Everything you need to know about your hygienist appointment-interview with Jo

What are the benefits of seeing a dental hygienist/ therapist?

Our role is primarily prevention of disease, both tooth decay and gum disease. Like most conditions in medicine, we are constantly learning more about how to best treat and prevent conditions. People are keeping their teeth for longer and in dentistry we now focus on prevention of disease. Our team will tell you your teeth are better off in your mouth than in our dustbin! It is our duty to help you keep them healthy for longer and our team at Sea Street are passionate about this. You can expect the benefits of your teeth feeling cleaner, possibly brighter and have fresher breath as well as all the ‘invisible’ benefits that ensure you keep your teeth for longer.

How will the treatment feel?

The majority of people find the treatment very comfortable and love the clean feeling they experience. For those with inflammed and unhealthy gums, some areas may initially feel sensitive but with good cleaning habits and repeated visits this will get better.

What do hygienists do and what can I expect in my first appointment?

A hygienist will assess your oral health. We take notes and record the health of your gums as these can be helpful to assess for improvements at a later date. We then discuss your current cleaning regime and look for ways we can adapt it for you to aid with cleaning at home and recommend which techniques and products will help you. This is essential so that we can ensure you have the best information available to maintain your health at home, We then clean around the gums and the teeth to remove any harmful build up of debris that go on to cause gum disease.

What is the difference between a scale and polish by a dentist and by a dental hygienist?

The simple scale carried out during a check up is useful for removing small build up of harden plaque debris in those patients who don’t have any inflammation. However if you have a heavy build up and are at risk of gum disease, regular visits with the hygienist can help prevent or stabilise the condition. We can spend more time ensuring the treatment is effective and help you maintain your teeth and gums for longer.

How often should I go to the dental hygienist?

Most patients will need to see the hygienist every 6 to 12 months. However more regular visits may be needed every 3 months if the condition is more severe. We always reassess and if the condition is improving with good home care this interval can be reduced.

What is the difference between a dental hygienist and therapist?

A dental therapist has a dual qualification in dental hygiene and therapy. They have studied and trained for longer and are able to do a variety of extended treatments prescribed by the dentist such as fillings on adult teeth. We are also highly trained in paediatrics, meaning we can do fillings and extractions on baby teeth.