The Importance Of Seeing A Dental Hygienist

Many of us recognize the importance of caring for our teeth and why we should visit our dentist regularly if we want to ensure that we look after and keep our teeth looking good and lasting into our old age. However, some don’t quite grasp the importance of a dental hygienist?

Dentists are certainly extremely busy carrying out treatments such as fillings, crowns and extractions that we inevitably need at some point in our lives. Their time is taken dealing with problems we already have, rather than preventing new ones. The extras that help us keep our smile and oral health in good order can be left or neglected without additional care and attention to our teeth and gums.

This is where a dental hygienist’s role is critical and something we should all consider as part of the same routine and commitment we show to visiting the dentist. Simply put, the hygienist’s role is to carry out many of the preventative steps that our dentists don’t have the time for and to guide and support us to maintain the best oral hygiene routines.

The role of a dental hygienist

A dental hygienist plays a specialist role in supporting you to keep on top of your oral hygiene, and they are an essential part in preventing tooth loss. Even when you visit a dentist regularly, they check to see if you need fillings or have any significant tooth or gum disease. Still, it is often too late to reverse problems by that time, and the only course of action is for the dentist to carry out costly repair work.

A regular visit to a dental hygienist can help prevent many problems before they require dentists’ intervention, as they provide essential proactive care, treatments and advice to help you maintain a healthy mouth. This can help to prevent gum disease and the associated pain and perhaps tooth loss that inevitably follows.

Dental surgeries such as Portobello Dental, offer dental hygienist services as the first step in preventative oral hygiene treatment. As research has discovered, a visit to a dental hygienist can also benefit your wider health. With poor oral hygiene not only being a leading cause of many health issues such as Endocarditis through bacteria entering your bloodstream or cardiovascular links between plaque build-up, gum disease and heart disease, there are also many links of existing conditions such as diabetes playing havoc with good oral health. Therefore, a regular visit to a hygienist can literally be a lifesaver.

What services will a dental hygienist offer?

Scaling and polishing to treat gingivitis and reduce bleeding gums, deep cleaning to treat advanced periodontal gum disease, help with bad breath and dietary advice to help suit your lifestyle to your dental needs.

They can also provide many screening services, such as identifying the onset of oral cancers and aesthetic treatments such as tooth whitening. They also offer fluoride treatment applications and stain removal. They will advise you when further dental treatment is required. As we mentioned above, they can also draw attention to other health issues that you may be at risk of or help you reduce problems caused by existing medical conditions.

The benefits of visiting a dental hygienist

When you begin to visit your dental hygienist at regular intervals, which are usually recommended at once every 4-6 months, you will be more in control of your oral hygiene.  You will create a more healthy, balanced mouth, which will help you avoid a visit to the dentist for procedures such as fillings and extractions.

Dental hygienists play a vital role in your ongoing oral care, helping you avoid more invasive procedures that are not only uncomfortable but inconvenient and costly, leaving dentists more readily available when you need more help.