Prevention is better than cure in all walks of medicine and oral hygiene is the front line of defence against plaque, decay and infection regarding your pearly whites. Many people ask what the difference between a dentist and a dental hygienist is and, hopefully, the little introduction here has given you some idea; dentists cover everything, including the messy recover work, whereas dental hygienists work hard to make sure you never require messy recovery work. ‘But surely brushing twice a day takes care of that?’ Perhaps, but perhaps not; there could be a multitude of variable you are ignoring: Do you floss? Are brushing those newly protruding wisdom teeth? Are you teeth just starting to look bad even though you are brushing? If you’ve even hesitated at any of those questions, perhaps consider seeing a hygienist…

The cleaning itself

When you visit one of our hygienists near Foxrock, you will receive a special type of tooth cleaning called ‘scaling and polishing’. Even if you brush thoroughly twice a day for two minutes, there will still be areas that a conventional tooth brush cannot reach. Hygienists, however, are equipped with both the specialist knowledge and equipment to tackle and clean these common problem areas. They will even polish your teeth, thus removing any surface blemishes. Regular appointments are also advised as the trained eye of the hygienist can spot any potential problems that a layman might miss.

A little advice

Knowledge is power (or something like that) and perhaps the greatest gift the hygienist can offer is that of knowledge. They will be delighted to instruct you on the best homecare tooth cleaning products on the market and guide you through the best techniques that can be used to ensure a thorough cleaning. They can also offer dietary advice (as food obviously affects the teeth) as well as other general oral healthcare advice (such as how to give up smoking). You are in charge of your own oral health but, armed with the hygienists help, hopefully you’ll never have to visit us for more than a check-up. Even if all you need is confirmation that you’re doing everything right, a trip to the hygienist can be indispensable.