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What to expect from your dental hygienist appointment

According to research, 7 out of 10 people do not visit their dental hygienist regularly. This can be due to a number of factors. Modern life getting busier, fear, procrastination or maybe you’re unsure of why visiting your hygienist would have any benefit. Why go to them, when you’ve seen your dentist?

Avoiding appointments with a hygienist can have drastic effects on your teeth.


  • Tooth Decay: As sugar eats away at the enamel in your teeth, they become weaker. This can lead to teeth breaking and you needing fillings.
  • If oral problems escalate then this could result in you losing a tooth. Very often, these problems start off quite small and can be dealt with quickly. But due to not seeing your dental hygienist, they have grown into something unavoidable.
  • Gum disease: Many people forget that it isn’t just our teeth that you need to look after. If tartar from your teeth stay on your gums and are not removed during cleaning, this can leave your gums red, swollen and bleeding. Gum disease can become very serious and it has been linked to diabetes and heart disease.


Regular brushing and flossing can do wonders for your oral health. At Down House Dental Practice, Steyning, our dental hygienist is there to get to the spots you may have missed or find difficult to brush. They are trained in ‘preventative’ dental care; the things we need to do to prevent problems. This includes professionally cleaning our teeth, advising you on which foods and drinks to avoid, protecting the health of your teeth and can even offer advise on how to quit smoking. Many people just think of smoking as damaging your lungs, but smoking can have detrimental effects on your teeth. Staining, gum disease and tooth loss can all be avoided by stopping or seriously cutting down on smoking.


Once you’ve arrived at your appointment with your dental hygienist, if this is your first appointment then they will usually go through your medical history with you. Also, it’s important to disclose any medication you’re on. The dental hygienist will ask you how often you brush your teeth and at what times. They will also ask about your diet. It is so important to be honest as the dental hygienist can inform you of the best diet for your teeth’s health.


They will then perform a full examination of your teeth and gums. This is to check how much tartar and plaque is present and to check the health of your enamel. Also, the dental hygienist may measure the gaps in your teeth. Larger gaps can trap food, making it difficult to remove during brushing and damage your teeth. Following the examination, a full scale will be thoroughly administered. This is when all of the plaque and tartar is removed from your mouth. Think of it like a deep clean to remove harmful bacteria. Your teeth are then polished, which makes plaque easier to remove when brushing and helps keep them stain-free for longer.


Visiting the dental hygienist may seem unnecessary, but the problems they prevent can become very serious. It is recommended that you see your dental hygienist twice a year. This is to ensure you that your teeth are in great health and if not, your dental hygienist will have found the problem early enough to stop escalation.


To book an appointment with our dental hygienist at Down House Dental Practice, Steyning, give us a call on 01903 813212 or email

Book today call 01903 813212 or online