Dental Hygienist Check-up and Appointments
Book a Hygienist or Dental Therapist Appointment
After recent changes in dental legislation, ‘Direct Access’ means our fully trained and competent dental hygienists and dental therapists can see you without first having to see a dentist. So, you don’t need to be referred by your dentist, have a dentist’s prescription or even be registered with Larkham House. Book your direct appointment here.
What do our Hygienists and Hygiene Therapists do for you?
The primary role of our Hygienists Joanna and Jill and Hygiene Therapist Kelly is to provide preventative care and control of oral health to our patients. Ensuring that you have a stable and healthy mouth. Not only to give your teeth and gums a much more thorough clean than you can achieve at home, but also to spot early warning signs of more serious developments such as gum disease and even oral cancer.
Our care includes:
- Scale and polish
- Airflow polish
- A review your past medical and dental history
- Assess the current health of your mouth and surrounding tissue
- Provide treatment using the latest technology, including comfort aids such as numbing
- Provide you with oral health education and product recommendations
- Send you home with a tailored treatment plan to maintain your oral health
- Recommend further periodontic treatment where necessary
Good oral hygiene is essential before embarking on expensive restorations such as implants, the placement of crowns and bridges or orthodontic treatment, which require special hygiene care.
What is Air Polishing or Airflow?
Airflow is the leading teeth cleaning system which uses a focused jet of compressed air, water and bicarbonate particles to gently polish away surface staining and dental plaque from the teeth. This non-invasive treatment, gently removes staining, is kind to the tooth surface and significantly improves tooth brightness, giving you noticeably lighter and brighter teeth and an alternative to professional teeth whitening.
Will hygiene treatment hurt?
Scaling and polishing is usually totally pain free. However, if you do have any discomfort the hygienist can use anaesthetic creams, or give you some local anaesthetic. Please let your hygienist know at the time so they can help with your discomfort.
What is dental hygiene and why is it important?
Good dental hygiene is proven to be one of the most important ways of preventing long term dental problems. Dental hygiene involves the health of your teeth, gums, mouth and can even extend to your throat. Poor oral hygiene can lead to not only embarrassing symptoms which would interfere with your social life, making it difficult to eat and speak, but serious conditions, effecting your overall health. So, maintaining good dental hygiene is critical.
Poor oral hygiene can cause:
- Bad breath (halitosis)
- The build-up of visible plaque and tartar
- Stained teeth
- Red, swollen or bleeding gums
- Receding gums
- Sensitive teeth
- Pain when eating
- Tooth decay
- Loose teeth and even tooth loss
- Dental abscesses
As part of our professional dental team, all our hygienists and hygiene therapists work hand in hand with our dentists offering expert advice and support to all our patients.
How often should you visit the hygienist?
If you have good oral hygiene habits and a healthy mouth, your dentist and dental hygienist will probably suggest professional teeth cleaning at least twice a year. This includes tooth scaling to remove plaque, tooth polishing and removal of tartar to prevent cavities, gingivitis and gum disease. Some patients who are more susceptible to gum disease should see a hygienist more often.
About Dental Hygiene and Gum Disease
Poor oral hygiene can lead to the mouth becoming a bacterial breeding ground and, if neglected or oral hygiene is ignored, it can lead to gum disease (also known as periodontal disease or periodontitis). Bacteria associated with periodontitis can enter the bloodstream via bleeding gums and has been linked to the following conditions:
- Heart disease
- Strokes
- Generalised inflammation
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Lung disease
What do our patients say about treatment at Larkham House?
