It is recommended that you come in for regular hygiene appointments to ensure your mouth stays healthy and clean.
When you visit for a hygiene appointment, your teeth will be professionally cleaned with special equipment and pastes. Hygiene appointments are the best line of defence against gum disease as they clean away plaque and stubborn tartar, which are the starting point for the disease.
An important aspect of the hygienist’s role is to advise you on the best brushing technique and give you tips on flossing and using interdental brushes, to help you look after your teeth.
What does a hygiene appointment involve?
The primary focus of your hygiene appointment is removing plaque and tartar from all surfaces of your teeth. At Barnet Smiles, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Each hygiene clean is strictly personalised to each patient’s specific oral health needs.
First of all, the hygienist will assess the condition of your gums and teeth and then will gently remove any built-up plaque and tartar from the surfaces and in between the teeth. They will also polish the teeth, which helps to remove stains, and give you that wonderful gleaming clean feeling.
More stubborn stains can be removed with air polishing. This involves using a jet of high pressure water and powder to gently remove stubborn stains.
Hygiene at home
Maintaining a rigorous cleaning programme at home is vital if you want to minimise the risk of developing gum disease. Your hygienist will teach you how to properly clean at home to keep on top of your oral hygiene. In addition to brushing your teeth twice a day, floss and interdental brushes can help keep the gaps between the teeth clean of bacteria build ups. If your gums do bleed when you floss, don’t be put off – it’s completely normal. Flossing regularly will gradually stop the bleeding from happening.
