Advice

Everyone can have a great smile and it costs nothing to find out what will work for you.

At Alba Smile Lounge we know that a great smile can change worlds. Our clients keep telling us that the change they’ve experienced has given them greater confidence and more opportunities than they’ve ever had before.

Everyone can have straight teeth. A free smile scan is where you start. We show you the end result and let you know the time frame. The time required varies. If you have a small adjustment, this takes less time (2-3Months) and requires less aligner trays and therefore is less cost to complete. If it’s a medium adjustment requirement, then it’s a little more time and cost. After a discussion and check with our Dentist, and when you go ahead, we make you a series of clear aligners to start to straighten your teeth(Invisalign).

At Alba Smile Lounge the free scan enables you to know how to straighten your smile and change your world. Come and find out for yourself.

A Hygiene clean is the best way to remove Bad Bacteria from your mouth. Bad bacteria in the mouth cause Gum Disease and holes that need fillings. The most common reason people lose their Teeth is Gum disease. The bone around your teeth roots shrivels away because of Bad Bacteria living deep in your gums. They make poisons that damage the Gum and Bone that surrounds the roots of your teeth. So get rid of the Bad Bacteria regularly. This will reduce your dental filling costs and reduce the likelihood of losing any teeth.

How? A Hygienist provides a more thorough clean with better equipment for removing the build-up of Bad Bacteria on the teeth in the form of Plaque and Calculus (hard scale sometimes called Tartar). Hygienists can also give advice on which mouth rinses & brushing techniques will keep the Bacteria at zero or at least at low levels.

There are different levels of cleaning:

A quick clean and polish will make your teeth shiny and smooth so the Bacteria will literally slide off the tooth surface. This will keep your mouth healthy.

A thorough clean may be needed if you’ve not had time to keep your brushing consistent and it’s been a year or two since you had a professional hygiene clean. Once your mouth Bacteria are under control, normal brushing at home will be sufficient and you can revert to an annual quick clean.

Good news, Flossing is easy and will save you Thousands on Dental bills. Which you can put toward a holiday, or a new purchase, toy or other gadget that you want.

Flossing can be really quick & easy if you know what to do, and have the right system.
The key is to get a flossing system that enables you to easily create a C-shape that scrapes the in-between surface of each tooth.

Brushing is great for the top & sides of our teeth, But what about in-between?

This is where flossing comes in. Flossing removes the food trapped between your teeth and removes the film of bacteria that form on the tooth surface in between. Flossing strengthens the gums, and stops bleeding & gum disease. And Flossing stops holes forming in between your teeth.

So, floss everyday to remove the biofilm & debris before it has a chance to become plaque.

Why do my gums bleed when I Floss?

Flossing toughens up your gums. But If you haven’t flossed for a while, your gums might bleed initially. So, floss gently to start, and over 7-14 days you can floss with a firmer technique and your gums will stop bleeding. If you combine flossing with a Hygienist clean twice per year, you’ll keep the plaque and Tatar away.

Not removing the plaque can result in gum inflammation & periodontal disease. Which means bleeding gums and periodontal disease are associated with many heart problems & Diabetes.

Why Floss?

Bad Bacteria grow in-between your teeth. If they are left undisturbed, plaque and calculus form a sticky and sometimes hard layer. This will cause damage to your teeth, creating holes that need filling and plaque also make your gums bleed. A toothbrush can’t reach in-between the teeth, as it only cleans the outer surfaces, so you need Floss.

Which floss should I use?

The ideal is string like floss. Floss on a reel or a set of Gum-Chucks works the best. You can easily create a C-shape with both. With reel type floss, you need to manipulate your fingers in your mouth. (Click to see video) With Gum-Chucks, the handles are smaller than your fingers, so fit easily into your mouth. (Click for video).

The Reach Floss stick is also really good. You can get around your teeth really quickly. But you may not be as thorough as you need to be, so the Hygienist will have to clean the rest.

Which ever method you use, make sure you floss in the morning and at night.

What about interdental brushes and sticks?

These are great for cleaning Plaque that grows between your teeth, especially if you have large gaps. Also, If you are not fond of flossing these are a good alternative.

They come in many different sizes from ultra-fine (teeth that are close together) to large diameter. The Hygienist can tell you which size is best for your teeth .Sometimes you need several different sizes.

What about Air Flossers and Water Jets?

These are great for cleaning out food debris from between the teeth and around Dental Implants. You can also put Antibacterial mouth rinses which can help your gums if they are inflamed. Ideally you should still floss if you can.

Yes, there are mouth rinse systems that kill off the Bad Bacteria. Even with Brushing & Flossing some people have so many Bad Bacteria that they still get holes & fillings. You can change this. You can get the Bacteria under control and kill off the Bad ones. Now normal Brushing and flossing will work.

There are mouthwash treatment systems that get your mouth right again. A Dentist or trained Hygienist are the best professionals to help give you with the correct dosage and to help you monitor this treatment. Once your mouth is balanced again, you don’t need to use the rinses.

There are other rinses, but they may not kill off the unwanted Bacteria. So get good advice from the Hygienist and the Dentist. Book into the Hygienist at Alba Smile Lounge for a Hygiene clean, and book into City Dental Lounge to have a Dentist examine your bacteria levels.

Do Probiotics help stop holes ? Yes

The human mouth is filled with bacteria of all types. There are Good Bacteria and Bad Bacteria. Tooth decay and gum disease are products of these Bad Bacteria.

Like our Gut, Oral Probiotic Lozenges can serve to rebalance the make up of Bacteria by replacing the Bad bacteria with the harmless bacteria contained in the Probiotics.

There are toothpastes, rinses and mouth creams that will neutralise bad bacteria. NZ regulations require a Dental Practitioner to assess and prescribe the correct products. At Alba Smile Lounge our Dentist can assess you. Book a free consultation for more information.