Hygienist

Aims

The aim of the hygienist service is simply to identify and reduce any gum disease you may have as part of your overall dental care programme. To lessen the amount of dental treatment you may need now and in the future, therefore cutting down on costs.

How do I know if I have gum disease?

It may surprise you to know that around 95% of the population who have their own teeth are suffering from some degree of gum disease! But with care and attention to detail your gum disease can be controlled. Early signs of gum disease can include; Bleeding gums Shrinking gums Sensitive teeth Bad breath. Understanding the disease Many factors can influence your individual level of gum disease. Your gums form a cuff around your teeth and the presence and accumulation of bacteria (plaque) on the root surface irritate the living tissue of the gums causing inflammation. This in turn causes loss of bone around the roots of your teeth and if left untreated will eventually lead to the loss of the tooth.

How do we treat gum disease?

Believe it or not YOU will be doing much of the work yourself. By showing you simple measures, which you can carry out at home, we believe that we can teach you how to become your own hygienist. At your first visit lasting one hour we will Initially identify and assess the level of disease present with charting and intra-oral photographs This serves as a record for reference to compare back to at a later date. Our hygienist will then carefully and gently remove the build up of plaque and calculus from all of the teeth. Then she will polish the teeth to make future cleaning at home easier. Together we will design and advise a regime to enable you to remove the daily build up of plaque to reduce your gum disease in the future.

Prevention is better….

Following your first visit we will suggest a recall programme that is specific for you - different people will have different needs and we may for example suggest six monthly 30 minute recall visits , or indeed some patients will require longer visits or more regular attendance. As your home care improves, the less we will have to do. If needed we will ask the specialist - a Periodontist – to evaluate and assist if you have specific or advanced problems. In short your programme will be specific to your needs.

Home care products and techniques

The humble toothbrush is still the basis of prevention of gum disease. Bear in mind that only a small toothbrush can get in small places, we keep a range of “junior” toothbrushes. – your teeth are the same size as they were when you were a teenager!

Dental floss is designed to clean to “cuff” or pockets around your teeth. It is a difficult habit to acquire but well worth it – our hygienist will show you how. It was once said that you will keep the teeth that you floss.

Interdental brushes – are excellent for cleaning in-between teeth. Bear in mind though that this does not replace dental floss because it cannot reach into the depth of the pockets.

Sensitivity toothpastes- can be quite effective when recommended. Often this is a good way of relieving the symptoms, but more important is address the cause of the sensitivity and prevent it from becoming worse.

Mouthwashes- these can be a most effective extra to toothbrushing and the use of dental floss. We will recommend a mouthwash according to the severity of your gum disease.

Electric toothbrushes – nowadays have become very effective. You can certainly achieve the same results with diligent manual toothbrushing but many find the efficiency of the modern designs easier to apply.

Whitening products – and techniques are available but we will recommend this on an individual basis. Undertaken professionally you can achieve excellent results and smile with pride.