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DENTAL HYGIENE TREATMENTS

Dental Hygienists have a preventative approach when assessing patients. In addition to gum treatment, teeth cleaning and stain removal, the hygienist will help you personalise a tailored oral care routine that helps you to prevent gum disease and decay.

Scale and polish

Once an oral assessment has been conducted the hygienist then begins a scale and polish. This treatment includes removal of deposits on the tooth and polish and tailored oral hygiene instructions.

Air polish

The dental hygienist may recommend to air polishing a patient’s teeth. This is great for removing stains caused by common substances such as tea, coffee, wine and tobacco.

Periodontal (perio) treatment

The two biggest threats to dental health are periodontal disease, which is mostly seen in adults, and tooth decay.

Periodontal disease is a problem in the gums and tooth support. In its early stage, it may be gingivitis which is in the gums. The gums can become swollen and red, and they may bleed. In its more serious form, called periodontitis, the gums can pull away from the tooth, bone can be lost, and the teeth become loose or even fall out.

The hygienist will remove the calculus and plaque caused by bacteria from above the gum by cleaning (scaling) the teeth. If needed they will also remove bacteria and calculus from under the gum by cleaning your teeth. This involves the careful use of fine powered and hand-operated cleaning instruments on the tooth surfaces.

Perio treatment is given over several appointments and the number of appointments you will need depends on how severe and widespread your disease is. Patients with more aggressive forms of gum disease may be asked to take short courses of antibiotics after treatment.