Dental hygiene refers to professional dental cleaning and tartar removal, which are either performed by a dental hygienist or a prophylaxis assistant. This contributes to keeping the mouth healthy.
Despite rigorous dental care, many patients are unable to reach all the interdental spaces and niches in the mouth to thoroughly remove the bacterial coating known as plaque. This plaque leads to damage to the teeth (caries), inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) and at worst to bone breakdown (periodontitis).
Therefore, it makes sense to have regular dental hygiene checks.
Dental hygiene involves first and foremost professional tooth cleaning, during which the plaque, discolouration and tartar are thoroughly removed. The dental hygienist provides information about oral hygiene as well as guidance for optimal dental and oral hygiene at home. This also includes personal consultation regarding which dental care products are most suitable for the patient.
Caries prophylaxis through fluoridation of the teeth is also part of dental hygiene, as is treatment for over-sensitivity of the tooth neck. “Bleaching” is a further service offered as part of dental hygiene. This is a cosmetic procedure for gentle whitening of the natural teeth.
