Oral Hygiene

We highly recommend regular professional dental cleanings as these are easy and effective preventive dental care treatments that will help you maintain strong, healthy teeth and gums.

Most people with good dental health should book hygiene appointments every six months. You can schedule this visit with your regular dental examination, so you will only need to see us for an hour or so twice a year. However, some people might benefit from seeing our hygienist more frequently, such as anyone with medical issues that affect their dental health or more complex oral care needs. When you first visit our dentist, we can assess your dental and medical health and determine how frequently it is best to visit our hygienist.

The primary purpose of your oral hygiene visit is to clean your teeth professionally. Even if you clean your teeth thoroughly each day, there are always some areas that get missed, leaving dental plaque on your teeth. Within a couple of days, plaque hardens into calculus or tartar. The bacteria in plaque and calculus produce harmful acids and toxins that can cause tooth decay and gum disease. Our hygienist will remove all calculus thoroughly from your teeth using special tools, leaving your mouth feeling super fresh and clean. Treatment is completed by gently polishing your teeth, leaving them gleaming.

It is extremely important to look after your gums, and gum disease is all too common. Often the early signs are missed but are quickly detected during regular dental examinations and oral hygiene visits. Early detection is essential as gum disease is easily reversible at this stage. During your appointment, the hygienist will assess your gum health and take detailed measurements compared to previous visits. These measurements help identify any changes to your gum health, so appropriate care can be provided if there are signs of infection and inflammation.

As our hygienist cleans your teeth, they can identify areas of your oral care routine that could benefit from improving. The hygienist can review your oral care routine with you and, if needed, can show you new brushing and flossing techniques that are easy to use and more effective. Oral hygiene education can be particularly useful if you struggle with any aspect of oral care, for example, flossing.