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What happens at my scale and polish appointment?

At your dental checkup your dentist will have done a basic assessment of the general health of your gums. Depending on how healthy your gums are, your dentist may prescribe a simple routine hygiene appointment or a more in-depth series of appointments to get your gums back to their optimum condition.

What happens at a hygiene appointment?

At your hygiene appointment routine scaling and polishing will be carried out as well practical aspects of how to clean your teeth with the use of floss and interdental brushes.

Once tartar is removed from the tooth surface, the area will be more easy to clean and effective regular twice daily toothbrushing and flossing can resolve any inflammation left behind.

Prevention is key. During your hygiene visits, your dentist, hygienist / therapist will discuss the correct toothbrush you should be using and demonstrate techniques to ensure your regular brushing regieme is effective. It is essential that you clean inbetween the teeth frequently as plaque bacteria can stagnate in these areas causing dental decay or gum problems. Dental floss / dental tape or interdental brushes should be used to ensure in between your teeth stays plaque-free.

Hygiene visits are not just about effective toothbrushing, advice can also be given on dietary habits, smoking and fluoride use.

Special care and maintenance visits

Dentistry is advancing quickly and implants are more routinely placed for many clients, who prefer not to lose a tooth or want to fill a space where a tooth is lost. The maintenace of implants is paramount to their success and longevity, therefore regular visits to you dentist and hygienist are important.

Your dentist/hygienist can also give advice regarding the cleaning and maintenance of
removable appliances, such as dentures or oro-facial prostheses.

Gum disease

Gum disease is caused by plaque which consists of food debris and bacteria which is left behind on our teeth every day. The plaque, if not removed by regular tooth brushing, causes irritation to our gums.

Symptoms of gum disease are:

  • Inflammation / swelling of the gums
  • Bleeding when brushing / eating
  • Bad taste in mouth
  • Bad breath

Gum disease can be avoided by regular flossing after treatment – we can advise you on the best practice to keep your gums in good shape.

Stain removal

Overtime the tooth surface can become stained by food and drinks, such as red wine, black tea and coffee and also cigarettes. The tooth surface can look discoloured, and patient’s can feel embarrassed by their smile.

Staining can be removed easily by professional polishing leaving the mouth fresh and the tooth surface clean and restored to its natural colour.

Ideal Dental Care offer two levels of stain removal. The first is by simple polishing as described above or you can opt for advanced air polishing technology which removes stains from those hard to reach areas such as in between the teeth and within the pits and fissures (crinkles) of the tooth.

Information for Patients

Covid-19 and Dental Services

We are committed to protecting our staff and patients, and continue to maintain our high standards of Infection Control within the practice.

If you have any symptoms of a respiratory infection or feel unwell for any reason, please do inform a member of our team and we can manage your appointment accordingly.

Facemasks are no longer mandatory in communal areas, such as waiting rooms and receptions, but you can opt to wear one if you choose to.

For advice and treatment outside of our normal working hours please phone The Lancashire Dental Helpline on 0300 1234 010.

We have provided some emergency care advice for our patients to help: https://idealdentalcare.co.uk/home/during-covid-19-period-dental-emergency-advice-for-patients/

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