Cleaning up - How a good clean with your hygienist in Richmond could be all you need

Having your dentist announce you need to see the hygienist in Richmond can feel super daunting - you feel like you’ve always looked after your teeth. You brush twice a day and even floss sometimes, surely you don’t have bad teeth? A totally normal, understandable reaction. Hygienist appointments aren’t just about hygiene, they’re there to maintain good oral health and here’s why.

What is the Hygienist?

Hygienists are a special branch of dentists that look after your gums and teeth by focusing on cleanliness. They operate differently from a traditional dentist as they aren’t there to fix decay or cosmetic issues but purely focus on the cleanliness of teeth. And with so many dental problems being rooted in poor oral hygiene, it’s easy to see why we need a trained dentist for it.

Why do I need a hygienist in Richmond appointment?

There could be a whole host of small reasons that result in you needing to be a hygienist, most likely it would be related to very early signs of gum disease. Gum disease can be a scary thought and I'm sure you’ve seen the scary adverts of people’s teeth falling out. But it’s worth knowing that this is in the very worst-case scenarios and isn’t the case for most patients we see. Over half the population is reported to suffer from gum disease so you certainly aren’t alone.

What happens in the appointment?

Usually, a hygienist will do a full inspection of your teeth and gums to see what condition they are in and to see if there are any areas that are particularly bad for disease. They will then use special tools to work through a scale and polish. This process is when they do a super deep clean to get all the plaque and tartar away from your teeth and gums. This process is really important and it’s the plaque and tartar that is causing the gums to inflame and bleed - in most cases once it’s removed the gums will quickly return to full health.

As they’ve done the scale, the polish finishes the job - the hygienist will use a buffer and go over your teeth. The team here at Sheen dental absolutely love this procedure as it really gives the teeth a new lease of life. Often patients feel like they’ve had their teeth whitened after the polish - the results are that good.

Moving Forward

People begin to have small areas of build-up for lots of reasons and you shouldn’t feel embarrassed or worried about it. It’s totally normal. Your hygienist will likely talk you through why they believe you have suffered a build-up of bacteria and will give you all the info you need on how to stop this from happening in the future. This again is nothing to worry about but when it comes to teeth - prevention is always better than cure and giving yourself extra time to brush is a better option than having dental treatments that could easily be avoided.