Professional Oral Hygiene at the Dentist

Oral hygiene includes all measures used to clean and care for the teeth and gums in order to prevent tooth decay and periodontal disease. Proper oral hygiene also supports overall health and ensures fresh breath. Regular prophylaxis, also known as professional teeth cleaning, plays a crucial role in this process. It is the most effective preventive therapy to avoid damage to teeth and gums before painful and costly treatments become necessary. Proper dental care is therefore an essential component of lifelong oral health. We recommend scheduling a dental check-up at our clinic twice a year.

Here you will learn why proper dental care is so important and which benefits professional oral hygiene offers.

Why is professional oral hygiene important?

Thorough oral hygiene is essential for the long-term health of teeth and gums. By preventing the accumulation of bacteria, tooth decay and gum disease can be effectively avoided, which also has a positive impact on overall health.

Our experienced prophylaxis assistants at Dental Clinic Vienna Döbling support our patients in maintaining optimal oral hygiene at home. You will receive individually tailored guidance on proper tooth cleaning techniques as well as recommendations for suitable dental care aids such as dental floss, mouth rinses, and specialized brushes. Practical instructions are also provided for the correct care of dentures, braces, and other dental appliances.

Professional teeth cleaning plays a central role in oral hygiene. It goes beyond daily home care by removing stubborn tartar and plaque even from hard-to-reach areas. This helps prevent tooth decay and gum disease while also ensuring bright teeth and fresh breath. Professional cleaning is especially important for patients with periodontal disease, improper brushing habits, or chronic systemic conditions.

Another key aspect of oral hygiene is the maintenance of a healthy oral microbiome, which helps control harmful bacteria and protect both gums and teeth. Regular and thorough oral hygiene can also effectively prevent bad breath and tooth discoloration, contributing to a well-groomed appearance.

For children, who often feel anxious about dental visits, professional teeth cleaning offers an opportunity to gain positive experiences. Through gentle and pain-free treatment, children learn that visiting the dentist is nothing to fear and that dental cleaning can even be enjoyable. This helps establish the foundation for lifelong, anxiety-free dental care.

In the long term, consistent oral hygiene combined with regular dental check-ups helps prevent tooth loss by allowing dental conditions to be detected and treated early, before they develop into serious problems.

Benefits of Professional Oral Hygiene

Professional oral hygiene offers numerous benefits:

• In addition to thorough cleaning, which removes stains caused by tea, coffee, nicotine, and other substances and helps brighten the teeth, it also combats bad breath by eliminating harmful bacteria.
  
• Another key advantage is early detection of dental problems. During professional cleaning, early signs of dental issues can be identified and treated in time, before more extensive procedures become necessary.
  
• Professional teeth cleaning also contributes to overall health by reducing the bacterial load in the mouth, which may lower the risk of systemic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Regular check-ups can also help minimize the risk of oral cancer, as suspicious changes can be detected at an early stage.
  
• For patients with dental restorations such as bridges, crowns, or implants, regular prophylaxis is especially important to ensure the long-term durability of these restorations.

Although professional oral hygiene and preventive dental check-ups involve initial costs, they help save money in the long run by preventing expensive treatments such as root canal therapy or tooth extractions. In addition, professional oral hygiene promotes overall well-being and quality of life.

A thorough at-home oral hygiene routine is essential for your health. It significantly reduces the risk of tooth decay and gum disease.

• The first step is choosing a soft-bristled toothbrush, which is gentle on the gums while effectively removing plaque.
  
• Electric toothbrushes are particularly effective, as their oscillating and/or rotating movements often remove plaque more thoroughly than manual toothbrushes and they frequently include pressure sensors to protect the gums.
  
• You should also use a fluoride toothpaste to help minimize the risk of cavities.
  
• Equally important is the regular use of dental floss, interdental brushes, and tongue cleaners, as these tools help clean hard-to-reach spaces between the teeth.
  
• An antibacterial mouthwash can further help reduce bacteria that cause bad breath and inflammation.

Under the guidance of a specially trained prophylaxis assistant, you can learn the correct use of these tools and the optimal brushing technique through an individually tailored oral hygiene training session. In addition, a low-sugar, balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and calcium-containing foods is crucial for dental health and helps strengthen tooth enamel. Avoid sugary foods, as they promote the development of tooth decay.

Discover our comprehensive oral hygiene treatments and their added value beyond daily at-home dental care. Even with thorough brushing twice a day, it is often not possible to completely remove all deposits from tooth surfaces, bridges, and implants. These deposits, known as plaque, can quickly harden into tartar (calculus) and provide an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. As a result, unsightly discoloration and sensitive tooth necks may develop. In addition, the risk of serious dental problems such as periodontitis and tooth decay increases. In the worst case, the supporting structures of the teeth can be damaged, leading to tooth mobility.

For these reasons, it is recommended to undergo professional prophylaxis (oral hygiene) and a dental check-up on a regular basis, ideally once or twice a year. Our experienced dental team will recommend a personalized oral hygiene program tailored to your needs. This treatment gently removes all deposits and smooths the tooth surfaces to help prevent future buildup and ensure long-term oral health.

Dental Prophylaxis

At our dental clinic, we offer a comprehensive range of specialized prophylaxis treatments tailored to your individual needs.

• These include thorough teeth cleanings, fluoride treatments, and customized preventive measures to optimally support your oral health.
  
• We place special emphasis on oral hygiene for children and adolescents, helping them understand the importance of dental care from an early age and reducing anxiety about future treatments.
  
• For patients with implants or dental restorations, meticulous oral hygiene is essential to prevent inflammation and implant loss. Our specialized treatments help preserve implants and restorations over the long term.
  
• Especially during pregnancy, regular oral hygiene appointments are important, as hormonal changes can increase the risk of gum disease. We offer gentle, safe treatments specifically adapted to the needs of pregnant patients.
  
• We also treat periodontitis, a serious gum disease that can lead to tooth loss if left untreated. Our specialized therapies aim to stop disease progression and support gum regeneration.

Education and Initial Examination

Before every professional teeth cleaning (PTC), a check-up appointment with one of our dentists is required to tailor the treatment precisely to your individual needs. This allows cavities and other dental conditions to be detected at an early stage. Before starting any treatment, we carry out a comprehensive examination of the oral cavity to assess the current condition of your teeth and gums. This enables us to determine the optimal approach for your personal oral hygiene care.

Professional Teeth Cleaning (PTC)

During professional teeth cleaning, specialized instruments are used, including hand instruments, ultrasonic devices, and air polishing systems, to effectively remove tartar and bacterial deposits. Discoloration in the spaces between the teeth is gently removed using polishing strips to help prevent gum inflammation and potential gum recession. This is followed by polishing and fluoride application. The teeth are polished to create a smooth surface that makes it more difficult for plaque to reaccumulate. A final fluoride treatment strengthens the tooth enamel and helps protect against tooth decay.

A session usually lasts about one hour and is generally pain-free, although some teeth may be sensitive during the treatment. For patients with dental anxiety, we offer individually tailored treatments focused on relaxation and pain relief, including local anesthesia if required. After the cleaning, our prophylaxis assistants demonstrate the most effective brushing techniques and advise you on suitable oral care products, ensuring optimal dental health at home.

Recall

Based on your individual needs and the effectiveness of your at-home oral hygiene, we recommend maintaining a regular prophylaxis interval of 3 to 12 months. Upon request, we are happy to remind you of your next appointment.