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Original poster

Hygienist for a "deep clean"?

44 replies

Spb123 · 19/04/2021 10:36

Just got back from the dentist. My teeth are in pretty good condition overall, but the dentist said I should book in with the hygienist for a "deep clean" as they are getting a bit stained from all the coffee I drink
The thing is, I remember them cleaning (scaling?) my teeth at previous appointments included within the Band 1 charge. I understand they don't do that at the moment due to covid and the vapour it generates. But it's ok for the hygienist to do it? I feel a bit like they're trying to rip me off, charging me nearly £70 for the hygienist to do something that the dentist usually would. But then, I suppose there must be a point to seeing the hygienist else they wouldn't exist Hmm

So how is it different to what the dentists used to do? Not sure whether to bother booking or not. Can anyone enlighten me regarding hygienists please?

OP posts:
PoptartPoptart · 19/04/2021 10:49

I don’t think dentists do any sort of cleaning anymore- it’s only the hygienist that does it at my surgery and has been for a long time.
£70 seems excessive though, unless that’s for more than one appointment and your teeth are in a really bad state.
I pay £50 (London area) for a 30 minute appointment at a private dental clinic and I thought that was enough.

ineedaholidayandwine · 19/04/2021 10:57

My dentist has been telling me to do this for past 3 visits and i haven't, my husband and friend use the same surgery but a different dentist and they do a scale and polish as part of the check up, every time, so i'm not paying for the hygienist, i'm switching to another dentist instead.

Original poster
Spb123 · 19/04/2021 11:06

£70 seems excessive though, unless that’s for more than one appointment and your teeth are in a really bad state.
Nope, that's their flat rate for seeing the hygienist! Well £68. something but yes, does seem excessive.

My dentist has been telling me to do this for past 3 visits and i haven't, my husband and friend use the same surgery but a different dentist and they do a scale and polish as part of the check up, every time, so i'm not paying for the hygienist, i'm switching to another dentist instead.
I think it's really poor that there's such inconsistency considering it's an NHS service. Switching to another dentist seems a good idea. I now feel like if I don't see the hygienist then I'll get told off next time I see the dentist!

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LondonStone · 19/04/2021 11:39

I’m 31 and have never had a dentist clean my teeth in my life, I didn’t even know it was a thing until I saw people mentioning it on Mumsnet! I have a medical gum issue and have always known dentist for check up and teeth and hygienist for gums and cleaning.

I do think £68 is a lot though. Even in London I paid £50 for half an hour and now pay £45 in the north east. Some hygienists are working right now. I saw my old London one in July last year and I’ve been twice more in my new town (December and last week).

They are definitely worth it imo. I’m not sure what a dentist would do because I’ve never had it done by a dentist but my hygienist is amazing. She just gets right in there with high pressure water and removes anything you might have missed and then at the end you get a nice little polish.

blobby10 · 19/04/2021 13:05

My OH is a dentist and now doesn't even do a basic scale treatment due to all the mask and ventilation Roolz after Covid. I'm seeing the hygienist next month and it will be £72 for a 30 minute session (cos my teeth are really stained and have too much plaque) 20 minutes is £55 I think. They have had to increase their prices as they can't see as many patients an hour as they used to be able to as they have to leave the surgery empty for a certain number of minutes in between aerosol procedures. Also the extra (and considerable) costs of PPE (changed or at least disinfected for every patient) including FFP3 face masks (which look horrendous to actually wear) have to be accounted for somewhere. Why should dentist/hygienist foot the full cost?

DancingQueen85 · 19/04/2021 13:23

I've always seen the hygienist. They do a completely different job to a dentist and completely worth the money in my opinion. I've never had a dentist clean my teeth in anyway. Usually I pay £50 but it has gone up to £70 since Covid, something to do with needing to deep clean between patients.

Original poster
Spb123 · 19/04/2021 14:41

I think the issue for me is that the NHS banding states scale and polish as being covered by band 1 treatment. If that's no longer the case then it needs to be removed from the list of what's included.

OP posts:
FindingMeno · 19/04/2021 14:49

I barely have 2 minutes spent on a check up at the NHS dentists, so I do a maintenance plan with a private dentist and see the hygienist twice a year.
The goal is prevention, and since NHS dentistry is becoming harder and harder to access, I think its money well spent.
I also think at a private dental surgery, more is spent on top of the range equipment.

sashh · 19/04/2021 15:01

A basic scale and polish is included in the NHS check up.

The 'deep clean' is worth every penny, my dentist did a fab job. I think it was £65, a clean with the hygienist is £40.

I'm on 3 monthly check ups (or I was pre covid) with the basic S and P because I drink red wine and black coffee and when my mental health dives brushing my teeth is the the first thing to go.

Habbyhadno · 19/04/2021 15:07

I've had a deep clean once before and was scarred for life,I cried in the car park after. Save yourself the bother and don't do itGrinI had to pay £60 for it to add insult to injury.

PerseverancePays · 19/04/2021 15:19

If your dentist recommended a deep clean, it’s probably because he can see that plaque is building up in the ‘gum pockets’ around your teeth. This will lead to infection and the pockets getting bigger so they recede around your teeth. The deep clean is the best thing to keep this infection at bay. A quick scale and polish is nothing compared to a proper clean by a qualified hygienist.
It also can be quite painful/uncomfortable as was Habbyhadno’s experience, but it’s worth it in the long run. You can ask for numbing injection if it’s very painful.
More teeth are lost to gum disease then cavities.
If you are still using a manual brush, do yourself a favour and get an electric one!
Hygienists deserve a medal for standing there all day scraping gunk out of people’s gums to preserve their teeth, worth their weight in gold!

mummabubs · 19/04/2021 15:32

In our practice it's only the hygienist who does cleaning, it's £49 for me (had mine done last week) and that price is whether you choose to have a local anaesthetic or not. It wasn't the most pleasant 45 minutes of my life but has made a noticeable difference so I'd probably grin and bear it (literally!)

starfishmummy · 19/04/2021 15:38

I get a scake and polish included at my current NHS dentist but I wouldnt call it a deep clean, its very quick.

starfishmummy · 19/04/2021 15:38

Scale obviously!!

Freud2 · 19/04/2021 15:38

My dentist used to do a scale and polish as part of my regular check up but now he says I have to see the hygienist. I think a lost of dentists are out to make money now and I may be cynical but perhaps they get a rake off from the hygienist each time they refer someone.

Glittertwins · 19/04/2021 15:41

@Freud2

My dentist used to do a scale and polish as part of my regular check up but now he says I have to see the hygienist. I think a lost of dentists are out to make money now and I may be cynical but perhaps they get a rake off from the hygienist each time they refer someone.
Pretty much the same as me. I've never had a separate appointment, it had always been a scale and polish. Had the first hygienist appointment ever a couple of months ago and felt like I'd been battered around the face!!
VenusClapTrap · 19/04/2021 15:43

I’m confused by this too. I’ve been going to the same dental clinic for the past eight years, but during that time the dentist has changed four times. Some have done a scale and polish as part of a check up, some haven’t. The last time I went, the newish dentist asked if I went to the hygienist. I was a bit confused about how to answer, to be honest, because I wasn’t sure if that was the same thing or different from what previous dentists had done. Clearly this new one doesn’t clean, so I’m trying to decide if it’s worth booking in with the actual hygienist now, or leaving it a bit.

Deadringer · 19/04/2021 15:44

I am in Dublin and seeing the hygienist next week, it's 120 euro! Subsequent visits are 80. My dentist charges 80 for a scale and polish and only spends about 10 minutes on them so i am 'treating' myself to a deep clean.

Deadringer · 19/04/2021 15:46

Those charges were the same pre covid btw.

FTEngineerM · 19/04/2021 15:50

I saw the hygienist last week £40 for 30 minutes and there was an enormous extractor fan in the room.

I can see plaque built up on some peoples teeth when they talk it’s gross Envy always worth doing.

Kit19 · 19/04/2021 15:52

A deep clean is different from a normal scale and polish. I've had them several times due to chronic gum problems and I wouldn't contemplate one without a local anaesthetic. Ive always had them carried out by a hygienist

Signalbox · 19/04/2021 16:03

Band 1 includes scale and polish if clinically necessary

Arguably the presence of coffee staining is only a cosmetic problem so its removal may not be clinically necessary. But if there is gingivitis or mild gum disease this should be covered by the NHS.

Band 2 includes treatment for severe "gum disease" such as root planing (cleaning bacteria from the roots of your teeth), deep scaling and a polish, or a gingivectomy (removal of gum tissue)

Either way treatment should be available on the NHS if it is clinically necessary and you are being treated on the NHS.

MyAnacondaMight · 19/04/2021 18:42

The “clinically necessary” threshold for NHS-covered treatment is basically the minimum required to a) not be in pain and b) preserve enough teeth to chew food.

The hygienist is not a scam or a rip off. It’s what most people need to maintain their teeth in the best condition, and it’s not covered by the NHS.

DahliaMacNamara · 19/04/2021 19:05

Years ago the hygienist appointment was included as part of the check-up process at my dentist, so you'd see the dentist first then the hygienist. When I moved and had to find another dentist, she would give them a bit of a poke and a scrub during the check-up, but it wasn't as thorough as a proper session with the hygienist. The hygienist here is a separate, private service and charged accordingly. At first tbh I was happy with the dentist's quick spit-and-no-polish job, but it's definitely worth forking out for the hygienist.

PissTestRightNowDaniella · 19/04/2021 19:08

My dentist gives a very basic clean, I didn't know how basic until I went to the hygienist.

I was a bit cynical but she was worth every penny.

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