Keeping your teeth in good condition takes team work. You do the every day work, brushing, flossing, maybe getting stuck in with some interdental brushes and then finishing off with a mouthwash. At Sheen Dental, we do regular deep cleans and check-ups, a bit like taking your car in for a service to keep it running properly. Some people like to get away with just a check-up, but we think that a session with the hygienist in Richmond is also very important and not something you should miss out on.
What the hygienist in Richmond does
Imagine your teeth are a car. You keep them clean with daily brushing, just as you wash your car once a week or so. But, you can’t do the in-depth stuff on the car, like changing the oil so you take it to a garage for a service every few thousand miles. It’s the same with your teeth.
The hygienist gets stuck into all the places your toothbrush has missed. With special tools, the hygienist can clean away all the plaque that has built up and hardened into tartar.
This needs to come off because even though that tartar looks and feels like rock, the layers next to your tooth enamel are alive, feeding on sugars in your saliva and giving off acids that erode your teeth, irritate your gums and eventually eat away at your tooth roots and jawbone.
From where the tartar is building up, the hygienist will be able to determine how you can improve your brushing technique and give you tips on how to do so. It may be as simple as changing how you hold your brush, or where you brush.
The hygienist can also make mastering brushing skills great fun for your kids.
How often do you need to see the hygienist in Richmond?
Generally speaking, we recommend that you see the hygienist twice a year, usually at or around the same time that you have your 6-montly check-up. If you are pregnant, are a smoker or have diabetes, we may recommend that you come see us more often.