Cleaning Polishing

There are a number of reasons why your teeth may become stained. Lifestyle habits such as smoking and drinking tea, coffee and red wine will lead to staining, as well as inadequate brushing. It can also be caused by some mouthwashes that create a coating on your teeth, allowing the things you eat and drink to then stick to this layer. This is typically caused by Chlorhexidine based mouthwashes and has a distinct appearance. Whilst this can easily be removed by our Advanced Clean, we will inform you on how to minimise the stains that build up as a result of this and other factors that may be affecting you.

Brushing and flossing regularly is great and will help minimise the amount of calculus that builds up on your teeth, but unfortunately is not enough to prevent it completely.

No, hygiene treatment will not whiten your teeth. It will remove the yellow/brown calculus that builds up on the teeth as well as stains that develop on the surface, restoring the natural white of your smile. Speak to us about professional tooth whitening or click here to find out more.

During a hygiene appointment, we are focused on targeting the calculus build-up and stains to improve and maintain the health of your gums. A full dental examination involves careful analysis of your soft tissues and each tooth assessment of x-ray images, an in-depth discussion on what we find, your treatment options, and how to improve your dental health. We aren’t able to do all this whilst cleaning your teeth so we recommend booking a dental examination alongside your hygiene appointment, so you aren’t left guessing if there are any other underlying problems.

The rate of calculus build-up differs between all individuals. It can depend on your genetics, i.e., how prone you are to the build-up or to gum disease, how many dental restorations you have and how easy it is to clean around them, as well as your tooth brushing technique. People with particularly crowded teeth or with fixed wire retainers may find it harder to manoeuvre around all the surfaces and require more frequent visits to help remove the tartar. We will assess all these factors and more; determine the best frequency for each individual to maintain gum health.

Aside from bleeding gums and bad breath, gum disease is linked to serious health conditions. People who have gum disease have higher rates of cardiovascular problems such as heart attack or stroke. There is an increased risk of bacterial infection from your mouth entering the bloodstream, which can affect the heart valves. Oral health may be particularly important if you have artificial heart valves. Speak to us about all aspects of your medical history, and if you have concerns you may be at higher risk of this.