We're now open on Saturdays 09:00-13:00 (pre-booked appointments only)
Call us: 0115 647 9990
Mapperley Dental Studio · 870 Woodborough Road · 0115 647 9990
Gum health and prevention
Removing the hardened deposits that brushing cannot, and fixing the technique that let them build up.
Hygiene appointments treat and prevent gum disease. Cleaning removes what has already formed; the advice you leave with is what stops it forming again before the next visit.
New patient hygienistFrom £98
Fully private practice, no long waiting list
Early, late and weekend appointments available
Booked in advance, subject to availability
Membership plans from £14.10 a month
The straight answer
A dental hygiene appointment is professional cleaning and gum care. Plaque and hardened tartar are removed from above and below the gumline using ultrasonic instruments, stained surfaces are polished, and you are shown how to clean the areas your current routine is missing. It treats and helps prevent gum disease.
Plaque left undisturbed hardens into tartar within days. Tartar cannot be brushed off and it holds bacteria against the gum, causing inflammation. Untreated, that inflammation progresses to destroy the bone supporting the teeth.
Ultrasonic instruments break up deposits with high-frequency vibration and water and remove what remains, particularly below the gumline. Polishing then smooths surfaces so plaque re-forms more slowly.
Cleaning resets the mouth. It does not stop plaque returning. Bone already lost to gum disease does not grow back, so the aim in established cases is to stabilise rather than reverse.
Why patients come to us
Healthy gums do not bleed. Bleeding is inflammation caused by plaque sitting at the gum margin, and it is the earliest reversible stage of gum disease.
Practical outcome: with cleaning and a corrected technique, bleeding usually settles within a few weeks.
Bacteria in deposits below the gumline and on the tongue are a common cause. Removing the deposits addresses the source rather than masking it.
Practical outcome: the cause is treated, and you are shown how to keep it from returning.
Tea, coffee, red wine and tobacco stain the surface. Brushing does not remove set-in staining, and abrasive whitening pastes wear enamel rather than lifting it.
Practical outcome: surface staining removed safely, which for some patients is enough without whitening.
What this treatment gives you, and the practicalities worth knowing before you book.
Suitability
Attend the examination and hygiene intervals your dentist recommends
Follow the home cleaning routine agreed with your dentist or hygienist
Tell us about medical conditions and medication, and about any changes
Your dentist will confirm whether this treatment is suitable after examining your teeth, gums, bite and wider oral health.
Step by step
Gum health is checked and measured, and areas of inflammation and deposit are identified before cleaning starts.
High-frequency vibration and a water spray break up hardened deposits above and below the gumline.
Finer deposits, particularly those below the gum margin and between teeth, are removed by hand.
Surfaces are polished to lift staining and leave them smoother, so plaque re-forms more slowly.
You are shown the specific areas your routine is missing and which interdental brush size or floss technique suits your gaps.
The next appointment is set according to your gum health and risk, not a standard schedule.
The first appointment is an examination and a discussion. No treatment is carried out without your agreement, and you leave with a written plan and costs.
Fees
Fees depend on what the examination finds, which is why the figures below are starting points rather than quotations.
One examination and one hygiene appointment a year, priority access and emergency support.
Two examinations and two hygiene appointments a year, priority access and emergency support.
Two examinations and four hygiene appointments a year, priority access and emergency support.
All three plans include priority appointment availability, a 10% discount on non-cosmetic treatment and eligibility for the Worldwide Dental Emergency Assistance Scheme.
Your personalised cost is confirmed in writing after your examination. The figures above are starting prices for guidance only. They are not a quotation and do not take account of your individual clinical needs. You will receive a written plan setting out the recommended treatment, sequence and cost. No treatment begins until you have agreed it.
Your dentist
Whether someone comes in for a check-up or a full cosmetic plan, the first appointment is the same: time to listen, a proper look, and a clear explanation of the options and what they cost. Everything else follows from that.
Dr Rupchhen Tamang, Principal Dentist
A general dental practitioner is not a specialist. The word "specialist" should not be used unless a clinician appears on the relevant GDC specialist list.
Comfort and aftercare
Most patients find cleaning comfortable, though it can feel cold and ticklish where the water spray is used and tender where gums are already inflamed.
Local anaesthetic can be used where deposits below the gumline need removing and the area is sensitive. Tell the hygienist if anything is uncomfortable and treatment can be paused.
Gums are often tender for a day or two and may bleed slightly when brushed. Teeth can feel more sensitive to cold for a few days as newly exposed surfaces settle.
Avoid staining foods and drinks for the rest of the day after polishing. Continue brushing gently even if the gums are tender, since stopping allows plaque to reform immediately.
Common questions
The interval is set individually based on your gum health, how quickly you form deposits, and your risk factors such as smoking or diabetes. Some patients need cleaning every three months; others are stable on annual visits. The membership plans include between one and four hygiene appointments a year for this reason.
Most patients find it comfortable. It can feel cold and ticklish, and tender where gums are already inflamed. Where cleaning below the gumline is needed and the area is sensitive, local anaesthetic can be used. Tell the hygienist if anything is uncomfortable and treatment will be paused.
Polishing removes surface staining from tea, coffee, red wine and tobacco, which often makes teeth look noticeably brighter. It does not change the underlying shade of the tooth. If you want a lighter natural shade, that requires whitening, which is a separate treatment.
Deposits covering exposed root surface are removed during cleaning, and root surface is more sensitive than enamel. This usually settles within a few days. A desensitising toothpaste used consistently helps, and you should tell the practice if sensitivity persists beyond a couple of weeks.
It can reverse the earliest stage, where inflammation is limited to the gums. Once gum disease has destroyed bone around the teeth, that bone does not grow back. In established cases the aim is to stabilise the condition and stop further loss, which requires both professional cleaning and consistent daily cleaning at home.
Yes. A hygiene appointment treats the gums and cleans the teeth; it does not produce a full assessment of decay, existing restorations, your bite or the soft tissues, and it does not generate a treatment plan. The two appointments do different jobs.
Still unsure about something? Call the practice on 0115 647 9990 and ask.
Finding us
| Monday | 9am to 5pm |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 8am to 8pm |
| Wednesday | 8am to 8pm |
| Thursday | 9am to 5pm |
| Friday | 9am to 5pm |
| Saturday | Pre-booked appointments only |
| Sunday | Closed |
Patient feedback
Your first appointment is an assessment and a conversation. You leave with a written plan setting out what is recommended, in what order, and what it costs, and you decide what happens next.
