At White Orchid Dental, our primary goal is helping you experience the benefits of optimum oral health.  Premium oral healthcare goes far beyond good tooth brushing and flossing techniques. Fluoride, healthy eating habits, and professional teeth  cleanings performed by a licensed dental hygienist will help you keep your teeth looking and feeling good for a lifetime.

The smile care experts at White Orchid Dental believe oral health is a sign of overall health.  When you visit the dental hygiene team, you will experience more than just a teeth cleaning.

The most important healthcare focus we provide at White Orchid Dental is prevention of oral disease.

Our dental hygiene team will help you avoid the consequences of oral disease by helping you understand your risk factors. After determining your health status and risk factors for disease, the dental experts will recommend ways for you to achieve healthy teeth and gums as well as ways to avoid future problems.

 There are many conditions which can affect the health of your gums and the structures that support your teeth. Did you know that smoking, diabetes, pregnancy, nutrition, and eating disorders can all affect your oral health. 

Examining your entire mouth for signs of oral cancer will be a routine part of your visits with the professionals at White Orchid Dental.  Early detection of oral cancer is imperative because it can be treated with significant success.

Untreated gum disease can lead to undesirable appearance, discomfort, and eventually tooth loss.  We want to help you avoid experiencing any of these situations.  We will monitor your gum health and periodontal status routinely.

Did you know that there is a connection between oral health and heart disease?

Learn more about oral health. ( Click on each hyperlink below)

Gum Disease 

Oral cancer  

Smoking & Chewing Tobacco - how it affects your teeth and gums .  

Diabetes and your oral health.

Good nutrition helps you keep your teeth and gums looking great.

I heard that my oral health can be an indicator of heart disease, is that true?

Tooth Brushing

Proper tooth brushing technique is essential to keep the teeth and gums clean.

What type of toothbrush should I use?

How often should I replace my toothbrush?

What is a proper tooth brushing technique?

How do I floss my teeth?

Toothbrush recommendations:  We recommend a soft or very soft bristled toothbrush that will not scratch the gums or wear the thin enamel surface near the gum-line.  We strongly urge the use of the ultrasonic toothbrushes (Sonicare).

Toothbrush replacement schedule:   Replace your toothbrush every three to four months. If you have the ultrasonic toothbrush (Sonicare), you can just replace the head every three to four months. If you recently had a cold, virus, flu or cold sores, you should replace the toothbrush to prevent re-infection.

Tooth brushing instructions:   

Angle the bristles of the toothbrush at a 45 degree angle to the gum-line. Apply very gentle pressure so the brush is in contact with the teeth and gums.

Brush the surfaces of the teeth in a vibrating circular motion focusing on only a few teeth at a time. If you are using the ultrasonic toothbrush (Sonicare), the brush itself will create the necessary motion. 

Apply the same technique to all the surfaces of the teeth. You will have to tilt your brush vertically when you are brushing the inside surfaces of the front teeth.

You should time yourself and make sure you are spending at least thirty seconds on each quadrant.  This means your total tooth brushing time should b at least two full minutes.

When you are finished brushing your teeth, don't forget to brush the roof of your mouth and your tongue.  Bacteria love to hide out in these areas which can cause bad breath ( halitosis).

Flossing:

Think of flossing your teeth as a continuation of the tooth brushing process.  If you only brush, then you have not successfully cleaned the entire tooth.  Your toothbrush cannot clean in between your teeth, therefore, plaque continues to accumulate and if the bacteria remains there long enough, then the decay process will begin.  Poor flossing techniques or lack of flossing is the primary reason for cavities (dental decay) forming between teeth.

There are a number of different flosses available.  The smile care experts at White Orchid Dental will recommend the type of floss that you would benefit from the most. 

Flossing Instructions:

Take approximately 12" to 18" of dental floss and wind a bit of floss around the middle finger of each hand. Secure the floss by holding a 1" to 2" section between your thumb and index finger of each hand. Line up the floss between two of your upper front teeth and gently apply pressure as you push with a saw like motion.  Do not just pop the floss through the contact as you may injure your gums. Once you have the floss past the tightest part of the tooth, contour the floss around the shape of the tooth and then slide the floss up and down the surface. Slide the floss from the gum line to the contact point of the tooth.  Use this same procedure on the adjacent tooth and then slide the floss out.  Go to a clean new section of floss and repeat this technique until all the teeth are cleaned.

If you have not flossed regularly, you may notice your gums bleeding when you floss.  The bleeding will lessen and eventually disappear as flossing becomes a daily hygiene routine. The reason the gums bleed is because they are inflamed (gingivitis). Gingivitis is the beginning signs of what could become gum disease (Periodontal Disease). 

The smile care experts at White Orchid Dental will evaluate the health of your gums.  We will advise the best ways to achieve healthy gums and then we will monitor your health so we can help you keep your teeth for a lifetime.

FLUORIDE:

Fluoride is an element that naturally occurs in nature. A small amount of additional fluoride has been added to community water supplies for over fifty years. The water fluoridation has proven to be an effective and safe way to help prevent tooth decay of people of all ages. 

The optimal level of water fluoridation is approximately 1ppm (one parts per million).

Anyone at high risk of dental decay may benefit from additional fluoride provided by gels, or rinses.  Your dental professionals at White Orchid Dental will evaluate your risk factors for dental decay and will offer professional fluoride recommendations.

The professionals at White Orchid Dental welcome your questions. Please call 219-836-9122 to schedule your consultation with the smile care experts. Email: jeffmilne@sbcglobal.net with any questions or concerns along with your contact information and we will promptly respond.  We offer the opportunity to save time by printing the patient information forms online Patient Forms at White Orchid Dental  Please mail or fax these completed forms to us before your visit.