Regular Dental Check-ups & Dental Hygiene

Visiting the dentist twice a year can lower your chance of tooth decay by 60%. Regular dental check-ups are important to keep your teeth healthy, to catch any dental issues in their early stage, to treat it and stop these from getting worse.

Stay on top of your oral health with regular dental check-ups and hygiene

A dental exam, also known as a check-up, routine dental check-up (for existing patients) or new patient dental exam (for new patients), is an appointment where one of our dentists assesses the health of your teeth, gums, soft tissue and mouth. This includes examining your teeth for signs of decay, evaluating the health of your gums, discussing your overall oral health and devising a treatment plan. Examining the interrelated components of the mouth, we can establish your oral wellness and track it over time. The health of your teeth and gums depends on a healthy bite and a mouth free of infection.

What is a dental exam?

A hygiene treatment also known as scale and polish is a dental procedure through which hard plaque (or tartar) and soft plaque is removed from your teeth, two of the biggest causes for gum disease, and at the same time provide you with tips on how to maintain good oral hygiene, in order to maintain your health and smile for years to come.

What is dental hygiene?

At Ivy Dentistry Aesthetics a dental hygiene treatment is concerned with cleaning the visible part of the teeth (i.e., the crowns of your teeth) and comprises of two stages:

First part (stage) consists of removing the hard build up/plaque of the teeth with an ultrasound scaler device

Second part (stage) consists in performing an Air Powered Tooth Polishing procedure or simply called an Airflow procedure (this is a device that sprays air, water and a special powder at the teeth, very efficient in tea and or coffee stains removal, as well as soft plaque removal)

What does a dental hygiene treatment consists of?

What are the benefits of a dental hygiene treatment?

The main benefits of regular hygiene treatments are:

Removes the hard build up/plaque, soft plaque and stains.

Leaves teeth cleaner and brings back the natural aesthetics of your teeth.

Maintains the health of your gums and or makes your gums healthier.

Prevents gum disease.

Prevents tooth loss.

Who performs the dental hygiene treatment and how long does it take?

At Ivy Dentistry Aesthetics the hygiene treatments are and will always be performed by our experienced dentists. We believe that in order to offer best dental care to our patients we have to use our best resources. We will take our time to fully and comprehensively perform the hygiene treatment on both arches, no matter the build up and irrespective of the time needed for the procedure. Our hygiene treatments are usually coupled with the new patient examinations (or routine check-ups if you are an exiting patient) and are expected to take approximately 1h (plus or minus depending on the build-up), saving you the hassle of two separate dental appointments.

What to consider when choosing a dental practice for a hygiene treatment?

When choosing a dental practice for a hygiene treatment, you should always factor in the cost, the quality, and the equipment/ materials involved in providing the hygiene treatment.

Cost - with us there are no hidden fees or extra charges for a hygiene treatment; our prices are transparent and will always remain as such, no add-ons, no starting from prices for hygiene; we will take our time to fully and comprehensively perform the hygiene treatment no matter the build up and irrespective of the time needed for the procedure.

Quality - we are committed to providing the best hygiene treatments with the latest technology on the market, and this is why we have chosen to perform the hygiene with our experienced dentists and not with hygienists; you will be greeted by a dental team consisting of a dentist and a dental nurse who will dedicate their whole attention to provide you the best dental hygiene treatment; we offer just one type of hygiene, i.e. ultrasound scale and polish with Airflow, the most comprehensive version of hygiene treatment you will ever find; no starting from prices, no hidden add-ons, no time limited hygiene appointments, just one simple most comprehensive version of hygiene treatment at an affordable price.

Equipment - we use the latest hygiene equipment for best results and best experience for our patients: Dentsply Sirona Sirosonic L scaler for the first stage of the hygiene treatment, and NSK Prophy Mate Neo for the second stage of the hygiene treatment.

Dental Hygiene FAQs

  • Depending on your oral health you will be advised on how often you should undergo a dental hygiene when initially seen by one of our dentists. Six-monthly routine check-ups and dental hygiene are advised to keep your teeth and gums healthy, to prevent decay and gum disease.

  • Six-monthly dental hygiene treatments are advised to keep your teeth and gums healthy, to prevent decay and gum disease and brighter smile.

    Professional hygiene treatments complemented by a good routine at home (by thorough regular daily brushing and flossing, including water flossing if necessary) helps maintaining your oral health and a brighter smile.

  • In most cases, a dental hygiene treatment is a pain-free experience. However, in case you experience any discomfort, the dentist can use anaesthetics creams or provide local anaesthetic to ese the pain.

  • Bacteria in plaque and tartar harm your teeth and gums. They cause irritation, leading to bleeding, swelling, pain and soreness. If not treated, the bone in your jaw can be damaged, causing teeth to become loose and eventually fall out. Gum disease has also been linked to other heart problems, lung infections, and pregnancy issues.

  • Dental hygiene and deep cleaning are two procedures that are concerned with cleaning the teeth, however with regard different parts of such.

    Whereas the dental hygiene is concerned with cleaning the visible parts of the teeth (i.e., the crowns), the deep cleaning procedure is a different treatment (usually done in addition to the hygiene treatment for patients with gum disease/ periodontal pockets) and is concerned with cleaning the roots of the teeth (i.e., the invisible part of the teeth, usually covered by the gums).

    Same as with the hygiene treatments, deep cleaning is a treatment that, together with a very good oral hygiene at home, needs to be performed on a regular basis in order to stop the gum disease from advancing.

    Deep cleaning or periodontal scaling is a treatment performed under local anaesthesia and only for patients with gum disease and or periodontal pockets.

  • Yes! Children can benefit from having their teeth cleaned and polished, and can also receive fluoride varnishes to help prevent decay. The sooner someone starts investing in their dental hygiene, the more effective it can be.

    Children will benefit from children prices as long as they still have their deciduous dentition (usually until 14 years of age). Thereafter, they will be classed as adults and no longer benefit from children treatment prices.

  • Always brush twice a day for at least two minutes and use floss, inter-dental brushes and or water flosser to clean in between too. Our dentists will also provide tailored advice so make sure to follow this at home. Daily diet has a big role to play too so try to minimise the sugar in your food and drinks.

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