At Lewes High Street Dental, we take a preventive approach to dentistry, aimed at helping you maintain your healthy natural teeth and gums for the long term. Good dental hygiene is a vital part of your overall oral health, and our hygienists take a proactive approach to reduce and remove gum disease and decay.
A dental hygienist is best placed to look after your gum health, with the further training, knowledge and experience to diagnose and treat gum disease and other issues before you’ve even noticed they are present. Regular appointments enable us to professionally clean away build ups of plaque and tartar that you are unable to reach at home, protecting your teeth and gums from bacteria.
Gum disease, if left untreated, can cause gums to recede and can be a contributing factor to tooth loss. As gum disease also has links to health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, keeping your gums as healthy as possible will help your overall health as well.
We begin your hygiene appointment by asking a little about your general and oral health, and your current brushing and flossing routine at home. We also give you the chance to talk to us about any concerns you have about the health of your teeth and gums.
The bulk of your hygiene appointment is a professional deep clean. We remove stubborn plaque and tartar deposits and give your teeth a thorough polish to leave them looking and feeling cleaner, smoother and healthier. You may also find your teeth appear brighter in colour!
To finish, we give you some advice on how to care for your teeth and gums effectively at home. We can also show you how to use interdental tools properly so you can keep up with the hard work at home.
As a result of improved oral hygiene and fluoride, more people are keeping their own teeth into old age but, in order to continue to maintain healthy teeth and gums, a regime of brushing and rinsing twice a day should be combined with interdental brushing – cleaning between the teeth.
The major cause of tooth decay and gum disease is plaque. The formation of plaque is continuous and its growth cannot be stopped. Whilst brushing controls plaque formation around the surfaces of your teeth, it does not reach between your teeth and that’s why interdental brushing once a day is so crucial.
Cleaning between your teeth is made possible by the use of the following:
Consult your dentist and hygienist to learn more about the right method of interdental brushing for you
Often the anticipation of going to the dentist or dental hygienist is much worse than the actual visit. Listening to people with past bad dental experiences heightens anxiety. However, we aim to create a calm and relaxed environment. There can be an element of discomfort, and sometimes tooth sensitivity can be experienced. We will ensure you know what to expect before any treatment.
You can expect a typical hygiene appointment to last around 30-40 minutes. It can vary depending on the condition of your gums and how much plaque and tartar needs to be cleaned away from your teeth.
We usually recommend that you visit us for a hygiene appointment every six months, to keep your smile protected from bacteria and decay. Some patients choose to book their dental check ups and routine hygiene appointments together for ease. Depending on your individual case, we may suggest you will benefit from coming in more or less often, but we will give you tailored advice on this and suggest the best length of time to leave between your appointments.
Your hygienist does not set out to whiten your teeth during your appointment, but you may find they appear brighter and more dazzling after the plaque and tartar build ups have been professionally cleaned away. If you would like to find out more about teeth whitening treatment, please ask us.
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