The Importance Of Dental Hygienist Appointments

Seeing the hygienist on a regular basis is a great way to keep teeth and gums healthy!

Whilst most people accept the need to see a dentist every six months or so for their check up, far fewer will make a similar appointment to see the hygienist. The reasons for this are perhaps historical and cultural, but seeing the hygienist is a great way to keep your oral health in tip top condition.

At our dental practice near Camden Town, we always encourage our patients to make these appointments and whilst home cleaning is important; with the best will in the world, it is probably unlikely to be quite enough.

The role of the hygienist

There are two key parts to the role of the hygienist; education and cleaning. Your appointment is a great opportunity to discuss anything that you may be concerned about, or even to ask commonly asked questions such as why and how to use dental floss. Children especially, will benefit from seeing a dental hygienist. Using child friendly language and methods, they will help your children to understand the importance of having a healthy mouth and give them dental confidence as they get older.

Adults are not immune either. Many of us continue habits passed down by parents, and often grandparents. Whilst these habits may be well-intentioned, they often lag a long way behind current oral healthcare thinking.

The other important role of the hygienist is in the cleaning of our teeth and gums. Over time, a hard deposit called calculus or tartar is formed. This is impossible to remove with home brushing and flossing alone, and needs to be removed professionally. This is done using a procedure known as a ‘scale and polish’. Manually removing the tartar and the use of a sonic tool to shatter any tarar that remains, followed by a thorough polish, is a great way to minimise the threats from problems such as gingivitis and periodontitis. It will also help to remove some surface staining, often making your teeth appear a little brighter.

It should be noted that whilst this treatment may whiten your teeth a little, it will only do so by removing some surface staining and should not be seen as a replacement for a teeth whitening procedure if you are looking to cosmetically improve the appearance of your teeth.

If you currently don’t see a hygienist, or have never seen one at all, we do recommend that you do this. We feel sure that once you have seen and felt the benefits, you will make regular appointments in order to help keep your teeth and gums healthy.

To make an appointment to see the hygienist at Primrose Hill Dental, please call our Regent’s Park dental practice on 020 7722 0860 and speak to one of our receptionists who will make a convenient appointment for you.