Dentists and hygienists.

Going back a few years my dentist used to do a quick scale/polish when he did a check up, but if a more thorough one was needed then it was a separate appointment.

My current dentist, she will do it herself (second appointment) at Band 2 fee which is now £75.30 but they also have a hygienist who charges from £86!

I am very sceptical aboug seeing a dental hygienist.
Im a real wuss so apologies to all hygienists but in my "humble" opinion I think all that poking around in the mouth and scraping and digging loosens the teeth far quicker than just a (very) light scale & polish.

Thoughts please ?

If you need a scale and Polish you should get one in band 1 if you have an NHS Dentist. Sending you for one privately implies that it is not strictly necessary.

Hygienist treatment is ideally preventative, which is not covered by the NHS. If you have gum disease then it is a scale 1 treatment on the NHS. We have an NHS dentist, OH has a regular scale and polish with the hygienist because he gets a build up of tartar, he pays privately but doesn't want to have gum disease. I don't need to go to the hygienist, the dentist gives my teeth a quick scale and polish when I get my regular check.

I have DenPlan and see the dentist twice a year. He does an examination plus scale and polish.

Paid for per visit that would be £145. An examination alone would be £75.

The practice classes seeing the hygienist as preventative care. The charge to see her is £87.00. My dentist doesn’t feel it’s necessary for me to see her.

I use an electric toothbrush and disclosure tablets to highlight any plaque build up that can cause staining.

My neighbour and I go to the same practice but she pays more for her DenPlan. She’s slightly older and has gum problems so she does see the hygienist as well as the dentist.

Crossed posts, foxie, but I think we are saying more or less the same thing about preventative care.

I used to go to the Dentist's private hygienist back when £15 was a lot of money to pay, but considered it worth the cost. Then they got a new Hygienist. I think she was digging for gold or diamonds in my gums, she went so deep. I walked out half way through the appointment, streaming blood. My gums were never the same and I ended up losing all my teeth over the following few years in spite of a specialist's (very expensive) attempts to save them.

Aely

I used to go to the Dentist's private hygienist back when £15 was a lot of money to pay, but considered it worth the cost. Then they got a new Hygienist. I think she was digging for gold or diamonds in my gums, she went so deep. I walked out half way through the appointment, streaming blood. My gums were never the same and I ended up losing all my teeth over the following few years in spite of a specialist's (very expensive) attempts to save them.

Sorry to hear this

I have implants and crowns so I
Pay to see hygienist every few months. She charges £50.

We get one check up per year & two hygienist appointments at £23ish pounds per appointment.
My husband had a deep clean at his private dentist & it cost him £500 with a course of antibiotics.
My hygienist said it would have come under the nhs at no extra cost.
He’s now been under my dentist for the last couple of years.

I am with an NHS dentist but she does not do any cleaning or polishing. I pay privately for the hygienist, usually £75. I left my last practice because the hygienist spent half the very expensive session telling me how to use a tooth brush and seemed to relish brutality! Current one is lovely, very big Nigerian man who is so caring and he has managed to keep gum disease from escalating.

A band one on the NHS should consist of an examination and a scale and Polish, if necessary. Therefore a hygeinist appt should not be necessary unless you request it.

My dentist suggested I should see their hygienist about 3 years ago. He left me with bleeding gums and all my teeth ached for a couple of days afterwards. I haven't been since and my current dentist seems quite happy with the state of my teeth.

I have an NHS dentist and whilst I like him very much, I'm in and out usually in 10 minutes, no scale and polish, so I'm going to enquire about that next checkup. I go to a hygienist twice a year and the price has now gone up to £80.

Interestingly, my OH does the whole shebang of brushing, water flosser etc. and insists that it is necessary. I simply brush carefully, twice (since childhood) - or sometimes three times a day - and use interdental brushes or floss most nights or if I feel it's needed. My dentist always says "Carry on with whatever you're doing".

I starting seeing my dental hygienist a few years ago and would highly recommend.
No poking and prodding it's electronic and painless.
My teeth have never looked so good

My dentist always did a scale and polish which was included in the check up. When he retired I was told I had to see the hygienist, I did at a cost of £70+ but the few times I went she caused terrible bleeding, pain in gums and teeth and my teeth after being quite solid became loose. That was 2years ago so have refused the hygienist since,

Scale and polish used to happen when we went for a checkup at our dentist now there’s none of that and you have to make a separate appointment with hygienist. I don’t believe scale and polish is included in the scale one now. Dental care is so different now and I’m not sure how they still manage to call it NHS.

I'm on Denplan and see dentist every 6 mths and hygienist every 3 mths. Unfortunately practice is now so busy that often the hygienist appts are every 4 mths. In spite of this the Denplan cost keeps rising now almost £60 per mth. When I look at the plan most treatments are either only partially covered or not covered at all. Would like to pay as I go but dentist doesn't accept this and very difficult to get another dentist in this area.

I see my NHS dentist twice a year and always get a scale but not always a polish. Under thirty pounds. He has not yet sent me to the hygienist. DH had the same dentist and always had to go to the hygienist. He would be in pain for days afterwards she was so rough on him. He used to have a much better daily cleaning regime than me and used to say sulkily “I don’t know how you get away with it!” I think my teeth are living on borrowed time though!

I am also on Denplan but my dentist doesn’t do any scale or polishing.
That’s the hygienists job.
I have two sessions per year included in my plan.
I have no idea how much they charge individually.

I've never been to a hygienist. Like you, JdotJ I'm a wuss. I use an ancient Ayurvedic practice of oil pulling; i.e. I put a teaspoon of coconut oil in my mouth and swish it around for about 10 minutes (the first time I want to gag after about one second, but I've built up my time over the years). The oil collects the bacteria in your mouth, then you spit it out. I think it's more thorough and definitely more gentle than flossing and scraping. My dentist noticed a difference straight away. I used to have dreadful gum problems.

MT62

We get one check up per year & two hygienist appointments at £23ish pounds per appointment.
My husband had a deep clean at his private dentist & it cost him £500 with a course of antibiotics.
My hygienist said it would have come under the nhs at no extra cost.
He’s now been under my dentist for the last couple of years.

Appointments are £27 ish

kittylester

A band one on the NHS should consist of an examination and a scale and Polish, if necessary. Therefore a hygeinist appt should not be necessary unless you request it.

I’ve never known my dentist do a scale & polish

Has anyone seen that woman on YouTube that swears by a system of using xylitol, mouthwashes.
Dr. Ellie Phillips for preventing tartar. She said we would never need to see an hygienist ever again if we followed her teeth care.