dental hygiene treatments (scale and polish) at tooth.

What is a Dental Hygiene Treatment (also known as scale and polish):

A Dental Hygiene Treatment is done via a qualified Dental Hygienist - the Hygienist will clean your teeth by using special equipment such as an ultra-sonic scaler, hand-scaler and an air-flow machine (available on our Standard Plus and Deluxe Shine appointments for extra stain removal and a deeper clean). At the end of the session, they will also polish your teeth using a special paste and polishing brush. The Hygienist will remove build up around the teeth and gum lines, this is in the form of plaque (soft build up) and tartar (hard build up). Light everyday staining will be removed - sometimes this may require use of the air-flow machine. At tooth, we are one of the few practices that offers ‘Direct Access Hygiene’, which means that you do not need to book a Dental Check Up or New Patient Exam first - you can come straight for Hygiene (but we do recommend that you should see a Dentist every 6 months).

Most of the build up of plaque or tartar will be around your gumline but when this gets deep under the gumline, this can cause serious issues (periodontitis). This may require what is known as Perio-therapy (also known as Root Surface Debridement), where the Hygienist will go deeper under the gum line to remove build up, and will use local anaesthetic (LA) to numb the area to minimise sensitivity. This is often done over a few Perio-therapy visits. Your Dentist or Hygienist will advise. A Hygienist visit in the UK also must include oral health advice and education and asking about your oral health routine.

Please note - Dental Hygiene and Tooth Whitening are different treatments - in simple terms a Dental Hygiene appointment deals with issues (for example, plaque and tartar) on the outside of the tooth, and whitening changes the shade of the tooth from within. If you would like to find out more about whitening click here.

Top 5 reasons for having a dental hygiene treatment:

  1. To maintain a healthy mouth and gums - known as keeping good oral hygiene. All patients are recommended to see a Dental Hygienist at least once every 6 months (along with a check-up done by a Dentist)

  2. To remove unsightly and unhealthy build up, such as plaque and tartar

  3. To avoid risk of gum disease (periodontitis) - this is often caused by tartar going deep under the gum line which can cause pain, bleeding and soreness of the gums - from inflammation.

  4. To help maintain fresh breath, as bacteria in build up (plaque/tartar) can cause odour in the mouth.

  5. To feel great - there’s no fresher feeling that after a visit to your Dental Hygienist! Your teeth will look and feel fresher and you can smile with confidence.

What types of Dental Hygiene can I get at tooth?

At tooth we do 3 types of dental hygiene:

  • Standard Shine Hygiene

  • Standard Plus Hygiene

  • Deluxe Shine Hygiene

  • We also offer Perio-therapy (root surface debridement) - but this is only available on prescription

How much is dental hygiene at tooth?

Our prices to see one of our amazing Dental Hygienists at tooth are very competitive….

  • Standard Shine Hygiene is £80 (c30mins)

  • Standard Plus Hygiene (includes airflow) is £90 (c30mins)

  • Deluxe Shine Hygiene (includes airflow) is £170 (c60mins)

What should I expect if I am having a Dental Hygiene appointment at tooth in London?

If you’ve booked for a Dental Hygiene appointment at tooth, you can expect to be taken through to the surgery by your Dental Hygienist who will collect you from reception. Our Hygienist team is caring and gentle, and all very well experienced and have your dental health and comfort as a priority. Once seated the hygienist will ask some questions about your oral health routine and look in your mouth. They will do what is known as BPE scoring and a general oral health score for their own reference.

After this, the clean will begin using a combination of all of the methods detailed above. After the clean a polish will be done using a soft brush attached to a dental hand piece and oral health advice and education will be given.

How do I book for a Hygienist Appointment at tooth in London?

Booking to see a Dental Hygienist at tooth is quick and easy and our reception team will help you quickly and efficiently. Just click here or press the book now button below and we will get back to you very quickly. Our target for email responses is around 2 hours or less wherever possible during opening hours.

Alternatively, you can even WhatsApp us or call us on 020 7928 2875 (messages only on WhatsApp- we cannot take WhatsApp audio calls).

Learn more about dental hygiene at tooth in Waterloo, London here.