Dental hygiene in Shepherds Bush
Preserve & restore your oral health with dental hygiene
- Maintain a healthy mouth and smile
- Dedicated team with outstanding patient-focused care
- Advice and tips for ongoing dental hygiene maintenance
- Pain-free care with Airflow polishing
Keep your smile healthy with regular hygiene visits
Keep your smile healthy with regular hygiene visitsMaintaining a bright, healthy smile is about more than just brushing at home. At our practice, we provide professional dental hygiene services designed to keep your teeth sparkling and your gums in peak condition. Whether you are a local resident or a busy professional, accessing high-quality care for your teeth has never been easier.
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What happens during a hygiene appointment?
Even with a diligent brushing and flossing routine, plaque and tartar can build up in hard-to-reach areas. Regular visits for dental hygiene in Shepherds Bush are the best way to remove these deposits and prevent long-term issues. We recommend a professional clean every six months to ensure your oral health stays on track and your smile remains vibrant.
During your visit, our skilled hygienists focus on removing stubborn buildup and stains that regular brushing simply can’t shift. We believe in providing a comfortable, personalised experience. Our hygienists will use a mix of techniques and bespoke to your needs, curated by your dentist or hygienist. Please discuss your ideal outcome with us, and will recommend the appropriate treatment. Airflow polishing is available if requested or required.
- Traditional scale and polish: A thorough, deep clean using specialised tools to remove tartar (calculus) from the gum line, followed by a buffing polish.
- Airflow polishing: A modern, gentle alternative that uses a controlled stream of air, warm water, and fine powder. Airflow is incredibly effective at removing tea, coffee, and tobacco stains, even in the tightest gaps between your teeth. The procedure is completely pain-free and is particularly beneficial for nervous patients or those with sensitive teeth. It is quick and straightforward, leaving you with a brighter, healthier-looking smile in just one visit!
The benefits of seeing a dental hygienist
A hygiene appointment is an investment in your overall well-being. By prioritising dental hygiene, you can enjoy:
- Fresher breath: Removing bacteria that cause unpleasant odours.
- A brighter smile: Lifting surface stains for a naturally whiter look.
- Early detection: Identifying potential issues like decay or erosion before they require complex treatment.
- Tailored advice: Tips on the best brushes, flosses, and techniques for your specific needs.
Gum disease prevention & treatment
The health of your gums is essential to your smile. Gum disease is the most common cause for tooth loss, so it’s incredibly important to keep your mouth bacteria-free.
You can combat gum disease through regular brushing and interdental cleaning, which keeps your teeth clear of troublesome plaque and tartar deposits. However, there are some areas that regular cleaning can’t reach. A hygienist can thoroughly clean the whole mouth, keeping your teeth clear of bacteria and so maintaining your healthy gums.
The primary goal of a scale and polish is to protect your foundations. Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults, but it is often preventable. Our hygienists are experts in spotting the early signs of gingivitis (red, bleeding gums) and providing the deep cleaning necessary to stop it from progressing into more serious periodontal disease. Healthy gums mean a more confident you!
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Your hard work at home is mostly responsible for maintaining your oral health. However, regular visits to the dentist on top of seeing the hygienist will make sure that your mouth is problem-free. Your dentist and hygienist can track and access problems before they have a chance to cause any lasting damage to your smile.
Ready to give your smile the professional care it deserves? We are here to help you achieve a cleaner, fresher mouth in a relaxed and friendly environment.
Finance options
Spread the cost of your dental hygiene treatment with a payment plan, arranged with our finance provider Tabeo. There is a handy finance calculator below to find out what your monthly payments for treatment could be, subject to suitability (minimum spend applies).
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FAQs
Sugary foods in our diets lead to plaque build-up on our teeth. These areas of plaque and tartar are ideal environments for bacteria. Where bacteria are present on the enamel, the surrounding gum tissue reacts and becomes inflamed. This stage is called gingivitis and is treatable through cleaning away the plaque, and so removing the bacteria.
Gum disease is an issue because the symptoms are easy to miss, and if it is left untreated, it progresses to a more destructive condition – periodontitis. Unlike the first stage of gum disease, periodontitis isn’t curable. However, it can be managed through regular appointments with a hygienist or a periodontist.
With gum disease, prevention is the best cure. While the symptoms are hard to spot, your hygienist will be able to chart any signs of the disease and set out a treatment plan depending on the severity of the condition.
Most of your hygiene appointment is taken up with a thorough clean, called a ‘scale & polish’. This uses a focused jet of water to loosen stubborn tartar deposits. Using special tools, your hygienist will scale away the tartar, leaving the enamel free. Using a fine, gritty paste, we will then polish off the teeth, leaving them feeling smooth and silky.
We will also provide help and advice on how best to keep your teeth clear of bacteria, including showing you the best flossing and interdental cleaning techniques.
If you have a more advanced condition of gum disease, we can provide full periodontal maintenance, which involves a much deeper clean. Your hygienist will be best placed to advise on your treatment plan.
For most patients, we recommend a professional dental clean every six months to keep plaque and tartar under control. However, this isn't a "one size fits all" rule; if you have a history of gum disease, wear orthodontic braces, or have certain medical conditions, we might suggest visiting us every three to four months. Regular visits allow us to catch small issues before they become painful or expensive problems, ensuring your smile stays healthy and bright year-round.
Modern dental hygiene is designed to be as comfortable and stress-free as possible. While you might feel some slight tugging or vibrations during a scale and polish, it should not be painful. If you have particularly sensitive teeth or haven't had a cleaning in a long time, you may experience some mild tenderness, but our team is very gentle. We also offer Airflow technology, which is a fantastic, non-contact option for those with sensitivity, as it uses a soft spray of water and powder to clean your teeth without any scraping.
Yes, dental hygienists are specifically trained experts in the prevention and treatment of gum disease. During your appointment, they perform deep cleaning treatments to remove the bacterial colonies (plaque and tartar) that irritate the gums and cause inflammation. By cleaning beneath the gum line and smoothing the root surfaces of the teeth, the hygienist helps your gum tissue heal and reattach firmly to the teeth. They will also provide you with a personalised home-care plan to stop gum disease from returning.
A standard hygiene appointment usually takes between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on your specific needs. This timeframe allows your hygienist to perform a thorough assessment of your gum health, carry out a meticulous scale and polish or Airflow treatment, and discuss any tips for improving your brushing and flossing at home. If it has been a long time since your last visit or if you require more intensive treatment for gum disease, we may occasionally recommend a slightly longer session or a follow-up appointment to ensure we achieve the best possible result.
