Dental Hygienist

A dental hygienist is responsible for helping their clients clean their teeth. Also, this professional can educate patients on relevant techniques on improving overall oral health.

So, it’s essential to visit an oral hygienist at least once per year for annual checkups.

But, you might want to consult the medical advice of the professional if you notice certain bad signs from your oral health. Continue reading to know three indications that you already need to seek the help of a dental hygienist.

Teeth Stains

You might be wondering when to see a dental hygienist. Perhaps, the first sign is if you have teeth stains.

Teeth stains or teeth discoloration can occur because of different reasons. Some causes of teeth stains may include coffee, tea, or wine consumption. Age might also be a factor for teeth losing their natural white color.

Visit your dental hygienist if you notice that your ‘pearly whites’ are no longer as white as they used to. The dental professional will use teeth-cleaning techniques and tools to help bring back your teeth’s white color.

This particular teeth-cleaning procedure should work better than using conventional teeth-whitening toothpaste. This non-invasive operation may involve the following steps:

  • Teeth and gum examination – The dental hygienist uses a small concave mirror to check your mouth. This tool allows the dental expert to check for any signs of oral issues, such as plaque, inflamed gums, or dark spots on teeth.
  • Scaling – Next, the hygienist uses a scaler, a small hooked tool used to remove any plaque and tartar buildup from the surface of the teeth.
  • Polishing – After scaling, the dental expert polishes and removes the stain with the help of a handheld electric tool. This device has a rubber prophy cup with prophylaxis paste that aids in removing teeth stains.
  • Flossing – If any plaque, tartar, or paste remains after polishing, the dental hygienist removes these substances by flossing your teeth.

The entire teeth-cleaning process shouldn’t take a long time to complete. Moreover, since it’s a non-invasive operation, you can return to your daily tasks afterwards. But, now you should have a beaming white smile on your face that you can flaunt in public.

Toothaches

Dental Hygienist

Have you tried biting into a relatively crunchy food only to feel a sharp pain in your tooth?  If so, then that discomfort might be the onset for other dental problems, such as cavities and gum disease.

Consult a dental hygienist soon when you have a toothache. The dental professional can find the cause of the pain and suggest solutions to help remedy the issue.

But, prepare yourself as the hygienist might ask you a few questions about your daily lifestyle. These inquiries will aid the professional in finding the exact cause of the tooth discomfort.

It’s because toothaches can come from several causes, which may include:

  • Sinusitis
  • Gum inflammation
  • Impacted tooth
  • Cavities

Still, one of the most common causes of toothaches is tooth decay. If left untreated, tooth decay can lead to a dental abscess, which is an infection in the tooth. Also, if the problem escalates further, it can develop into a life-threatening situation as the harmful bacteria can spread to the brain.

Also, visit a hygienist if you have a toothache to confirm if this dental concern is one of the underlying symptoms of a more significant health threat. It’s because toothaches can be symptoms of serious illnesses, such as heart disease and lung cancer.

Finding the early development of these grave health complications may give you a higher-than-average chance of receiving a full recovery.

Excessive Alcohol Consumption

Pat yourself in the back if you notice that you’ve had one-too-many alcoholic beverages as of late. Excessive alcohol consumption can open the doors to several health problems, some of which may include your teeth and other parts of the oral cavity.

Note that heavy alcohol drinkers might be more likely to contract issues like gum disease, mouth sores, and tooth decay than people who don’t consume alcohol-infused beverages. Hence, consult your hygienist to find possible dental issues because of excessive alcohol intake.

Visiting your dental hygienist may also help change your lifestyle for the better. Aim to reduce or eliminate alcohol from your regular habits to reap numerous health benefits, which might even include a longer life.

Key Takeaway

Visit your dental hygienist if you feel discomfort or pain in your teeth. You can also visit the professional for annual checkups to ensure that your dental and oral hygiene practices remain on point.

Follow the dental expert’s advice, and you may flaunt a cleaner, healthier, and whiter smile than before.

1 COMMENT

  1. I really appreciate you talking about the effects of excessive alcohol consumption on a person’s teeth and how professional cleaning can help with that. Admittedly, alcohol is one of my biggest guilty pleasures, and I’ve had a lot more to drink than most people in recent memory. This has gotten my teeth to the point of looking a lot different than when I was young, so I’ll take your advice and find a dental cleaning professional in my area to hopefully bring them back to the way they were.