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Original poster

How bad is a visit to a dental hygienist.

45 replies

eaglesreach · 21/04/2016 18:11

ive heard it's really painful, I'm a bit of a coward, Can anyone reassure me and is it a lot more bearable to have the gums frozen?

OP posts:
PoshPenny · 22/04/2016 15:29

Never painful when I go. She uses some ultra sonic thing to blast off the scale and a scraper for more stubborn bits. I thought that was all they did?

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 22/04/2016 15:31

It can be painful if they are doing a deep clean and some people prefer to be numbed first.

MNHQ
LisaMumsnet · 22/04/2016 15:38

Honestly I have never experienced so much as a twinge of pain. What's painful though is being asked how much you floss or whether you use mouthwash!! When I had root canal I listened to my HypnoBirthing CD and it really helped to calm me down, so maybe you could buy a hypnosis CD and listen to it while she cleans your teeth? Hygienists are usually lovely people so you really don't have anything to fear.

Jbck · 22/04/2016 15:39

I usually ask dentist to do deep clean/descale after Im numbed for any treatment as Im a bit sensitive but polish or quick scrape no problems.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 22/04/2016 15:39

It depends how deep a scale is needed though. It definitely could be painful in that instance. They would tell you and offer chance to be number up then though.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 22/04/2016 15:40

X posted.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 22/04/2016 15:40

Numbed up not number

FreshHorizons · 22/04/2016 15:42

I have never found it painful.

weirdsister · 22/04/2016 15:44

I don't find it painful but I don't like the experience.

GingerFoxInAT0phat · 22/04/2016 15:47

I don't think I've ever had a scale and polish. But I did have an air floss treatment and god it was awful! I stupidly thought it would feel nice Blush
My mouth was full of blood after and my teeth looked exactly the same.

MissBattleaxe · 22/04/2016 15:47

I had a descale and it was like torture. It was like having electric shocks in my brain and having icy cold water sprayed on bare naked nerves all at the same time. The dentist was totally unsympathetic. I explained this to the next dentist who did it after doing some other dental work on me and numbing my gums. I hardly felt a thing. Lovely.

MatthewWrightResearch · 22/04/2016 15:49

I've never found it painful, it's the sooky thing that the assistant uses that I hate. I feel like I'm gagging on it.

FreshHorizons · 22/04/2016 15:50

Although it isn't painful it isn't something that I like having done.

thatstoast · 22/04/2016 16:01

I go to the hygienist every 3 months at the moment, trying to make up for years of neglect. I've never found it painful. I've also had a root canal and a wisdom tooth removed under a local, neither of which was particularly painful. Everyone will have a different experience.

Lookingagain · 22/04/2016 16:05

I don't find it painful at all. If you are feeling pain you must let the hygienist know. I actually find it like a "massage" for the gums. I wouldn't expect the worst.

Obs2016 · 22/04/2016 16:07

Not pleasant. But not painful.

WipsGlitter · 22/04/2016 16:11

I went yesterday and it was horrendous. Like having my teeth cleaned by Edward Scissorhands.

readingrainbow · 22/04/2016 16:16

I need to do this. How much do you pay for a treatment? /hijack

thatstoast · 22/04/2016 16:24

I pay £13 with the nhs.

Noneedforasitter · 22/04/2016 16:28

It depends on your gums, your diet, your own teeth cleaning routine and how long since you last went. If you have recession and the roots are showing, the water jet can be very cold and cause discomfort. If you have a lot of scale between the teeth, it can also take a long time.

But if you brush and floss regularly, your gums are healthy and your teeth aren't tightly packed it will be a breeze.

I have all the problems above and the first time I had it done it was how I imagine surgery before anaesthetic. But it is so much better for your teeth and gums that you should do it despite any discomfort (and it will save you from worse under the dentist's drill).

FuckyNell · 22/04/2016 16:35

I have mine scraped manually (periodontal clean) and it doesn't hurt. No way on earth will I ever have an electric clean again. I think an imprint of my nails are still on the ceiling from last time Grin

cedricsneer · 22/04/2016 16:50

It's kind of hard to know beforehand if it will hurt as its dependent whether the root is exposed. If it is, I'm not going to lie, it is very painful.

I currently have regular root planing (under the gum like) and have lots of local anaesthetic for it.

FuckyNell · 22/04/2016 16:52

Oh and it's £55 per session private

Flanderspigeonmurderer · 22/04/2016 17:41

It can be a bit uncomfortable but I think it's worth it as my teeth look much better afterwards.

NanTheWiser · 22/04/2016 18:21

It also depends on the hygienist doing it - mine is lovely, very gentle, and as I have very exposed roots at the bottom front, she uses numbing gel there.

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