Dental Hygiene

Hygienist appointments are essential alongside regular dentist appointments, focusing on the health of your gums.

Healthy gums underpin a healthy set of teeth, and at Shawbirch Dental we’re focused around adopting a preventive mindset when it comes to dental hygiene.

Why visit the hygienist?

Regular visits to the hygienist ensure your gums remain free from plaque and calculus. Plaque is the harmful biofilm that coats your teeth overtime, particularly each time you eat sugary or acidic food and drink. Plaque can be removed from the teeth and gum line with a good brushing technique.

Plaque forms in between teeth and can be removed using interdental aids such as floss or interdental brushes. If the plaque is not removed it may harden and form calculus/tartar. The most common area for calculus to build up is behind the lower front teeth and the calculus cannot be removed at home with a brush or interdental aids.

It’s normal to develop some degree of calculus, even if you have a good oral hygiene regime. Having this layer of plaque and any calculus build up removed regularly by a hygienist will keep gum disease at bay, which in turn protects you from the risk of potentially losing teeth in the future and developing other health problems.

What to expect from hygienist appointments

A process known as a scale and polish is performed to remove stubborn plaque and surface stains from your gum line and in-between your teeth. Not only does this significantly reduce your risk of gum disease, it leaves your teeth looking brighter.

We also offer the option of Air polishing, for an even deeper stain removal. This method of cleaning has been proven to remove almost 100% of stains and plaque in the mouth, including in hard-to-reach areas.

Your hygienist can also play an educational role, helping you to develop better brushing technique, demonstrate interproximal cleaning aids such as Tepe brushes, and to introduce healthier lifestyle habits.

What is gum disease?

Gum disease is when the gums become inflamed and is often caused by plaque bacteria lingering on the gums. If the plaque biofilm is left on the area where the tooth meets the gum, bacteria can cause the gums to become inflamed. This inflammation and gum disease presents as bleeding gums, sore gums and bad breath.

If left even longer, the inflammation causes the gum to slip away from the tooth, leaving a pocket. This stage of gum disease is known as periodontal disease and can have a long term impact on the teeth and gums. The pockets can be difficult to clean and make a perfect breeding spot for more plaque bacteria. These pockets can become painful over time and may even cause an abscess or toothache. A later stage of periodontal disease can also cause the tooth to become loose and may result in missing teeth if left untreated.

We recommend seeing the hygienist every 3 months if you are suffering from gum disease. During these appointments, the hygienist may take some measurements of the depth of the pockets so we can see if they are improving over time. She will carry out a deep clean of the teeth and gums and clean in the pockets to remove the harmful plaque bacteria as well as any hardened calculus. She will also advise you on what you can do at home to clean these areas more effectively.

Gum disease is not something that can be treated in one session and there can be factors that can make the gum disease harder to clear. This includes poor oral hygiene, smoking, medications and certain health conditions.

How does smoking affect the gums?

Smoking is a major cause of gum disease. However, it is harder to detect this at home as smoking prevents the gums from bleeding, therefore most smokers do not realise that they are suffering with gum disease until they see a dentist or hygienist. Smoking increases bone loss in the jaw, causing teeth to become wobbly even faster. Once the bone has been lost, it does not grow back and therefore it is very difficult to save these wobbly teeth.

Studies have shown that there is a poorer response to gum treatment in smokers with less improvement of the gums and pockets compared to non-smokers. Smoking also causes a lot of staining, which can be difficult to remove from a normal scale and polish, however, our Air polishing treatments are perfect for nicotine staining. Smokers also tend to get more calculus build-up than non-smokers, so may also require more frequent hygienist visits to remove this build-up.

If you would like any help, advice or support with stopping smoking, please ask one of our team members, who are always happy to help!

Why hygienist appointments?

Remove plaque to reduce risk of gum disease.

• Removes stubborn calculus that cannot be removed at home.
• Have fresher breath.
• Have brighter-looking, stain-free teeth.
• Receive tailored advice to improve your oral hygiene at home.
• Improve general health – gum disease has been linked to heart disease.
• Improve bleeding gums and gum inflammation.

Aftercare

Aftercare pointers after a scale and polish or periodontal treatment with the hygienist include:

• Some bleeding of the gums following a deep clean/gum treatment is normal.
• If there was a lot of plaque or calculus removed the gums may be a bit sore afterwards. This can be controlled with over the counter painkillers.
• Keep your teeth calculus and plaque-free by using an electric toothbrush (Oral B is our favourite) twice per day, before breakfast and before going to bed.
• Clean carefully and thoroughly between your teeth using floss, tape or tepe brushes.

How to brush