Dental Hygiene in London

Superbly clean teeth are key to a confident smile, fresh breath, and overall health. Regular hygiene sessions help keep your teeth sparkling by removing plaque and preventing issues like cavities and gum disease. It's a simple step to protect your smile and keep it feeling great for years to come.

Treatment
45-60 minutes

Price
From £180

Team Experience
25+ years

Recovery Time
None

Google Rating
★★★★★ (4.9)

Examples of our work

Written by: Ms Jennifer Boardman

Clinically reviewed by: Dr Raul Costa

Table of Contents
    Home » Treatments » Dental Hygienist

    Dental hygiene is simply the performance of professional teeth cleaning by a dental hygienist. Regular visits are essential for maintaining healthy teeth and gums. Even with good oral hygiene habits at home, there is always some plaque and tartar that can build up over the months. Removing it professionally on a regular basis will prevent gum disease and ensure that your breath is always fresh.

    For all of our hygiene appointments, we use a technique called Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT), which is a modern approach to dental hygiene focused on effectively removing biofilm. GBT uses a combination of advanced technology, specialised instruments, and minimally invasive techniques to clean teeth more efficiently and comfortably than traditional methods. It is very effective in both routine cleanings and in managing serious conditions like periodontal disease.

    What happens during a dental hygiene appointment?

    Our GBT hygiene sessions have essentially 3 steps:

    1. The first step is using a disclosing solution to highlight biofilm on the teeth and gums. This colouring reveals areas that need more attention and helps the hygienist educate the patient.
    2. Air Polishing with Erythritol Powder (AirFlow) – Instead of traditional polishing pastes, we use a fine powder in an air polishing device. This powder is gentle on the teeth and highly effective in removing biofilm, even in hard-to-reach areas like between teeth and around orthodontic appliances. The air polishing process is much more comfortable for patients, especially those with sensitive teeth or gums.
    3. Gentle Ultrasonic Scaling – After air polishing, we then use the best ultrasonic devices to remove any remaining hard deposits, like tartar. Our advanced ultrasonic scalers are designed to work with minimal force, ensuring no harm is done to teeth surfaces and minimising discomfort.

    This method not only makes cleanings less uncomfortable but also enhances accuracy, helping patients understand and target areas needing extra care in their daily oral hygiene routines. GBT ultimately supports long-term oral health by managing biofilm more precisely and gently than traditional methods.

    Meet your award-winning Dental Hygienist …

    • We have over 75+ years of combined dentistry experience across our specialist team.
    • 10,000+ treatments performed and counting.
    • We are leaders in the dental industry – we regularly teach, lecture and publish our research work internationally.

    Dental Hygienist costs

    Dental hygiene with guided biofilm therapy

    45 minute – 60 minute session
    £180

    Dental hygiene with guided biofilm therapy with local anaesthetic

    £240

    Dental hygiene for All-on-4 cases

    From £350

    Our Expertise

    We are dedicated to helping our patients maintain excellent oral health for life. The long-term success of any dental treatment depends on how well patients can care for it, which is why routine dental hygiene sessions are a cornerstone of our approach. Our prevention team, including our skilled dental hygienists, regularly attends professional development courses to stay updated with the latest knowledge, techniques, and advice—ensuring we provide the highest level of care to every patient.

    We offer EMS air-flow technology during a dental hygiene appointment with us which is based on innovative technology that comfortably removes plaque and discolourations from your teeth as an alternative to other teeth whitening methods. The high gloss polishing fluoridation which follows can provide you with the restoration of a radiant smile.

    Dental Hygienist reviews

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    Who is suitable for dental hygiene?

    Our team would encourage all our dental patients to make an appointment with our dental hygienist to discuss their individual needs regarding a regular schedule of professional teeth cleaning.

    Optimum dental hygiene is the best tool to equip yourself with when looking to achieve preventative care of your teeth and gums to safeguard your smile for years to come as well protect against oral issues such as excessive tooth decay, infection, gum disease and bad breath.

    Dental hygiene in Wimpole Street

    Professional dental hygiene – why we do it is explained in this video

    Dental hygiene – theory

    Professional dental hygiene – Part I – necessary theoretical knowledge

    Cleaning the natural teeth

    Professional dental hygiene – Part II – cleaning the natural teeth

    Cleaning crowns and bridges

    Professional dental hygiene – Part III – cleaning crowns and bridges

    Cleaning implants

    Professional dental hygiene – Part IV – cleaning implants

    Cleaning removable dentures

    Professional dental hygiene – Part V – cleaning removable dentures

    What is a dental hygienist?

    The career of a dental hygienist is an essential part of the dental team, preventing dental problems in both adults and children.
    Dental hygienists, just like your dentist, prioritise saving teeth for their patients as the optimum clinical outcome. A hygienist evaluates a patient’s oral health during a careful check-up, including both the condition of the teeth and the gums as presented. Ensuring that you’re kept informed on how undesirable dental issues such as plaque, decay, tartar, bad breath and other bacteria can cause further dental complications is essential for your long-term dental health.

    How long is a hygienist appointment?

    The duration of a hygienist appointment at WSDC can go between 45 minutes to one hour. To minimise the time you may need during a hygienist appointment it can be advisable to book a schedule of regular check-ups as directed and to practice the highest standards of oral hygiene in between your appointments with our team. After your initial consultation with us, we will be best placed to advise you in detail about your individual case, as presented to us.

    How much is a hygienist appointment?

    A dental hygiene visit is charged at £180. For the patients who require local anaesthetic, the costs rise to £240. Please contact us for further details regarding our current fees for dental hygiene appointments. You can also book online.

    How often should you see a dental hygienist?

    Most patients would benefit from seeing the hygienist every 6 months, For the patients with an history of gum disease, the sessions should take place every 3 months. The optimum schedule of regular dental hygiene appointments for you on an individual basis can be best determined and then advised after your initial consultation with your dentist.

    Dental Hygiene

    What does a dental hygienist do?

    A dental hygienist conducts professional teeth cleaning and hygiene guidance for patients. A dental hygienist is a professional in oral hygiene, cleaning teeth to remove plaque and discolouration before polishing to restore the shine to your smile.

    A dental hygienist is the best dental specialist to offer you the latest information and advice on all aspects of oral hygiene, answer any questions you may have about how to care for your teeth and to raise any concerns you may have on oral health including offering guidance on nutritional best practice, if required.

    What is Guided Biofilm Therapy?

    Guided Biofilm Therapy is the systematic, predictable solution for dental biofilm management. It consists of treatment protocols based on individual patient diagnosis and risk assessment. The treatment is given in the least invasive way, with the highest level of comfort, safety and efficiency.

    Can a dentist work as a hygienist?

    Our dental hygienist works with our dentists as an integral part of the prevention team. It is possible for a dentist to work as a hygienist, but it may be preferable for a hygienist to specialise in the delivery of oral health care so that dentists can focus their own clinical time on the delivery of procedures such as dental surgeries and other modern treatment options.

    Can a dental hygienist fill cavities?

    If they are trained for that, yes. However, at Wimpole Street Dental Clinic all restorative dentistry is performed by dentists. Having said this, teeth whitening can be performed by a hygienist, under the prescription of a dentist.

    Can a dental hygienist prescribe medication?

    A dental hygienist routinely performs professional teeth cleaning for their dental patients. If medication is indicated as a necessary treatment option for you after your initial consultation this would usually be prescribed by your dentist who leads on your optimum dental care plan.

    Can a dental hygienist fill cavities?

    Cosmetic dentistry including teeth whitening is a premium dental service we are delighted to offer after discussing all the modern treatment options available to you during your initial consultation with our team. All aspects of cosmetic dentistry are usually undertaken by your dentist. However, whitening can be performed by a hygienist.

    teeth whitening london before after

    Can a hygienist remove tonsil stones?

    Tonsil stones which are an accumulation of debris located in the tonsils may require a surgical procedure to remove them especially if large in size and causing severe discomfort. All dental surgeries are usually conducted at Wimpole Street Dental Clinic by a dentist or specialist within our team.

    What does a hygienist do to your teeth?

    A dental hygienist’s primary clinical concern is tooth preservation during regular careful check-ups evaluating your oral health of both teeth and gums before meticulous professional teeth cleaning is conducted for you. Your hygienist will simply clean your teeth, remove any plaque and discolouration and polish them to restore shine. Most importantly, your hygienist can help advise on an appropriate hygiene routine that helps protect your oral health and smile.

    Does treatment from the hygienist hurt?

    Temporary discomfort or tooth sensitivity during the plaque removal step (for example) of a routine professional teeth cleaning appointment with a dental hygienist may occur. We can administer a local anaesthetic before any build-up or stain is removed and prior to using air polishing. What to expect in all aspects of your dental hygiene appointment will be discussed during your initial consultation with a member of our team where you can raise any concerns you may have so we can resolve them and reassure you prior to treatment.

    How do hygienists remove plaque?

    Dental hygienists within our team remove plaque even from difficult-to-reach areas using special hand-held tools or the EMS airflow. If you would like to view inside our clinic to see our ultramodern equipment for yourself prior to commencing treatment with us, please contact us.

    Please remember that the most important thing to keep your teeth and gums healthy is to brush with an electric toothbrush and floss or use interdental brushes daily. With good hygiene care, you can prevent general health problems!

    dental hygiene london

    Wimpole St Dental Clinic has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

    • Jongbloed-Zoet C. The role of the dental hygienist in promoting oral health. Int J Dent Hyg. 2020 May;18(2):127. doi: 10.1111/idh.12436. PMID: 32303122.
    • Dunning JM. The future of the dental hygienist. J Public Health Dent. 1990 Winter;50(1):3-4. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-7325.1990.tb03546.x. PMID: 2296000.
    • Aker DS, Zaki HA. The dental hygienist as a preventodontist. J Am Dent Assoc. 1972 Jan;84(1):140-2. doi: 10.14219/jada.archive.1972.0018. PMID: 4500212.
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