Dental Hygiene

Dental hygiene treatment includes professionally cleaning your teeth. This is usually called scaling and polishing. However, perhaps the most important role in our Barnstaple dental health centre is showing you the best way to keep your teeth free of plaque.

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The hygienist also plays an important role in treating gum disease.

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How to keep your teeth and gums healthy

 

Our Barnstaple dental health centre is here to offer you friendly West Country advice which will include:

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1. Brushing your teeth for 2 min twice per day with a pea sized amount of fluoride toothpaste.

2. Using an interdental brush or floss to clean in between your teeth at least once per day.

3. Using a fluoride mouthwash in between brushing and never straight after brushing (Mouthwash contains less fluoride than toothpaste, so if you rinse with mouthwash after you have cleaned your teeth then you are rinsing off the toothpaste which helps to strengthen tooth enamel.

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Coupled with your daily dental health care routine we recommend visiting hygienist at least once per year who can monitor your cleaning regime and offer advice on how you can change things to keep your teeth even cleaner.

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What does a dental hygienist do?

 

Your dental hygienist is a highly trained member of the dental team. They have detailed training in looking after the health your gums and teeth, they are able to spot the early warning signs of any disease and problems and treat those problems to keep you healthy.

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At each appointment your hygienist will look at the condition of your gums to ensure they are not inflamed or showing the early signs of gingivitis (gum disease). If left, gingivitis can turn into the more serious periodontitis which can result in tooth loss.

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Your hygienist will give your teeth a deep clean including removing any plaque which tends to build up in the difficult to reach areas between your teeth. They will then be able to give you tailored dental health advice on how you can clean your teeth better to prevent the plaque buildup in the first place.

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Dental hygienists other member of the dental team responsible for helping you keep your teeth fit and healthy for life, seeing one regularly can save you a huge amount in dental bills over your lifetime!

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Is a dental hygienist necessary every time I go for a checkup?

 

We recommend that every time you see your dentist for a dental health check that you see the hygienist also. Your dentist will be looking for decay and cavities in your teeth, along with checking your muscles and screening you for oral cancer. Your hygienist will take a more detailed look at your dental health from a cleaning and maintenance point of view.

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The dentist and hygienist work closely together as a team to ensure you stay dentally fit and healthy.

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How often should I see a dental hygienist?

 

Most people should see a hygienist every six months, we occasionally recommend shorter intervals for people that need more intense health work at the beginning.

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If you have not been seen by a dentist or hygienist for a while then you may be surprised by the poor condition of your teeth and gums. It is sometimes (but not always) necessary to have an intense period of hygiene therapy in order to restore your teeth and gums to health.

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Once your teeth and gums are healthy again you can go back to a six monthly periodic review.

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How much does a dental hygienist cost?

 

Dental hygiene appointments typically cost around £40, our full dental fees can be seen here. Patients on our dental health plan to not pay anything else for hygiene appointments as they are included in the monthly payment.

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If you don't see your dentist and hygienist regularly you may find that your teeth and gums deteriorate resulting in costly restorative work at a later date. It is far cheaper to spend £40 (approximately) once every six months to have a dental review, deep cleaning and health check then it is to neglect your teeth for many years and spend possibly thousands of pounds having to restore them.