Dental Hygienist Appointments – Make Them Part Of Your Routine

If you don’t currently see a hygienist at our Wickford dental practice, there are many good reasons to consider it

flossing teethWith an increasing awareness of the importance of good oral health care, most people now do see their dentist for check ups and any essential treatment that might be needed.

Of course, there are challenges for some patients, such as those who suffer from dental anxiety, but by and large, most people do now understand the need for regular oral care.

Whilst this is good news, there are still a sizeable number of patients who don’t extend this to seeing a hygienist, perhaps deciding that this is an optional extra and not that important for their teeth. This is unfortunate as seeing the hygienist is an excellent way of helping to maintain healthy teeth and gums, as we shall see in a moment.

First of all….

We would like to briefly introduce you to the dental hygienist at the Cygnet Dental Practice. Sadie Rudgley is an excellent hygienist and not only that, has a very calm and understanding manner which helps to put patients at ease. Although there is no invasive dentistry involved when you see a hygienist; for those who have not yet done so, there may still be some concerns. These will soon dissipate when you meet this very calm and helpful member of our team. You can read a little more about Sadie on our ‘meet the team’ page.

Benefits of seeing a dental hygienist

There are a number of benefits to making a regular six monthly appointment to see the hygienist. There are two main parts to this. The first is an educational aspect where they will discuss your oral habits including how you clean your teeth, whether you smoke or drink heavily and any other lifestyle choices that may affect your oral health. They can then make recommendations as to how to improve this and, where appropriate, suggest where you might get further help, such as with stopping smoking for example.

The second part is the professional teeth cleaning that they offer. This is known as a scale and polish and cleans away the hardened bacteria and minerals, known as tartar or calculus, which builds up on our teeth and gum line over time, and which regular brushing won’t remove.

Keeping these regular appointments will really help to give your mouth a ‘clean boost’ and significantly reduce the risk of gum disease.

What to expect at your appointment

If you haven’t seen a dental hygienist before, you may well be wondering what happens when you do so. Initially, you will be made comfortable in the chair and a general discussion will take place which might include not only those topics previously mentioned but also perhaps how often you brush and even possibly the type of toothpaste that you use. Any possible improvements that this discussion highlights will be discussed with you and you may be encouraged to make some, often small, changes that can make a significant improvement to your oral health going forwards.

The next thing that will happen is that you will receive a scale and polish. This is nothing to be feared and is entirely non invasive. It typically consists of three separate stages.

Stage 1 – Initial cleaning

This initial part of the treatment is used to remove the bulk of the hardened bacteria. It is done using a manual tool to ‘scrape’ away the majority of tartar from your teeth and the gum line. This can sometimes feel like it is ‘pulling’ a little but is not at all painful and no part of this treatment usually requires an anaesthetic of any kind.

Stage 2 – Ultrasonic cleaning

Once the bulk of the tartar has been removed manually, an ultrasonic tool is used to shatter and remove the majority of the rest of it. It does this by creating sonic vibrations which break down the tartar, making it easier to remove. This is not an uncomfortable treatment.

Stage 3 – Polishing

Finally, any residual tartar and also some enamel staining elements are removed using a high spread brush to clean your teeth. This is most people’s favourite part of the treatment as not only does it remove tartar, but the removal of surface staining elements can also improve the appearance of your teeth.

By removing the tartar from your teeth, this leaves a smoother surface which not only feels nicer on the tongue but also makes it more difficult for bacteria to become attached to in the future. Keeping these appointments regularly will really help to reduce the risk of gum disease and will also leave your mouth feeling not only healthier, but fresher and cleaner too.

If you would like to make an appointment to see Sadie at our Wickford clinic, please call the Cygnet Dental Practic on 01268 733078 to make an appointment.

Sadie Rudgley – Dental Hygienist – GDC No 273984