As well as maintaining a good, daily oral hygiene regime we also recommend that patients make regular visits to the Hygienist. This is the best way to maintain beautiful smiles and keep the teeth and mouth healthy. As well as giving your teeth a thorough clean, the Hygienist will also be able to spot any potential issues and recommend an appointment with the dentist if necessary.
We always advise our patients that prevention is better than cure. Your Hygienist will advise you on how to best look after your oral health and keep problems at bay. If plaque and tartar aren’t effectively removed then they can eventually lead to tooth decay, gum disease and other conditions. During the appointment you will receive a professional scale and polish to leave your teeth shiny and clean, making a Hygiene appointment a quick and easy way way to freshen up your smile.
Good oral hygiene begins at home. Brushing your teeth twice a day is essential and we also strongly recommend cleaning between the teeth using dental floss and interdental brushes. If you have any dental appliances in the mouth, such as dentures or braces, then these will need particular care to clean and maintain. Your Hygienist will be able to advise and help you with the specific requirements for these.
If you would like an Oral Hygiene appointment please call our reception on 01483 281 414. To find out how much Hygiene Appointments cost at Horsley Dental, please visit our Fees page to see our latest prices.
During a dental hygiene appointment, the hygienist carefully removes plaque and hardened tartar from around your teeth and along the gum line, including areas that are difficult to reach with a toothbrush alone. Your teeth are then polished to remove surface stains and leave them feeling smooth and clean. The appointment also usually includes a gum health check and personalised advice on how to look after your teeth and gums at home based on what’s seen during your visit.
A scale and polish is a professional cleaning treatment that goes beyond what brushing at home can achieve. “Scaling” removes hardened tartar that sticks to teeth and sits under the gum line, where a toothbrush can’t reach. “Polishing” then smooths the tooth surfaces to lift surface stains and make it harder for plaque to stick again. A regular home clean keeps your teeth fresh day to day, but a scale and polish is what properly resets your oral hygiene at a deeper level.
How often you need a hygiene appointment depends on individual oral health. Many people benefit from a visit every six months, while others with gum problems, heavy plaque build-up or a history of dental issues may be advised to come more frequently. Recommended schedule is usually based on how quickly plaque builds up, how your gums respond, and any existing dental work you may have.
In many cases, a professional hygiene treatment can significantly improve bad breath. Odour is often caused by bacteria and hardened plaque trapped around the teeth and gum line, areas that are difficult to clean thoroughly at home. By removing these deposits and polishing the teeth, a hygiene appointment tackles one of the main underlying causes of persistent bad breath, helping your mouth feel cleaner and fresher overall.
Yes and sensitivity is actually one of the most common reasons people delay seeing a hygienist, even though regular cleaning often helps reduce long-term sensitivity. During your appointment, the hygienist can slow the process where needed, avoid triggering areas, and use techniques that are specifically designed for sensitive teeth. In many cases, once surface plaque and tartar are removed, patients find their sensitivity improves rather than worsens.
Yes and in fact, professional hygiene becomes even more important if you have implants, crowns or braces. These restorations can create extra areas where plaque and bacteria collect, and they’re often difficult to clean properly at home. During a hygiene appointment, special instruments and techniques are used to clean safely around implants and restorations without damaging them. For patients with braces, the hygienist can remove build-up around brackets and wires where toothbrushes often struggle to reach, helping protect both the teeth and the investment you’ve made in your dental work.
Even with excellent brushing and flossing, plaque can still harden into tartar in areas that are difficult to reach at home, especially around the gum line and between teeth. Once tartar has formed, it can only be removed with professional instruments. A hygiene visit isn’t just about cleaning what you can see it’s about removing what you can’t reach, checking gum health, and preventing small problems from becoming bigger ones. Many patients are surprised how much buildup can exist even with a very good home routine.