“I had my teeth checked, so do I really need the hygienist as well?”

We hear this a lot. It’s a reasonable question, because from the patient’s side both appointments involve lying back in the chair while someone looks in your mouth. But the dentist and the hygienist are doing quite different jobs, and skipping one leaves a gap the other doesn’t fill.

What Happens at a Dental Check-up

A check-up is an examination. Your dentist is looking for problems and deciding what, if anything, needs treating.

At a check-up with us, your dentist will:

• Check each tooth for decay, cracks and wear
• Look at existing fillings, crowns and other restorations to make sure they’re still sound
• Check your gums for signs of disease
• Screen the soft tissues of your mouth, tongue and throat for oral cancer
• Take X-rays when needed, to spot decay between teeth and problems below the gum line
• Look at your bite and your jaw joints
• Talk to you about anything they’ve found and plan any treatment

The key word is diagnosis. Your dentist finds the problem, explains it and plans what to do about it.

What Happens at a Hygiene Appointment

A hygiene appointment is treatment and prevention. Your hygienist’s focus is your gums and the build-up that brushing at home can’t shift.

At a hygiene appointment, your hygienist will:

• Remove hardened plaque (tartar or calculus) from your teeth, including just below the gum line
• Measure the small pockets between your gums and teeth to track your gum health over time
• Polish away surface staining from tea, coffee, red wine and smoking
• Show you where you’re missing when you brush
• Find the right size of interdental brush for the gaps between your teeth
• Give advice tailored to you, whether that’s diet, smoking or cleaning around braces, implants or bridges

Once plaque hardens into tartar, a toothbrush won’t remove it. Left alone, it irritates the gums, which is often why gums bleed when you brush. Over time, that inflammation can progress to gum disease, which is one of the main reasons adults lose teeth.

Why You Need Both

Think of it this way. Your dentist spots the problems. Your hygienist works to stop them happening in the first place.

A check-up without hygiene visits means tartar builds up between appointments. Hygiene visits without check-ups mean decay, failing fillings or changes in the soft tissues of your mouth go unnoticed. The two appointments work together, and your dentist and hygienist share notes so your care joins up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a scale and polish the same as a hygiene appointment? A scale and polish is part of it. A hygiene appointment also includes checking your gum health and tailored advice for your home routine.

Does a hygiene appointment hurt? Most people find it comfortable. If your gums are inflamed or you have a lot of tartar, it can feel a little tender. Tell your hygienist if you’re uncomfortable, and they can adjust what they’re doing.

Can I see the hygienist without having a check-up? Direct access allows this, but you still need regular check-ups with a dentist. Your hygienist can’t diagnose decay or carry out fillings.

Why do my teeth feel so smooth after the hygienist? Because the tartar and staining your toothbrush can’t reach has been removed. That smooth feeling is a good benchmark for how clean your teeth should feel.

How long is a hygiene appointment? Hygiene appointments on our Careplan are 30 minutes.

Who Does Each Job at Beeston Dental Practice?

Our dentists carry out examinations, X-rays, diagnosis and treatment such as fillings, crowns and extractions.

We have five dental hygienists: Louise Baguley, Antonia Kemp, Bethany Maynard, Alison Lowe and Laura Adams. Hygienists are registered with the General Dental Council in their own right and are trained specifically in gum care and prevention.

Since 2013, the GDC has allowed patients to see a hygienist without first seeing a dentist. This is called direct access. If you’d like to book a hygiene appointment on its own, ask our reception team how this works at the practice.

How Often Should You Go?

It depends on your mouth, not on a fixed rule. Our blog on how often you should really visit the dentist goes into this in detail.

As a rough guide, most adults with healthy gums see the dentist and the hygienist twice a year. If you’ve had gum disease, smoke, have diabetes or wear braces, your dentist will often recommend hygiene visits every three or four months instead.

What it Costs

Currently, an examination is from £67 and a hygiene appointment is from £89. See our prices page for the full list.

If you’re attending both regularly, our Careplan covers two check-ups a year plus two, three or four hygiene visits depending on your plan, from £29 a month. It also includes routine X-rays and oral cancer screening.

Want More Help With Your Home Routine?

Some patients find a longer, dedicated session helps more than a few minutes of advice at the end of a cleaning. Our oral health education appointments give you time to go through your routine properly.

Book Your Appointment

Call us on 0115 9254 169 or book online. If it’s been a while since you’ve seen either of us, don’t worry. We’ll start from where you are now.