The importance of visiting a dental hygienist

Everyone loves the feeling of a freshly cleaned mouth. This feeling is often not possible at home and is one of the main reasons why people visit the dental hygienist.

The dental hygienist plays just as an important role in looking after your teeth as a dentist does. Even someone with the best oral hygiene routine should visit the hygienist to clean those hard to reach areas. We recommend attending a hygienist appointment every six months, at the same time or in between your regular dental check-ups. However, you may be recommended to have a thorough clean more often than this if your dentist or hygienist thinks it would benefit you.

A ‘scale and polish’ is the treatment that the hygienist will carry out. This is where the teeth and gum line receive a thorough clean to remove any tartar build up. It’s this tartar that can cause many dental issues such as; gum disease, tooth decay, bad breath (halitosis) and even tooth loss.

Direct Access Appointments

At Regent Dental Centre, we are now offering direct access appointments. This means that even a non-registered patient can book an appointment with our hygienist for a scale and polish. As well as this treatment, you will receive advice and demonstrations on how you can take care of your oral hygiene at home.

What are the benefits of having a scale and polish?

As well as benefitting from the feeling of having a squeaky clean smile, there are many other reasons why you should have a scale and polish carried out regularly.

Preventing gum disease

Gum disease can be treated and even reversed when caught in the early stages. When gum disease develops into the later stages, it can cause bleeding and painful gums, bad breath and loose teeth. A hygienist will not only treat gum disease, but will provide you with knowledge of how you can prevent it yourself at home.

Preventing bad breath

Bad breath, or halitosis, is usually caused by an underlying dental problem. The odour is often caused by a bacteria or plaque build-up around the teeth or under the gum line. If your bad breath is caused by the latter, only a professional clean by a hygienist will be able to resolve your issue.

Regain a whiter smile

Over time, through using your teeth, they can develop staining. External stains that build up on teeth cannot be removed from brushing. These stains are often caused by consuming tea, coffee, tobacco, red wine and other strong food and drinks. A hygienist has ways of removing these stains to restore your teeth to their natural whiteness.

Preventing oral cancer

Alongside performing the scale and polish, your hygienist will be looking out for the early signs of oral cancer. Oral cancer is highly curable when it is detected promptly. Your hygienist will offer you advice on the risk factors of oral cancer and how you can reduce them. You will be more at risk if you are a smoker, drink excessive amounts of alcohol or are infected with the HPV virus.

To book a direct access appointment with our dental hygienist, call Regent Dental Centre on 0161 941 2143.

Website last updated: October 2024

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