• Bleeding gums that may be tender
• Gums that appear swollen or red
• Bad breath

This may progress onto periodontal disease if left untreated. This is a more serious disease that can lead to tooth loss.

• Bleeding tender gums that may have puss forming between the teeth
• Pain on biting
• Bad breath and a bad taste in the mouth
• Gums that look red and swollen and teeth that may look longer as the gums shrink
• Teeth starting to move or feel wobbly

You can prevent gum disease by removing the soft creamy plaque from your teeth and gums. on a daily basis. Regular tooth brushing, flossing and using other hygiene aids and mouthwash can reduce the bacteria, which cause gum disease.

A healthy diet and stopping smoking can also help as smoking can cause the bone tissue in the mouth to shrink, leading to tooth loss.

Dental hygienists work as providers of dental healthcare. They work as part of a dental team, mainly concerned with preventing dental disease and treating gum disease. This includes professionally cleaning your teeth by removing plaque and tartar. However, perhaps their most important role is showing you the best way to keep your teeth free of plaque. Plaque is a soft sticky coating that forms constantly on your teeth. Hygienists also give advice about diet and about preventing tooth decay. The hygienist will work with your dental team to give you care that is tailored to your needs.

Yes. They will carefully remove the hard deposits of tartar (or 'calculus') that build up on the teeth and teach you how to prevent them coming back. This will do a lot to slow the progress of gum disease.

By talking to you about your diet, and recommending other preventive measures, the hygienist can help you keep to a routine that will slow down tooth decay. Regular visits and advice will help build your confidence in keeping your mouth healthy.

Another very important part of the hygienist's work is showing and telling you how to look after your mouth at home. The hygienist may also suggest giving up smoking, as this will reduce staining and improve your general health. Research has also shown that smokers have more disease and lose more teeth than non-smokers. Your hygienist will be able to advise you on various ways of giving up smoking. Please follow the link if you would like help to stop smoking.

They can also give you special advice for home care if you have dental implants or orthodontic appliances.

Yes. Since 2013 the General Dental Council has permitted patients to access the services of dental hygienists. Previously, a dentist had to see a patient prior to prescribing hygiene treatment. This is no longer the case, meaning that if you want your teeth professionally cleaned and polished with the hygienist, you can simply give us a call to make an appointment directly with the hygienist of your choice.

Visits to a hygienist can help prevent gum disease and improve the appearance to your teeth. However, they are not a substitute for dental examinations with a dentist.

If you are already registered with a dentist whether private or NHS, you can stay with them and just visit us for hygiene appointments. This will not affect your place at another practice.

If you would like to visit our hygienists, we will need to see you for at least 40 minutes initially to check your medical history, dental history and carry out an assessment of your gum health. We will then be able to clean your teeth and recommend how often this should be done. To make an appointment call us on 01289 306084.

Cleaning and polishing is usually pain free. However, if you do have any discomfort the hygienist can use anaesthetic creams, or give you some local anaesthetic. It is important that you let the hygienist know at the time so they can help with your pain.