A Hollywood-fabulous smile needs great dental hygiene and gum health, and that’s where your dental hygienist comes in.

Here are 5 reasons why you should visit your hygienist regularly.

1. HEALTHY GUMS

With a poor daily dental routine you may develop gum disease – painful, bleeding gums, bad breath and, if it’s very bad, loose teeth. Preventing this from happening is a hygienist’s top priority. When adults lose teeth, gum disease is the main culprit. Caught in time, it can be treated and stopped in its tracks, and can even be reversed. You don’t want to lose teeth, not only does it make eating tricky, but it’s really not a good look!

How do I know if I am getting gum disease?

An early sign is blood in your saliva after you’ve brushed or flossed. It’s strongly advisable that you brush and floss at least twice a day and have regular check-ups with your dentist and dental hygienist. The hygienist will completely clean your teeth and gums, taking off any hard deposits, like tartar and plaque, that have accumulated.  Which is definitely something you can’t do at home.

But, surely, if I floss and brush regularly everything should be fine?

Even if you have an excellent oral hygiene programme and you’re fanatical about it, you do still need to see a hygienist as there are difficult-to-get-to parts of your mouth a hygienist can clean better than you.

2. SWEET BREATH

There’s nothing worse than having bad breath. Most of the time, Halitosis as bad breath is known, is caused by having an easily-fixable dental issue. Usually, the smell is caused by bacteria hiding under the gumline, and no amount of brushing and flossing at home will help. You need to see a dental hygienist.

3. A Whiter Smile

Food and beverages as well as tobacco will, over time, stain your teeth. These are external and can be removed. But brushing doesn’t do it and some ‘whitening’ toothpastes can damage your teeth, leaving them more prone to staining than before. But a hygienist can remove the stains and can even make your teeth whiter than they were before.

4. EARLY WARNING DETECTION

Apart from cleaning your teeth and gums, your hygienist also checks for early decay, faulty fillings, infections and especially oral cancer. If oral cancer is detected early, it can be cured.

5. A MORE CONFIDENT YOU

A healthy, clean mouth and a great smile does wonders for your confidence, whether you’re talking to people, laughing with them and especially kissing them.

The best thing about seeing your dental hygienist regularly is they will be able to give you the information you need, which if you are diligent in following, means you’ll have a wonderfully healthy mouth and may not need to see her that often anymore.

You should see your dental hygienist at least twice a year. If you haven’t seen one for a while, your mouth will thank you for calling and booking an appointment with your local Team Dental today.