Dental hygienist - helping you maintain oral health

What does a dental hygienist do?

A dental hygienist is an expert in oral health and early prevention of dental and oral diseases.

They will clean your teeth of tartar and stains and you will receive personalised advice from your dental hygienist to help you take care of your teeth. Many people ignore their oral health, even though periodontitis, for example, has been proven to undermine overall health. Any oral inflammation must be treated as soon as possible.

When you visit a dental hygienist on a regular basis, you can more easily prevent, for example:

• gingivitis and periodontitis
• the development of dental caries
• tooth erosion

In addition, a dental hygienist can attach dental jewellery, and some of our dental hygienists also provide masticatory muscle massage to those suffering from tooth grinding.

What happens at an appointment with a dental hygienist?

Here's how an appointment with a dental hygienist proceeds:

1. Discussion. The dental hygienist asks how you take care of your teeth: how often you brush your teeth, what kind of toothpaste you use, and whether you clean between your teeth. Don't worry, we won't judge! You can come to us as you are.
2. Oral examination. Your dental hygienist will check the condition of your gums and mucous membranes, as well as the amount of tartar and stains. Measuring the gingival pockets will reveal any deepened gum pockets, which are a sign of periodontitis.
3. Teeth cleaning. The dental hygienist will remove tartar, stains and roughness from the surfaces of your teeth. They use ultrasound, powder cleaners and hand instruments to help.
4. Individual instructions. Finally, you'll get good advice on oral self-care: which instruments to use to clean between your teeth, how to use fluoride and xylitol correctly, and how to prevent tooth decay.

Does tartar removal hurt?

The healthier the gums, the less painful the teeth cleaning. That's another reason to take good care of your teeth!

If you have gingivitis, cleaning your teeth and removing tartar can feel miserable. Our dental hygienists always aim to clean your teeth as gently as possible. If you wish, you can have either anaesthesia or topical anaesthesia for the cleaning.

If your gingivitis has become severe, the cleaning may be split into two sessions. In the first session, the dental hygienist will clean most of the tartar. If you take good care of your teeth, the gingivitis will start to heal - and the second time will be much more comfortable.

Let your dental hygienist know if you're nervous about having tartar removed. We want to create a good dental experience for you.

Also remember that not all cleaning steps hurt. For example, powder cleaning can feel a bit like washing your teeth with a small pressure washer.

Dental hygienist - price

When the services of a dental hygienist are based on the examination and follow-up of a dentist or a dental specialist, the treatment is subject to Kela reimbursement.

You can pay for your dental treatment by invoice or by instalment, for example.

The specialist interviewed for the article was Chief Dental Hygienist Pia-Maria Eskola.