Dentist and hygienist - different practices

moneyistooshorttomention

I do do brush and floss and TePe brush and whatever-its-called brush on the gumlines and twice daily (vast majority of days)......whew...whew...whew...

So I'm at a bit of a loss - as I'm trying my best honest injun.....and I still get told "Hygienist - twice a year - if not 4 times a year".:(

brook2jack

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I do do brush and floss and TePe brush and whatever-its-called brush on the gumlines and twice daily (vast majority of days)......whew...whew...whew...

So I'm at a bit of a loss - as I'm trying my best honest injun.....and I still get told "Hygienist - twice a year - if not 4 times a year".:(

Have you asked the hygienist/dentist to check you are using the right size tepes etc and have they watched you to make sure you are using the right technique? All you have to do is to clean away the plaque within 48 to 72 hours of it getting on your teeth and tartar cannot build up.

If they are talking about four visits a year then you have gum problems and the other thing to look at is factors which can affect gum health e.g. Diabetes, smoking,dry mouth and take steps to control that.

teddysmum

BrassicWoman wrote: »

I asked my dentist to do my hygeine work and bill accordingly. I find hygeinists to be purveyors of pain.

In the practice I use (NHS),the dentist asks if you would like the hygiene work done, when they have finished an examination and this is included in the stage one price.


The dentist I have now is gentle, but the one before her was a horror. He really hurt me (my mouth is rather small as she has commented) while cleaning my teeth, but she said his response to the effect that I should expect pain, was nonsense.


Thank goodness he went back to Poland for a month's holiday and decided to stay and so was replaced by the lady dentist.

moneyistooshorttomention

brook2jack wrote: »

Have you asked the hygienist/dentist to check you are using the right size tepes etc and have they watched you to make sure you are using the right technique? All you have to do is to clean away the plaque within 48 to 72 hours of it getting on your teeth and tartar cannot build up.

If they are talking about four visits a year then you have gum problems and the other thing to look at is factors which can affect gum health e.g. Diabetes, smoking,dry mouth and take steps to control that.

No diabetes - got told pre-diabetes at one point - but dealt with (past history). Am pretty conscious its never been there to my knowledge in my family and am transitioning over from genuinely healthy diet to super-healthy diet.

Smoking - never

Dry mouth - I'm blowed if I can figure it out why or how to get shot of it - but I do have nights where I wake up with a very "dry mouth" recently. Must try harder - and figure out cause and cure of that.:o. Am pretty conscious of making sure I drink enough these days - as I'm assuming it's some sort of dehydration thing that I occasionally get that.

Holds hands up and admits there was a spell of a few years where I was a bit neglectful (ahem...ahem...dont think I went to dentist for a few years - whoops!) - but I got told and I dealt with it and am "trying hard" these days. I know my gums receded a bit a few years back (coincident with that few years of neglect) and hence trying hard - as I'm told I have very good teeth per se and "would be a shame to lose any". I'm trying not to ever lose any at all.

MiserlyMartin

brook2jack wrote: »

Most people should never need a hygienist. Tartar is just plaque that has been undisturbed for 48 hours. In other words effective cleaning stops tartar forming.

Unfortunately only around 20 % of the British population brushes properly, less than half use floss or tepe brushes and of those that do , most are not using them properly.

If you do see a hygienist take your brush, floss, tepe brush etc with you and get them to check you are cleaning properly and effectively. It will save you needing to see them again. A hygienist just gets the tartar off so that you can clean and control your gum problems.

This is all great advice but my NHS dentist is always rushed all the time trying to get the work into the NHS appointment slot. I really don't think they would stop and let me do that kind of thing and show me how to tepe brush. They are always in a rush and they don't usually even want to give me a scale and polish.

brook2jack

There is nothing to stop you booking a hygienist visit as a one off, at your own practice if they have one , or many practices offer hygienist visits without having to be a patient there. Costs will be £30 to £60 but in terms of what a lot of people spend on mouthwashes , toothpastes etc this is a reasonable investment in your dental health.