Why Teeth Brushing at Home is Not Enough?

HEY Dental Clinic

Jumeira Lakes Towers
Dubai

We sat with Dr Muna to understand one of the most important but often forgotten preventive dental procedures - Teeth Cleaning, and the orthodontic option most frequently asked by patients - invisible aligners.

General Dentists are like GP or family medicine doctors for your teeth

Q: What is a general dentist and who should find them?

A: A general dentist usually does filling, routine teeth checkup, teeth cleaning and polishing, root canal treatment, simple tooth extraction, and orthodontic treatments using invisible aligners. Just like GP or family medicine doctors, they are the first dentists you usually need to see to address general dental issues.

With tooth brush at home you cannot reach this area

Q: What is teeth cleaning and polishing?

A: We remove all the plaque, calculous, the tartar. We remove mainly the bacteria from the tooth surface, and then we use the airflow to go deep under the gum.

Q: Do you still need teeth cleaning with a dentist if you brush your teeth well?

A: Using this small tip, I go deep to do root cleaning under the gum. I clean and remove all the plaque. With tooth brush, you cannot reach this area and that is why you should come to the dentist regularly for teeth cleaning.

Please refer to this interview with a periodontist to understand what happens if your teeth keep accumulating plaque

Invisible aligner called OneTwoSmile

Q: What type of aligner do you use?

A: I use invisible aligner called OneTwoSmile. The process goes like this: first, we do digital scan of the teeth. Then I send the scan to OneTwoSmile, who will study the case. Then they send a package to the patient containing a video showing the patient’s current teeth and how it will look like in the last step, and the aligners. Sometimes patients need to do spacing between their teeth, so we will do the spacing to allow the teeth move a little bit as necessary.

Q: What is the advantage of OneTwoSmile aligner?

A: This aligner is invisible. It is not showing at all. They will wear it for at least 22 hours per day. He will remove it once he wants to eat or drink, and then, he will put it back. And he will change this aligner every one week to two weeks.

Q: How is it different from well-known aligners such as Invisalign?

A: OneTwoSmile did something inside the aligner, to make the aligner stronger but more flexible. As a result, it will move the teeth more and align the teeth in less time.

Don’t move the brush vertically

Q: As a general dentist, you may want to share some tips on the right brushing technique?

A: You should do it in circulation way, don’t move the brush vertically. Vertical movements can harm the teeth and makes abrasion on the surface of the teeth.