Dental Hygiene

Good oral hygiene supports good dental health and indeed good general health.

Your hygienist is a caretaker for your gums, helping to keep your mouth plaque-free. This reduces the risk of potential tooth loss and even health conditions, including heart disease.

What can hygienist visits do for me?

• Perform deep cleaning to lower your risk of gum disease.
• Reduce the risk of experiencing painful and debilitating symptoms.
• Check for developing signs of gum disease, including receding and inflamed gums.
• Teach you how to brush and floss more efficiently.

Hygienist appointments: The lowdown

Our skilled hygienists can identify plaque and tartar along the gum line and work gently to remove these harmful substances using special instruments.

We also have the state-of-the-art Airflow® tooth polishing system at our disposal, allowing us to remove even the most stubborn of stains and lingering plaque.

Should we find you require more in-depth treatment, we can perform the non-surgical periodontal treatment.

Your questions answered

What’s the link between gum disease and heart disease?

There is now sufficient research revealing a solid link between gum disease and heart disease. When gum disease turns into periodontitis (advanced gum disease), your gums bleed, which allows bacteria to enter the bloodstream and compromise your cardiac health. In the most severe cases of advanced gum disease, the repercussions can be a heart attack.

However, by visiting the hygienist regularly to have the plaque removed, you’re significantly lowering the possibility of this occurring.

Hygienists vs dentists: What’s the difference?

Hygienists focus on the health of your gums, whilst dentists take care of everything including tooth and periodontal tissues.

A significant part of your hygienist’s role is preventing the onset of gum disease. This is achieved by removing plaque from your gum line and educating you on how to make lifestyle choices that reverse the early stages of gum disease and stop it from occurring in the first place.

How often should I be visiting the hygienist?

This will depend on the ongoing condition of your gums. If you’ve recently developed symptoms like bleeding gums and inflammation, we will suggest coming in more regularly for deep cleanings, so we can keep an eye on your condition. In patients with low-risk factors and who don’t have symptoms of gum disease, we will recommend that they visit less regularly.