A dental hygienist plays a key role in preserving your oral health by ensuring your teeth are kept clean and healthy for as long as possible. Nowadays, due to the latest technology and advancement in dental knowledge, you can be forgiven to be feeling confused on what to expect when visiting a hygienist at your dental practice, especially if you haven’t booked an appointment for some time.
Nowadays, there are many forms of treatment that can be performed to preserve your long-term oral health. Here, we look at what to expect at an appointment and the common procedures and treatment options that come with visiting a hygienist.
A Typical Appointment with The Hygienist
As you get yourself comfortable and relaxed at your appointment, your hygienist will first conduct an initial examination of your teeth and gums to rule out any severe dangers to your oral health, such as problems with tooth enamel, checking for gum abscess or any form of bleeding. This presents an opportunity to notify the dentist of any medical or dental concerns you may be experiencing.
Your hygienist will check for any pain within your jaws as you open and close your mouth and measure the gap between your gums and teeth. Your teeth will be scaled to remove any plaque and tartar and to ensure no bacteria forms.
Your teeth will be thoroughly cleaned to remove any stains, prevent plaque build-up and ensure a shiny appearance. Any further treatments will be advised if necessary.
Depending on how healthy your teeth are, the dentist may give advice on lifestyle and diet changes to improve the health of your teeth. This typically includes quitting smoking, alcohol and tobacco products. These three products increase the risk of bacteria and staining.
The procedure is totally pain-free, but you must notify the dentist should you feel any discomfort.
Why Is Visiting the Hygienist So Important?
The hygienist only wants what’s best for your general health. Visiting the hygienist is great if you want to share any dental concerns you may have or talk about recommendations and preventative measures to maintain healthy teeth. Receiving advice from an experienced dentist will also improve your self-confidence, as they are the ones that know best.
It is recommended that you visit your hygienist at least twice a year to keep your oral health in prime condition for the long-term.
Why not click here and read further reasons why visiting the hygienist is so important?
Typical Hygienist Recommendations
Although there are many products available outside of dental practice such as over-the-counter teeth whitening products, these tend to carry more risk and have a negative effect on your health.
Therefore, it is recommended that after your appointment, you adopt an oral health routine upon the advice of your hygienist to keep your teeth healthy and white. Some typical recommendations may include:
- Brushing your teeth twice a day with recommended fluoride toothpaste
- Reduce your sugary intakes such as sweets and fizzy drinks
- Visit your dentist at least twice a year minimum for the betterment of your long-term health
- Recommendations of best aid to clean in-between and around teeth.
Read here on the benefits of an oral-check up.
The Bottom Line
It is not emphasized enough just how important looking after your teeth are. Simple changes such as diet and consumption of cleaner, lighter foods go a long way in maintaining those pearly-whites and improve self-confidence. If you’re reading this and have not visited the dentist recently, we recommend that you book an appointment with your local hygienist.
Click here to know how Kooringal Dental in Wagga Wagga can help you to maintain your oral health to showcase that sparkly smile.