“Visiting a dental hygienist? No, I don’t need to. My teeth are perfectly all right.”
“Oh gosh! I was going to book an appointment with my oral hygienist this week but didn’t get the time to do so. Ugh, next week, maybe?”
Sounds familiar? Unfortunately, a busy routine always joins the queue of several other excuses when it comes to maintaining our oral health.
How many times should you visit the dental hygienist?
The frequency of dental appointments depends on your dental history and how you take care of your teeth. Even if you maintain an A-1 oral hygiene routine, have relatively lower risks of tartar buildup and gum disease, it is preferable to visit the dentist twice a year.
If you have sensitive teeth, fillings, and a history of oral diseases, you should see your dental hygienist every 3-4 months. However, everything should be decided mainly by your dental professional.
If you have severely damaged teeth, have bridges, crowns, dentures, plenty of implants, and consistent dental problems, seek professional assistance as frequently as every 2-3 months.
If you are a parent, take care of your children’s teeth and take them to the dental expert every 4-6 months. They are most likely to suffer from teeth issues because their brushing practices are not top-notch.
| Untreated, uncrowned teeth, excellent dental health | History of dental problems, gum disease and fillings applied | Alarming dental health, have crowns, bridges, and dentures |
| Every 6 months | Every 3-4 months | Every 2-3 months |
What Is A Dental Hygienist?
Generally, in the United Kingdom, you see one or two people working closely with a dentist. These people are licensed dental care professionals who assist the practising dentist in handling the daily tasks of patients. These folks are usually the first people you see and who see your teeth at the dental office.
A dental hygienist is responsible for the following:
- Cleaning patient’s teeth
- Analysing their dental history and hygiene habits
- Stain removal
- Polishing and scaling
- Helping patients reduce decay and gum diseases
- Sharing tips on how to take better care of your mouth health
- Preparing a patient’s detailed report for the dentist to start the work.
In a nutshell, they provide preventive dental health services. These duties substantially reduce the workload on the shoulders of the dentists and give them more time to complete more advanced tasks.
Why Do I Need to See the Hygienist?
In case you are still unsure, let us shed some light on some significant benefits of taking the services of your dental hygienist:
Find Out Major Problems Ahead of Time
As the saying goes: “Prevention is better than cure.” Even if you are particular about brushing, flossing, and paying attention to all the details, there may still be some areas that need more cleaning. This is because we can’t reach every part of the surface area of our teeth. Visiting a dental expert will help you get a better cleaning experience with highly advanced medical equipment. Plus, they will find out if there are any early signs of gum disease, oral cancer or any infections.
Get Rid of Gum Disease
It is a widely common disease that is caused by plaque and calculus buildup around the teeth. It can lead to issues like tooth loss and bad breath. Your dental specialist will remove this buildup with polishing and scaling.
Dental Awareness
Just because we have been brushing our teeth since we were toddlers; does not mean we are doing it right. Visiting your dental professional will introduce you to the right tricks of brushing and flossing. They will also share tips with you to manage your diet and optimise your cleaning experience.
Sparkling Smile
Who does not love a white, confident smile? Unfortunately, no amount of brushing can remove the yellowish stains when you are a habitual wine, coffee, or tea drinker. You might as well visit the nearest dental care expert to get rid of discoloured teeth and gain your confidence back. Yeah, they own the tools that we don’t.
No More Stinky Breath
Don’t we all fear having a smelly breath? It ruins your entire persona and leaves an unattractive impression on other people. Although this issue is possible to reduce with regular brushing and mouthwash, a visit to a dental professional will entirely eliminate this issue.
Regular Visits Improve Dentist-Patient Relationship
Another wholesome advantage of frequent visits to the oral hygienist is that it will help create a comfortable bond between you and your oral hygienist. Most people visit the hospital when the issue has gone out of hand, and that causes embarrassment. It is better to visit regularly, as it promotes a sense of ease and familiarity of problems between both of you.
Conclusion
Most of us don’t like dentist visits. But look, my friend! We are only given one set of teeth, and we have to live with it for the rest of our lives. Why take it for granted and let them suffer from unbearable or untreatable issues? It is as simple as getting them checked every few months. So, let’s do ourselves a favour and not waste any more time.
6 Important Reasons to Visit a Dental Hygienist ~ Download in PDF
