Professional Dental Cleaning With Our Bromley Hygienist

Visiting a dental hygienist results in better looking and healthier teeth.

There was a time when you simply visited your local dentist to have your teeth checked and possibly filled or extracted, if needed. Modern dental care though has, over the years, become much more advanced and there are now a number of highly focused fields within the dental profession.

Whilst some of these fields involve specific dental procedures such as dental implants or orthodontics; one, sometimes underrated, field is that of the dental hygienist.

Having an in-house hygienist for Bromley patients at the Smile Dental Practice, is a valuable resource in the quest to have healthy teeth and gums for many years.

Role of the hygienist

Whilst hygienists may, for example, assist with the taking of x-rays and other general dental duties, dependent on their training; their key role is in ensuring the oral hygiene of our patients. This involves a number of factors, including education, and especially for younger patients who can then learn good oral health care skills to see them through their adult life. On a practical level though, the hygienist’s key role is in the professional cleaning of both teeth and gums.

Gum disease

One of the major factors affecting oral health is gum disease. This is caused as bacteria build up, often in the pockets between the teeth and gums. Over time, this hardens and forms plaque which cannot be removed by brushing alone. If left untreated, what initially manifests as sore or bleeding gums, will, in time, start to attack the bone in the jaw, causing it to degrade. This results in less bone for the teeth to be held in and eventually is likely to lead to tooth loss.

By performing a scale and polish, where the hardened plaque is removed, our hygienists are able to halt or reverse gum disease problems, leaving the patient with better oral health, and, quite possibly, fresher breath.

Staining

A professional clean can also help to remove some staining. It should be noted though that some discolouration of the teeth is not caused by staining, but by the darkening of the inner part of the tooth, due to age. Where this has occurred, a professional teeth whitening procedure would be needed to restore the teeth to their natural whiteness. Generally, we recommend that patients see the hygienist at our Bromley dental clinic every six months. This will ensure that any gum problems are resolved before they become advanced and threaten your teeth.

To arrange an appointment to see the hygienist at the Smile Dental Practice in Bromley, please call our friendly receptionist on 020 8462 2473.