Hygienist visits

Many dental problems start because the bacteria in your mouth produce a sticky substance called plaque which, if left in contact with your teeth for a long time, damages your tooth enamel.

If you want to avoid problems, the most important thing is to remove as much bacterial plaque as possible from all the surfaces of your teeth and gums as often as you can. This is difficult enough when your teeth are straight and even, but when your teeth are crowded together, or when your fillings and crowns have rough edges, it becomes even more difficult.

So we encourage you to have regular hygienist visits for three reasons. First, our hygienist can check the condition of your teeth and gums - if they have gathered a lot of plaque, that gives us an early warning of possible problems ahead. Second, the hygienist can clean your teeth and give you a plaque-free and tartar-free mouth - though plaque will quickly form again. Third, and possibly most importantly, the hygienist can coach you on how to keep up your oral cleaning regime at home.

Ideally everyone would remove every particle of plaque from their mouth every day. But if your oral hygiene isn't perfect, don't feel embarrassed - all of us (including dental professionals) need support in order to do this! Instead, work with our hygienist to get the best possible result you can.