What is a Hygienist appointment like?

First, the Hygienist will give you a thorough examination to check the state of health of your gums.
They will give you the necessary course of treatment and advice to help you return your gums to health, and stabilize the gum problem, to prevent re-occurrence by placing you on a maintenance program.
This will vary from 3,4 or 6 monthly visits to the Hygienist depending on individual needs.
The Hygienist will be removing Plaque (a sticky film of bacteria-the cause of gum disease), Tartar (calcified plaque), and stains.
The Hygienist will inform you as to how many visits she will need to remove all the deposits present. This will vary depending on the clinical situation, and individual needs.
Once all the deposits have been removed, the Hygienist will place you on a preventative maintenance programme of 3, 4, 6 months, depending on individual needs again.
During your course of treatment the Hygienist will also be giving you Dental Health Education - showing you and advising you as to what products you need to use at home to keep the plaque levels to a minimum, maintaining your professional cleaning.
By keeping up with your personal and professional cleaning routine you will be able to stabilize any gum problems, and prevent re-occurrence.