Part of a good dental maintenance routine is coming to see the dentist for a check-up at least twice a year. Depending on the state of your oral health, your dentist at Amsel & Wilkins may recommend that you come more often.

Another important part of dental maintenance is keeping your teeth clean and free from plaque and gum disease. Your part in this is to carefully clean and floss your teeth at least twice a day, with a good fluoride toothpaste, dental floss, and possibly also interdental brushes.

If you can keep plaque under control then it has less chance to develop into hard tartar, which leads to tooth decay and gum disease. It also gets rid of food trapped between the teeth, which can also lead to decay.

That’s your part at home. At the dentist, you will need a check-up from the dentist and to see our hygienists who clean and polish your teeth twice a year.

Our hygienists

At Amsel & Wilkins, we have five hygienists: Magda Mararu, Sharon Buick, Louise Hirons, Emma Godwin, and Claire Bloxham. Each of them has been through two years of training to earn a diploma in dental hygiene. They are trained to provide primary dental care, including: scaling and polishing teeth, using dental local anaesthesia, applying topical medicaments, taking dental x-rays, applying fissure sealants and giving oral health advice.

Hygienists clean and polish teeth far more thoroughly than you can do at home, even with the most sophisticated electric toothbrushes.

The scale and polish

This is what gets your teeth really clean. Our hygienists clean and polish your teeth with special equipment and pastes. Depending on how long it is since you had a scale and polish, you might need to have a double appointment. You might also need more time if you are a smoker, as tobacco builds up stains on the teeth.

How to brush your teeth

Our hygienists can also give you good information on the latest and best ways to brush your teeth at home. Are you holding your brush correctly? Are you brushing in the right direction? Knowing how can make all the difference.