I’m a dental hygienist... go on then ask away..

[Heatherjayne1972]

Been a hygienist over 20 years
In lots of different practices

I had a baby 3 months ago and as with my previous pregnancies my gums bled when I was pregnant. They bleed a little now when I floss but seems to be less. Should I get them checked or is it just the bfeeding/pg hormones still do you think?

My hygienist is lovely. She knows I'm a big baby when it comes to the dentist and she always puts numbing gel on my gums and doesn't use that high speed water drill. She just picks away with a little hook thingy and i feel no pain.

lostteddy not trying to be funny at all.

I LOVE going to the hygienist, better than the hairdresser, love love love it, I come out feeling scraped to super cleanliness.

My son is seven and very keen to have it done too! I did ask but the hygienist said no. Why not, and what age can he start having it done?

What training do you do to become a hygienist? Could you become a dentist?

Are dentists generally nice people or total weirdos, in your experience?

Are mouthwashes a waste of money?

I use a sonic toothbrush and floss every night, but still get tartar build up behind my lower front teeth. What am I doing wrong?

My dentist has talked me into using inter-dental brushes daily (except I give myself Friday off!) so I'm hoping she'll see an improvement in a few months' time. I was surprised to find I can get them in the gaps, I thought my teeth were really close, but apparently the trick is to aim them really close to the gumline rather than halfway up the teeth. Dentist worked out what size of brush I'd need, so I didn't buy something too big.

@cheesymonster
Could be you brushing technique needs adjusting
@morriszapp
It’s a three year degree course Yes I could become a dentist if I was prepared to go back to uni - it’s not like an apprentice thing tho
Most dentists are conscientious hard working people who want to do the best for their patients

@ keyboardkate
The recent reports about floss being pointless is based on a flawed study which suggested floss doesn’t change the incidence of decay in between teeth however we don’t only floss for that we floss to get rid of bacteria and food deposits
The gdc ( our governing body) still stress that cleaning in between the teeth with something is essential

I am a dental phobic and recently had to have quite a lot of treatment: wisdom tooth extractions and debridement for peridontal disease. The dentists and hygienists were all very kind, I really am a nightmare patient as I tremble and cry a lot. Thankfully the treatment worked and I just have maintenance now. My question: Do you secretly judge scared patients?

No. It would be unprofessional to judge you for being scared
My goal is to build your confidence in me/us so you’ll feel better in the future- you might never ‘like’ it but if you can let us do what we need to with the least possible trauma/ drama for you then that’s a win

I do need to keep going back if I want to keep my teeth - do you have any tips for phobics or know anything that has worked for other patients?

Build a good relationship with dentist/ hygienist.
If you can trust us to stop if you need to. Explain what and why we are doing it ( or not) feeling listened to and valued as a customer and if you can feel a little more in control that often helps
In the short term bringing someone with you into the surgery or even taking diazepam beforehand might help
It’s a very common phobia after all you’re in a vulnerable position laying down with a stranger in your mouth!

Which toothbrush is better Oral b or a sonic?

How can I floss with a fixed retainer in the way (fixed on the back of my teeth?) I occasionally try and scrape away the deposits under it...

What can be done about tonsil stones?

@catcrazy
Oral-b. No question. The studies show that it removes more plaque than any other electric brush
@ofitok
Tonsil stones are when bits of bacteria and food debris collect in the creates of the tonsils I believe taking tonsils out is the only cure
You’d have to check with a medical doctor for a better answer
Tongue brushing may help reduce oral bacteria levels tho
You can’t floss with a fixed retainer you’d need to use a bottle brush instead

@wings13
Yes get your gums looked at. Could be simple pregnancy gingivitis or something more complicated
If you’re nhs it’s free until baby is 1

If a patient comes in with mild to moderate gum disease. What are the chances of them keeping their teeth or is it pretty much gaurenteed they will lose all their teeth.

Also, what’s the best solution in regards to tooth loss due to gum disease

Actually, one more question. Is a clean by the dentist the same as a root and scale(is that what it’s called) by a periodontist

Who cleans your own teeth? Other hygienists or do you do them yourself?

Do hygienists and dentists date other dentists and hygienists most commonly?

Does your back hurt?

Do you have any fillings?

Has any patient ever asked you out?

I've a crown on one of my front teeth. I'm scared the treatment will loosen it. Will it?

Also,last time I paid extra for a more intense clean. It was done with a treatment alot coarser - something granular I think and I came out feeling I'd had an exfoliating treatment on half my face!

What was that?

Great thread btw

@coughy
We do each other’s hygiene treatment
No not necessarily I’m sure there are dentists married to hygienists

but none I can think of
I have been asked out by a patient but would be highly unprofessional to say yes. In fact if one went down that road one could end up in huge trouble and potentially get struck off. And I’ve never met a dentist I fancy
Yes we suffer with a lot of back neck and shoulder pain

@antiBi
Initially deep cleaning may feel like the tooth is looser. But it should tighten up. Shouldn’t affect the actual crown tho - unless it was loose already
Sounds like you had a treatment with an airflow. Fine powder and water gets squired into you gums - and everywhere else by the sound of it

@crazydil
I never guarantee anything. As I said already the people who are most likely to keep their teeth are the ones who get super fussy with cleaning. Ie bottle brushing/ floss water pik electric brushing etc The ones who can’t be bothered/ don’t want to etc will probably loose more teeth
The cleaner the better

Dentists train for 5-6 years including a year of supervised treatment
In that time they do around 6 weeks of hygiene
When I trained I did a solid year of only hygiene So although a dentist can do a scale and polish it’s probably not going to be any thing more than a quick once round
Whilst we are much more thorough
A periodontist on the other hand is a gum specialist who only does gum treatments - they can do all sorts of surgical ‘things’ which you wouldn’t do in a general practice

My DM is a hygienist and her opinions on everything match yours, expect for mouthwash! She's never told me it's shit the oral b over sonic and must floss in particular haha. I had to get a filling aged 23 and it was the worst thing ever having to admit it to Ma. Luckily she didn't scold me what with being an adult now

Is it true that a lot of dentists drink a lot? I heard this on here in an old thread.. i know you dont know every single dentist on the planey but have you encountered or heard of this?

Why do you think some people dont floss?

How many times a day do you floss?

Do you have perfect teeth?