Children seeing a dental hygienist

[dentalhygiene]

My DC attend a private dentist as we can't get them in to see an NHS one. Youngest has been advised to see the hygienist due to plaque on a few teeth. Is this normal practice now or just the private dentist trying to get more money? Does anyone else take their DC to the hygienist? I personally haven't heard of children going to them.

Mine saw dental hygienist and dentist every 6 months from age 2.
Then every 3 months while they wore braces.
It’s standard practice in my family.

My teenagers do but I haven’t heard of younger kids going.
It seems the dentist doesn’t scrape your plaque off anymore so you need a hygienist.
My kids are with an NHS dentist but have to pay for the hygienist

My dentist didn't recommend it but as my teen isn't brushing properly I will be booking him one

If the hygienist has been recommended, I'd take them. Yes it's a bit of extra money but likely to cost you less in the long run if you just leave the plaque and their teeth get bad.

My teens have been a few times. NHS dentist so I stump up the £70 each for a good clean. It is worth it TBH. Their hygienist is lovely.

I use a private dentist, although they do put patient's children through as NHS (and me when I had my maternity exemption card). DCs are only 5 and 7yo, but the hygenist has never been suggested for them, and they didn't recommend me to go until I was in my 20s. However, I trust their judgement so if they recommended it for DCs they'd go, and then we'd implement further brushing/checks (eg random use of disclosing tablets) at home to avoid it happening again.
Every 6 months for DC seems very excessive though unless there are issues. The dentist likes to see us all once a year, although the hygenist sometimes pushes to see me every 6 months (depends which one I see!).

As soon as they have their adult teeth the children see a hygienist at our present care practice. It's not a money making exercise, it's to ensure those teeth stay health and last.