step 3a (manual) - After cleaning the gum line, use a gentle, small circular motion on 2 to 3 teeth for 5 seconds and start brushing

     

    Step 3b (electric) - Place the oscillating head on each tooth surface for 3-4 seconds, then move on (no circular motion)

     

    Step 4 - Brush all surfaces of every tooth and your tongue softly

     

    Practical tip - "Spit no rinse" technique, spit out the excess toothpaste and do not rinse with water

    (Prolonged exposure of toothpaste maximizes the effect of fluoride in preventing decay and reducing sensitivity*)

     

    *Dosage of fluoride/type of toothpaste varies between kids and adults - consult your dental practitioner before using

     
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    Tooth abrasion caused by brushing too hard - higher risk of root decay and sensitivity

  • Flossing/Interdental Cleaning

    The aim of flossing and interdental cleaning is to remove food debris and plaque in between your teeth, where the bristles on your toothbrush cannot access. However, flossing and interdental cleaning cannot substitute each other.

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    Step 1 - Take a 40 cm length of floss and wrap 2 loops around your left and right middle fingers, leave about 5 to 6 cm in the middle

     

    Step 2 - Gently push the floss in between your teeth and press it down below the gaps/ contact points

     

    Step 3 - Floss up and down against the sides of both teeth by making a C-shape around 1 tooth, then the adjacent one
     
    Step 4 - Clean the gaps of both front and back teeth*

     

    Practical tip - Do not push too hard or use a sawing action to avoid damage to your gums


    *If there is any inflammation, gums are expected to bleed when brushing/flossing. The bleeding should stop with regular cleaning in most cases.

    Step 1 - Select an appropriate size brush* after brushing your teet

     

    Step 2 - Insert the interdental brush in the gap in between your teeth and slight press against the side of one tooth

     

    Step 3 - Gently move the brush in and out of the gap (contact point), from the inside and the outside of the gap
     
    Step 4 - Clean the gaps of both front and back teeth
     
    Step 5 - Wash the brush under running water after using it, change the brush if the bristles become worn out/ blunt

     

    Practical tip - Interdental cleaning may involve the use of more than one brush size, consult your dental practitioner to choose the most appropriate size(s)

     

    *Piksters Interdental Brush below is used as an example to demonstrate different sizes

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    Interdental brushes can be used to clean between teeth during braces, dental bridge and dental implants.

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    You may need to consider a combination of products: consult a dental practitioner first.

    We recommend using the water flosser when you are taking a shower (unless this is your first time).

  • Tongue Cleaning

    More than 50% of oral bacteria live on your tongue! They can produce volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs), leading to bad breath and certain health issues*. The tongue is part of your mouth and it should be looked after.

     

    You can either use a tongue scraper or a toothbrush.

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    Step 1 - Be gentle, place the scraper at the back of the tongue and pull the tool forward to the front of your tongue

     
    Step 2 - Move the scraper across your tongue multiple times at different angles
     
    Step 3 - Remove the excess food or debris from your tongue by rinsing your mouth with water
     
    Step 4 - Remove or rinse the tongue scraper each time you use it to keep it sanitary and clean

     

    Frequency: Twice daily after brushing and flossing

     

    *Dosage of fluoride/type of toothpaste varies between kids and adults - consult your dental practitioner before using

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  • Use of Dental Products

    Dental products contain different active ingredients to prevent and manage different conditions.

    Basic

    In general, normal toothpastes with fluoride are recommended (without whitening agent), such as:

    • Cologate Total Original/Advanced Clean
    • Oral B Gum Care & Enamel Restore
    • Sensodyne Repair & Protect

    However, if you have sensitive teeth, your dental practitioner may recommend the use of sensitive toothpastes, e.g. Cologate Sensitive Pro-Relief and Sensodyne Sensitive Teeth Pain Rapid Relief.

     

    Instructions to use them:

    2-3 weeks of regular toothpaste > 2 weeks of sensitive toothpaste and repeat the cycle until the sensitivity reduces to a tolerable level. Prolonged usage can reduce the effect of certain agents.

    Advanced*

    If you have specific oral conditions such as rampant tooth decay, severe gum diseases or dry mouth, your dental practitioner may recommend the following products.

    • Neutrafluor 5000 Plus toothpaste (for tooth decay control)
    • Sensodyne Rapid Relief (for instant sensitivity relief)
    • Sensodyne Complete Care + (for stain prevention and sensitivity relief)
    • GC Tooth Mousse (for tooth decay control)
    • Cologate Savacol mouthwash
    • Colgate Neutrafluor 220 daily fluoride mouth rinse (for tooth decay control)
    • Biotene 7 mouth spray/gel/mouthwash
    • Cologate Plax Antibacterial Mouthwash (no alcohol)

    Please consult your dental practitioner for exact instructions. Prolonged usage of certain products can cause unnecessary side effects.

     

    If you have specific dental appliance(s), you can consider the following products:

    • Polident Retainer & Mouthguard Cleanser
    • Polident 3 Minute Denture Cleanser
    • Polident Denture Adhesive Cream Flavour Free

     

    *The actual usage and frequency mainly depend on the severity of the oral condition(s) and related medical health

  • Denture Hygiene

    Both full and partial dentures need to be cleaned daily using the following tips.

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    Tip 1 - Clean your denture(s) after meals

     

    Tip 2 - Brush your denture(s) with a separate soft bristled toothbrush and liquid soap

     

    Tip 3 - Fill the sink with water and clean your denture(s) on top to avoid breakage if dropped

     

    Tip 4 - Remove your denture(s) overnight and leave it in a clean and dry container

     

    Please visit your local dental practitioner regularly to review the condition of your denture(s) and oral cavity