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Did I get conned by my dental hygienist?

6 replies

NewspaperTaxis · 11/05/2025 20:15

I switched my dental hygienist recently as I moved town and it was cheaper, it seems pretty competent and above board. However, my previous one, based in London, yielded far more gunk in the form of grainy brown or red stuff spat out in the sink, while the current one really doesn't, though it seems thorough.

Now, it suggests the previous hygienist is the better one, but I have to ask, is it normal to see a satisfying amount of grainy gunk spat out? It reminds me of - brace yourself - doing colonic many years ago where they showed you a transparent tube where - ahem - all the brown gunk got transported out and I do recall afterwards thinking, hmmm, surely I wasn't THAT full of shit, how do we know that wasn't. put on for show?

Likewise, I recall do some foot cleansing electrolysis on some Scandi holiday press trip - that the water turned a muddy brown denoted how much 'cleansing' of toxins were coming out via your foot. Problem was, I only had one foot submerged as there was something wrong with the other one - it was a bit swollen, and the water was equally brown despite having no foot in it.

How much gunk really is expected to come out during a trip to the dental hygienist given most of us clean our teeth daily? Or should I just revert to my previous dental hygienist?

OP posts:
SummerIce · 11/05/2025 20:16

I’ve never seen gunk after I go to the hygienist. Presumably because they use the suction to get rid of it all.

Could that have been the difference?

stayathomegardener · 11/05/2025 20:17

I had tartar issues post covid/with menopause and spat lots of gunk, now I am on top of it hardly anything.

Dreammhaus · 11/05/2025 20:19

Mine uses the suction thing, the first time I went a lot of plaque was removed as my teeth weren't in good shape, but still didn't have anything to spit as it was suctioned up! There are different machines and techniques I think, mine uses airflow.

Annony331 · 11/05/2025 20:19

Have a clean every 3 months. Not much gunk ever but it feels smooth and fresh.

tripleginandtonic · 11/05/2025 22:08

I spit blood out usually. But it's red not brown

EilishMcCandlish · 11/05/2025 22:13

Your new one is doing a better job with the suction, therefore there is less to rinse out in the sink. When you are rinsing it should only be the excess gunk from the polishing stage anyway, so if there is a load rinsed out, they are just wasting it to make you feel like they have cleaned lots off. Let's face it, if you have regular hygienist appointments, you should have much build up to be getting rid of anyway.

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