Dental Hygienist - really necessary?

Lovelyjoolz

Are dental hygienist visits really needed, or am I being up-sold by my dentist?

I broke a filling last week and so I duly trotted along to my NHS dental practice to have it fixed. My usual dentist has left the practice so I saw a new guy who has never treated me before. First he insisted on doing a mouthful of x-rays, despite me only having had a check up in December which surprised me but he did insist.

Then he replaced the filling, no fuss, very quick, can't complain. He gives me a check-up and says I brush very well and my teeth are brilliantly clean. Nice to have a bit of praise (but where's my "I've been brave at the dentist today" badge?).

Then he said he wants to rip out and replace my crowns because they are 17 years old. I asked him if there was any sign of them failing and he said no, but they are old now so they should be replaced.

And then he started trying to tell me I must have braces, top and bottom, to straighten out my teeth and close a gap in my top front teeth. I'm 41 this year, what do I want with braces? I have no desire to look like a 13 year old and it's not as if my teeth are tremendously crooked, just slightly wonky. And the gap in the front is so tiny, only me and this dentist have ever noticed it.

So I'm beginning to think this guy is on an up-sell mission when he said that I should start seeing the hygienist every three months. At £30 a pop. Now if this is something I definitely need or my teeth will all fall out then so be it, but really? I have never been to see a hygienist and I have never been told that I should. He just told me my teeth are very clean and I brush well. Why would I need to see the hygienist? What can they do that I'm not doing? Or was this just another upselling/money-spinning idea?

koan_2

are you still an nhs patient or are you private now?

Lovelyjoolz

Still NHS. But, I'm assuming that the braces wouldn't be covered by NHS because they would be purely cosmetic.

McKneff

If you are NHS, the cost to see the hygienist should be about £19 not £30??

koan_2

It sounds like he is flogging you private treatment. I don't think adults can get braces on the NHS (I wish! I'd have one myself :cool: )

Not sure about the need for a hygienist, our practice lets you have 2 hygienist appointments a year if you're a private patient. If you're NHS you don't usually get to go to the hygienist unless there is a problem which necessitates it.

terra_ferma

He sounds like a dentist I used to go to, he was very good so I recommended other friends. We all stopped going because he was recommending unnecessary work like a dental dam to one friend who supposedly was grinding his teeth at night (he never heard that before or since), giving an expensive quote to cap a chipped tooth (who was repaired much more cheaply by another dentist) and so on.
My current one is fantastic, he does the job that's needed, and he does it well, that's all (he's actually very good in that respect, he's always conscious of the cost of the treatment he recommends).
However I attend the hygienist quite regularly, but because there is a specific need, so I would recommend that maybe twice a year it's money well spent (and I have to have a check up with the dentist once a year, it's compulsory otherwise I can't see the hygienist, but I'm happy to comply).

if I were you I'd look for another one

elsien

My dentist is nhs but the hygienist is private at £30 a pop. They recommend a visit every time I go, but I usually go once every 12-18 months just to check I'm still doing okay
It does feel a bit of a rip off though, as you'd think if I needed a scale and polish that badly the dentist would do it.

Toothsmith

Lovelyjoolz wrote: »

Are dental hygienist visits really needed, or am I being up-sold by my dentist?

I broke a filling last week and so I duly trotted along to my NHS dental practice to have it fixed. My usual dentist has left the practice so I saw a new guy who has never treated me before. First he insisted on doing a mouthful of x-rays, despite me only having had a check up in December which surprised me but he did insist.

Then he replaced the filling, no fuss, very quick, can't complain. He gives me a check-up and says I brush very well and my teeth are brilliantly clean. Nice to have a bit of praise (but where's my "I've been brave at the dentist today" badge?).

Then he said he wants to rip out and replace my crowns because they are 17 years old. I asked him if there was any sign of them failing and he said no, but they are old now so they should be replaced.

And then he started trying to tell me I must have braces, top and bottom, to straighten out my teeth and close a gap in my top front teeth. I'm 41 this year, what do I want with braces? I have no desire to look like a 13 year old and it's not as if my teeth are tremendously crooked, just slightly wonky. And the gap in the front is so tiny, only me and this dentist have ever noticed it.

So I'm beginning to think this guy is on an up-sell mission when he said that I should start seeing the hygienist every three months. At £30 a pop. Now if this is something I definitely need or my teeth will all fall out then so be it, but really? I have never been to see a hygienist and I have never been told that I should. He just told me my teeth are very clean and I brush well. Why would I need to see the hygienist? What can they do that I'm not doing? Or was this just another upselling/money-spinning idea?

It is impossible to say what you actually 'need' without seeing you.

It certainly sounds like a second opinion would be worthwhile.

SandC

I've never seen the hygienist at my dentist's and I'm NHS and he has never recommended I do either. He has given me advice on cleaning/flossing and gives me a scale and polish each check up himself.

I presume if I had bad habits of cleaning which had led to problems then it would need more than a scale and polish but it does seem that a lot of dentists recommend it as a matter of course. I suppose you could argue that everyone should see one at least once on joining a surgery.

Lobby12

A hygenist will clean the hard to reach areas, especially around your back teeth which many people miss when brushing and flossing. They can remove tartar which ,if it has built up, won't be removed by normal brushing. They can also give advice on how not to miss these areas in future. However, a visit every 3 months sounds extreme. I personally go every 6 months and after a few visits everything is sparkling so probably need to go less often now.

I would suggest you get a second opinion though and if you're not sure ask them lots of questions so they fully explain to you why they think all this is necessary.

greyteam1959

He's telling you he wants to replace crowns that you have had for 17 years ??
That is ridiculous..........I think i might be getting a second opinion myself.