Dental hygienists specialise in preventive oral care, ensuring that patients’ teeth remain as healthy and strong as possible. Their role is not only to clean teeth professionally, but also educate patients on different aspects of oral care and preventing common oral conditions such as gum disease and cavities.
Gum disease is a leading cause of tooth loss in the UK, since it has no symptoms and it can rapidly turn from a mild condition to a serious ailment in a short period of time. An experienced hygienist in Richmond – such as Sheen Dental – will look for signs of gum disease (i.e. bleeding, puffy or sensitive gums) when examining a patient and can even provide customised oral hygiene planning to ensure that they have all the information they need to take good care of their teeth between visits.
What is the role of the hygienist in Richmond?
Being a hygienist in Richmond is quite versatile and includes:
- demonstrating effective tooth brushing techniques to carefully remove plaque from in-between the teeth and gums
- product recommendations and discussions on the latest products
- advice on the best cleaning techniques
- detailed and thorough guidance on gum disease and tooth decay
- removal of plaque and other hard deposits
- discussion of risk factors that can be responsible for the manifestation of gum disease such as smoking, diabetes and cardiovascular disease
- prevention of cavities, tooth erosion and gum damage
- dietary advice
- advice on demineralisation with fluoride or other techniques
- tooth polishing to remove surface stains and discolouration
- stopping bleeding gums
- tooth loss prevention
- smoking cessation
- bad breath prevention.
By having a regular appointment with the hygienist in Richmond, patients can keep their teeth healthy and avoid unnecessary complications caused by gum disease and tooth decay.
Maintenance is key
In-between appointments with a hygienist in Richmond, patients are encouraged to take good care of their teeth and gums by brushing and flossing on a daily basis, replacing their toothbrush regularly, using toothpaste with fluoride, avoiding smoking and other tobacco products and drinking in moderation. Patients who have a greater risk of developing gum disease or tooth decay, should visit the hygienist in Richmond more often.
