Blog Post

Do I Really Need to See a Dental Hygienist?

You’ve been cleaning your teeth since you were knee high to a grasshopper. You clean your teeth twice a day (or perhaps after each meal, for extra dentistry points), you floss, you use mouthwash, and you regularly visit Duxton Dental’s Christchurch dental clinic for a check-up. You are a star patient.

With this great number of years of teeth cleaning experience and dedication to the cause, it can feel a little upsetting and bewildering as to why you have been asked to make an appointment with the hygienist.

What is going on? Why has one of our Christchurch dentists advised you to have your teeth cleaned professionally? What does it mean?

Firstly, don’t worry. Our Christchurch dental clinic uses minimal invasive dentistry, which means innovations and technologies are used to make our patients’ experiences as thorough and comfortable as possible. Our Air Abrasion Dental Treatment is drill free decay removal – the latest in tartar removal technology.

Secondly, seeing the hygienist is no indication of a poor dental routine. The priority of Duxton Dental is to help you achieve and maintain a healthy and fabulous smile. A visit to the hygienist assists us in our mission.

So, why do you need to see the hygienist?

Over time plaque develops into tartar

Your dental hygiene maybe second to none but over time there will be a degree of plaque build-up from the naturally forming bacteria and minerals in your saliva. It’s impossible for anyone to be 100% plaque free, no matter how strict and thorough their dental regimen.

Once plaque hardens it is called tartar, and tartar can only be removed by a professional hygienist. If left untreated, tartar causes a weakness in teeth and makes you susceptible to other dental and general health complications.

You don’t have a flip-top head

You may have the flexibility of contortionist, but you don’t have a flip-top head to help you reach the full scope of your mouth. There are nooks and crannies that are tricky to clean adequately – the front of your teeth may be pearly white and clean, but how about the back of your mouth? For example, the molars are located near the salivary glands and prone to a build-up of plaque, and unless you pay very specific attention to these awkward types of areas, there will be tartar that needs removing.

It’s a preventative dental treatment

By examining, tracking, and monitoring the build-up of plaque and tartar and measuring any gum recession, Duxton Dental’s hygienists helps you to maximise and maintain your oral health.

Regular hygienist appointments prevent your mouth from becoming an environment where gum disease prospers. You may know gum disease causes tooth loss, but it is also linked to diabetes, heart problems, problems in pregnancy and some types of cancer. A little time invested now for dental hygienist appointments helps to prevent the onset of major future concerns.

So, yes. If you have been asked to make an appointment with the hygienist, it is important you follow your dentist’s guidance. To make an appointment or to learn more about dental hygiene, please drop us a line by clicking here, or call 03 348 5488.

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Grahame Dutton

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