Hygienist Appointments

Your oral hygiene is just as important as your dental health.

Without healthy gums, your teeth don’t have a healthy place to sit, and a certain amount of neglect can result in tooth loss. Regular hygienist appointments underpin a great set of teeth and with regular professional cleanings, there’s no reason why your natural teeth can’t last for many years.

What are hygienist appointments?

Hygienist appointments are essential in curbing gum disease, which remains the no.1 reason for tooth loss in adults. During a hygienist appointment, your teeth are professionally cleaned in a way you can’t achieve at home. Using special tools, your hygienist removes plaque and tartar which build up over several months, to stop these harmful substances from causing gum inflammation and gum disease. This process is called a scale and polish.

Coming along to hygienist appointments every 6 months is a highly worthwhile investment into the health and life of your smile, as they help you avoid complex treatment in the future.

Who are hygienist appointments for?

All adults should be visiting the hygienist twice a year, though we may recommend that this is more often depending on the health of a patient’s gums and their lifestyle. During your appointment, we will be able to advise on how often you should be attending after a thorough examination of your gums. Lifestyle habits like smoking, regular alcohol consumption and frequent consumption of sugar are reasons why we may suggest visiting more often. We can also help support you to develop better oral hygiene habits. Our patient and friendly team are very enthusiastic about teaching and empowering patients to take better care of their oral hygiene.

Please don’t hesitate to ask if you need some advice – we are never here to judge, only to help.

Why attend hygienist appointments?

Coming in for routine hygienist appointments is so important because much of keeping gum disease at bay is based on the idea of prevention. Having plaque and tartar removed on a regular basis is the only way to stop the early development of gum disease (gingivitis) from developing into advanced gum disease (periodontitis), and threatening the life of your teeth.

If we find there is evidence of advanced gum disease, don’t worry. Our hygienists are highly experienced in providing individualised and multidisciplinary treatment, to set you back on the path to healthy gums, fresher breath and restored confidence.

Stages of treatment

The stages of treatment involved during hygienist appointments differ for each patient. Whilst one patient might solely require a scale and polish, another might need some guidance on brushing and flossing technique or nutritional advice. Appointments are tailored to the individual, so we can meet your needs.

How to brush