The dental hygienist is a specially trained member of the dental team. The hygienist plays an important role in the dental health of our patients, treating dental gum disease. Our hygienist has two main roles: scaling and polishing your teeth and teaching our patients about the importance of oral hygiene.

Good home care is important if gum disease and tooth decay are not to progress to more serious problems. A clean and healthy mouth will help to improve your appearance and self confidence, it will also give you fresh breath making you nice to be near.

It may surprise you to know that 77% of adults between 16-24 and 87% of adults over 55 have some degree of gum disease. Sometimes there are no symptoms until it is too late and it’s never too early to start fighting back.

What is plaque and were does it come from? Plaque is the name given to film of bacteria, which is constantly forming on all teeth. Plaque causes tooth decay and periodontal disease (gum disease). Everyone's saliva contains millions of bacteria. These bacteria stick to the surface of our teeth and quickly multiply to form layers of plaque.

Plaque is soft, colourless substance, which is difficult to see until the coating is quite thick. It collects on the surface of teeth mainly next to the gums and between the teeth.

Fig 1: Plaque	Fig 2: Tartar

Can you prevent plaque from forming?

Not entirely. However, careful tooth cleaning everyday will remove the plaque before it builds up to sufficient amounts to damage your teeth or gums. The plaque can be removed from the fronts and backs of your teeth with a toothbrush but special devices, such as dental floss, dental tape, and Tepe brushes are necessary to clean between your teeth where toothbrush bristles don’t reach.

Tartar (calculus) is not the same as plaque. Tartar is formed when substances in the saliva, such as calcium, combine with plaque making it hard. This happens commonly behind the lower front teeth. Once tartar has formed, it will have to be removed by a dentist or dental hygienist.