Hygiene
As with other areas of medicine, it is true in dentistry that prevention is better than cure. Therefore we advocate that all our patients follow a sensible hygiene program that involves regular professional cleanings as well as twice daily cleanings at home.
Professional cleanings, sometimes called a scale and polish, remove calculus, the hard, chalky substance that can build up on teeth and brushing alone is unable to remove. If left unchecked this can cause tooth decay and gum disease, and the patient will experience symptoms such as bleeding, sore, inflamed gums and bad breath. Surface stain, such as those left by regularly drinking black coffee or red wine will also be removed and give you back a whiter, cleaner smile. A cleaning should not be painful.
Dr Mark personally performs all the cleanings himself which has the added benefit to the patient that the dentist is inspecting the teeth whilst cleaning them. It also saves you time as you can have an examination and cleaning in one visit without having to swap chairs or wait in between appointments.
…Dr Osmond treated me with great care and I love the fact that I can have my check-up and cleaning at the same time with the same person. Definitely saves time and money!
Fissure Sealing
This is a preventative treatment whereby a liquid filling material is used to fill in the narrow fissures (grooves) in the molar teeth. The liquid is then set hard with the use of the curing light and works by preventing material getting into these hard to clean places and it is proven to reduce the risk of dental decay. It is routinely recommended for children around the age of six or seven, when the first adult molars are completely erupted and can be a useful treatment for some adults.
Education
Knowledge of good oral care is essential in ensuring healthy teeth and gums and at Mark Osmond Dental Clinic we are conscious that we have an important role to play in this, here on the islands. We provide hand-outs to our patients on various topics including caring for children’s teeth, dental care in pregnancy, dental care for people with diabetes and the basics of brushing and flossing teeth. (See Dental Articles). On a fortnightly basis Dr Mark also writes a dental column in the TCI Weekly News discussing a dental-related subject. We welcome school parties to the clinic who are studying teeth or dental care and Dr Mark and Nikki do an interactive presentation suitably tailored to the age group. Dr Mark also has a Facebook page on which he answers any queries that are posted by readers. If you are a teacher interested in a visit or an individual with a question please call us on 432 3777 or post on our Facebook page.