Having the dress words ‘you need to see the hygienist’ spoken during a checkup can come with a wave of flurrying emotions. ‘Are my teeth dirty?’ ‘Do I have bad breath?’ ‘Am I dirty?’ And that’s totally understandable. The name ‘hygienist’ hardly makes us feel great in the first place but really seeing the hygienist is just a normal part of most people’s dental journey and one that can really improve the health of your teeth long term. Even still if you’re still worrying about your next hygienist appointment here’s a little round off, of all you need to know.
What They Do?
A hygienist works alongside a dentist Stevenage to provide a more in-depth care to patients’ gum health. They go to a special section of dental school and learn to provide thorough examinations of the gums, along with how to give the teeth a really good clean. For lots of patients they’ll be sent to a hygienist because their dentist has spotted signs of gum disease. The great news is that in most cases early signs can be easily reversed with a good scale and polish and a new oral hygiene routine all set out by your hygienist.
What Happens During The Appointment
Well, it’s highly likely that in the first instance you’ll be given a big checkup, during which you’ll hear them shout out lots of numbers to the dental nurse. These numbers are a system that helps them to record exactly what it is that’s going on with your gums so they have a record to refer back to later in treatment.
Once the examination is complete then they’ll give you what’s called a ‘scale and polish’. This is a treatment designed to get deep down into the gum line and remove any plaque and tartar that’s built up and started to cause decay or disease. Hygienists have special tools and techniques to do this without causing the patients any damage to their teeth and gums. Then comes the polish which is an amazing treatment! It’s really good for bringing back your teeth shine, so people even think it makes their teeth appear whiter! Much cheaper than whitening, and super good for your gum health too.
Once the clean is complete your hygienists will talk you through all the ways in which you need to make changes at home to maintain your new healthy gums. They’ll likely ask you questions about your current oral hygiene routine so they can find holes in what you’re doing that’s allowed for the buildup in the first place.
Good Oral Hygiene
Good oral hygiene doesn’t have to be hard. It’s just brushing your teeth twice a day, everyday for at least two minutes – that’s thirty seconds per quarter! Use circular motions across the whole tooth and don’t neglect the back of your teeth! Then once you’ve cleaned, use floss one a day (night is best) between each tooth! Only flossing will get rid of the plaque in the common areas of build up so don’t neglect this practice.