Dental Hygienist

Over time, plaque build-up on your teeth can cause gum disease. Sometimes, no matter how hard you clean, plaque and bacteria accumulate and become a tough deposit that you cannot clean by brushing.

Visiting a dental hygienist for regular dental cleaning will help keep your smile bright and healthy. Our registered dental hygienist will gently clean your teeth to keep your teeth, mouth and gums healthy and limit the chance of future dental problems.

We offer easy interest free payment plans through Afterpay, Q Card and Zip Pay so you can take care of your smile today and pay later.

Call us on 03 366 7429 or come and see our friendly staff at 58 Wordsworth Street, Sydenham, Christchurch.

Our Registered Dental Hygienist will evaluate, scale and polish, and apply sealants or fluoride to your teeth. Dental cleaning not only keeps your smile bright, it helps stop oral disease. We recommend seeing your oral hygienist every six months.

What is the Role of the Dental Hygienist within the Practice?

Our Registered Dental Hygienist is a specially trained member of our team. By working together with your dentist, it is our aim to provide you with treatment which prevents oral disease and maintains your optimum oral health.

Dental hygienists perform four main roles:

Evaluation and assessment of your periodontal (gum) tissue. Recording changes in the hard and soft tissues of the mouth. This may include the taking of additional x-rays, where necessary.

Scaling and polishing of teeth. This involves meticulous removal of plaque and calculus (tartar) from above and below the gum-line. This is a crucial stage in the returning of the teeth and gums, and it is important that any deposits below the gum-line be removed thoroughly. Hygienists are specially trained to do this.

Evaluation and education in oral hygiene techniques on an individual basis. This will include care for your gums and teeth and the role of bacteria/plaque in dental diseases. Most people are aware of the need for regular brushing and flossing. Your hygienist can explain the importance of your role in maintaining after-treatment gum health.

Applying preventative agents like fluoride and fissure sealants to teeth.

Why is Home Dental Care Important?

Tooth decay and gum disease can be prevented!

Good home plaque control that uses effective techniques to remove plaque on a daily basis, combined with a reduction in sugar intake, will prevent gum disease and tooth decay. While some people think bad teeth and tooth extractions are a fact of life and age, this is not true. Teeth may be preserved and kept healthy well into your senor years with appropriate dental health care and dental hygiene.

Brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing once a day are vitally important basic home dental care and healthy habits everyone can and should have. We also stock Piksters which can help you clean in between your teeth.

Why can’t my Dentist do this?

A dental hygienist is specially trained to provide the necessary attention to detail, on an individual basis. While your dentist can do this, our hygienist trains specifically on teeth cleaning and hygiene, and will be able to spend more time with you than the dentist.

Is there any Discomfort?

Dental cleans can be uncomfortable but we try to make the process as pain free as possible. Our hygienist will check with you regularly to ensure you are not in pain, but if you are uncomfortable please do tell us straight away.

Is it Expensive?

Any preventive care will ultimately lead to savings. Depending on the type of treatment carried out and length of appointment, costs may vary. Some patients need more than one visit initially. At Sydenham Dental Centre we are always happy to provide you with an estimate of treatment costs prior to any bookings.

Gum Health Plan for Disease Care

The health of your gums is a vital part of the overall health of your teeth, sometimes your teeth may become infected with a common gum disease called Periodontitis. Periodontitis can be a serious threat to the wellbeing of your dental hygiene and can lead to loss of teeth, swollen and inflamed gums, discoloured teeth, bad breath and loss of jawbone mass. Periodontitis destroys the tooth ligaments that hold your teeth in place and is a condition that should be treated as soon as possible as damage may be irreversible. Our dental hygienist will identify this disease so that it can be treated early before any lasting damage occurs.

We offer a Gum Health Plan to help treat this disease, and restore your teeth to their optimum health.

How do I make an Appointment?

To book your appointment with our dental hygienist call us on 03 366 7429 or make a booking online.