Hygienists - vital to your dental health

Dental hygienists are trained in working with a dentist to help care for your teeth and gums. Their main job is to help with the prevention and the treatment of gum disease.

When you visit our practice, you will be monitored by our experienced hygienists. They may use a precision instrument to measure and chart the depth of any "pocket" around your teeth. They can also carry out a treatment plan which takes into account your requirements.

This can include scaling and polishing as well as root planning and deep scaling under local anaesthetic if necessary.

Karen McGowan

Karen has been a qualified hygienist for 10 years and passed her diploma in dental hygiene at Edinburgh University.

She has since been working in private pracitices in Surrey. Karen has also worked for corporate companies, including British Airways, the Bank of England and the BBC.

Anna Xanthos

Anna qualified as a dental hygienist in 2001, passing her diploma at the Eastmans Dental Hospital in London. She has been working in private practices throughout Surrey.

Our hygienists will also help you with a maintenance programme to keep your mouth as healthy and clean as possible. It may be recommended that you attend the hygienist more frequently until your problem is brought under control.

Visiting the hygienist regularly is vital to maintain good oral health.

For children, the hygienist can help by cleaning, polishing, giving oral hygiene instructions and advice.