Why dental hygiene is more than tooth cleaning
Professional dental hygiene is the only dental measure with documented preventive efficacy. Anyone who completes one to two full sessions a year significantly reduces the probability of caries, periodontitis and consequently of implants, root canal treatments and tooth loss. This is not marketing, this is the evidence base. The Swiss Dental Society recommends annual check-ups with dental hygiene as standard.
In our practices, only certified dental hygienists with higher professional examination and several years of experience work. The session takes sixty minutes, not thirty as in many practices where hygiene is provided as an additional service at the edge of treatment time. The additional thirty minutes are not comfort but a prerequisite for thorough cleaning and individual training.
What actually happens during a session
Findings. The hygienist records plaque and bleeding indices, probes gum pockets with calibrated probes and documents findings digitally. With recurring patients comparison to the previous session takes place, making changes visible.
Mechanical cleaning. Ultrasound dissolves hard tartar, hand and powder-jet instruments remove deposits in interdental spaces, on tooth necks and in pockets. The Air-Flow powder-jet works with fine erythritol or glycine powder and reaches places where mechanical scraping cannot.
Polishing. Tooth surfaces are smoothed with fine polishing paste. Smoothed surfaces are less prone to plaque accumulation. Polishing is not cosmetic but preventive.
Fluoridation. Final treatment with high-concentration fluoride gel or varnish to stabilize tooth surfaces and reduce sensitivity.
Training. Individual demonstration of correct brushing technique, interdental care with floss or interdental brushes, recommendations for mouthwash. Written, so you can refer back at home.
Dental hygiene for implant patients
Implants need more care than natural teeth, not less. The mucosa around the implant is structured differently, less vascularized and reacts more sensitively to plaque. Peri-implantitis (the implant variant of periodontitis) is now the most common cause of late implant loss and often develops insidiously over years.
We recommend implant patients at least two sessions per year and work with specially developed attachments that do not scratch the implant surface. The implant shoulder is cleaned with powder-jet and fine plastic curettes, never with metal instruments.
What you do yourself in between
A session a year does not replace daily care. Brushing twice daily, interdental care with floss or interdental brush once daily, replacing the brush every three months. Smokers should know: nicotine is a documented risk factor for periodontitis and peri-implantitis. Knowing risk factors lets you act on them. We discuss this openly, without lecturing.
When you should book a session
If your last dental hygiene was more than twelve months ago. If your gums bleed during brushing. If you feel that deposits no longer brush off. If you have implants, crowns or a periodontitis history. In all these cases it is about prevention, not repair. Repair is always more expensive.
