Hygienization

Appointment with Dental Hygienist

A dental hygienist provides treatments whose purpose is the removal of the bacterial plaque, deposit, scale, and discolouration from the teeth. Above all, these treatments are administered inprophylactic therapy against decay, but we also implement them before the orthodontic treatments and, partially, before teeth whitening. In order to stop the proliferation of decay, a visit to the dental hygienist should be paid at least once every six months. At our surgery, we offera cost-effective teeth hygiene package which includes full range of treatments, namely: a professional guide to oral hygiene, scaling, air abrasion, polishing, and fluoridation. The time needed to perform all the procedures is 90 minutes.

What does teeth scaling entail?

When oral hygiene is neglected or lacks regularity, a soft deposit on the teeth mineralizes, hardens, and turns into scale. The scale in turn can only be removed with the help of specialist tools at thedental surgery. Why should the scale be removed regularly? Itshould be sobecause the scale creates a conducive environment for the development of bacteria, which leads to decay problems and periodontium diseases.

Scaling takes care of this problem really well. The vibrating end of the scaler crushes the tartar by means of ultrasounds; the tartar is subsequentlysluiced out with water. Depending on where the scale is settled, we perform supragingival or subgingival scaling. In the case of the former, the scale is being removed from teeth crowns. The latter,on the other hand, also known as curettage, is concerned with theremoval of the scale from gingival pockets, by means of purpose-built tools. During the procedure itself, minor bleeding of gums may occur, and, if need be, we provide our patients with local anesthesia.

Is air abrasion beneficial for the enamel?

Air abrasion excellently cleans discolourings offthe enamel, and it restores its former natural colour. The treatment is performed with the use of a sandblaster, which releases under high pressure a stream of water mixed with specialistic preparation, so-called sand. Although the theory that sandblasting has a negative impact on the teeth is a myth, neverthelessit still can be found in circulation among patients. We would like to clarify that the “sand” used during the treatment is extremely fine and delicate, and there is no need for the patient to be concerned about their enamel.

After air abrasion, we polish the teeth, which allows the porous surface of the enamelto become more smooth. This, in turn, makes deposit settling more difficult which minimizes the risk of decay development.

What are the benefitsof fluoridation?

Strengthening of enamel is also a purpose of dental hygiene procedures. Fluoridationconsists in covering of the teeth with a special gel with a high concentration of fluorine. The procedure causes the enamel to become more resistant to decay, and it is painless and safe.It is applicable in instances of teeth hypersensitivity, xerostomia- a dry mouth condition-, also in orthodontic treatment, when due to the use of the appliance the teeth are more exposed to decay development.

An indispensable element of an appointment is professional instruction explaining how to take care of oral hygiene during which we show the patients how to look after their teeth properly at home and eliminate wrong habits related to hygiene.During the conversation, we also help the patient to choose a toothbrush, toothpaste, and mouth wash which suit their needs. Colourization of the plaque using special preparation is also important as it allows us to show the patient which areas of theirdentition are particularly challenging for them in terms of keeping them clean. This, in turn, allows us to give the best advice on how to properly look after the teeth.