Professional Dental Hygiene & Cleaning

The dental hygiene department at Ortodoncie Halířová provides professional teeth cleaning and oral health maintenance services, operating alongside the orthodontic practice with its own specialist hygienist team and separate appointment schedule. Services include initial professional cleaning with full oral health assessment, recall maintenance sessions for ongoing plaque and tartar control, and Air-Flow treatment for stain and fresh tartar removal. For orthodontic patients — whether in braces or aligners — professional hygiene visits every 3–4 months are especially important to prevent white spot lesions and maintain gum health during active treatment.

Professional dental hygiene is a clinical service performed by a trained dental hygienist that removes the plaque biofilm and calcified tartar deposits (calculus) that accumulate on tooth surfaces and along the gum line — deposits that cannot be removed by home brushing and flossing alone, regardless of technique or frequency. Regular professional cleaning is the primary preventive intervention against periodontal (gum) disease and dental caries, and is particularly critical for patients undergoing orthodontic treatment. **Why hygiene matters during orthodontic treatment:** Braces and aligners change the oral environment in ways that increase risk of dental complications. Fixed braces create multiple areas where plaque accumulates around brackets and wires — areas that are challenging to clean and where early decay lesions (white spot lesions) can form within weeks of inadequate hygiene. Aligner patients must remove trays for eating but must be diligent about cleaning both teeth and trays before reinsertion. The dental hygiene team at Halířová recommends visits every 3–4 months for patients in active orthodontic treatment (versus every 6 months for the general population). **Initial examination and cleaning (1,500 CZK adults / 1,200 CZK children, 45 minutes):** A comprehensive first appointment that includes a full oral health assessment (gum pocket depths, plaque scores, gum inflammation grading), supragingival and subgingival calculus removal using ultrasonic and hand instruments, tooth polishing, interdental cleaning, assessment and instruction of home cleaning technique (brush, interdental brushes, floss technique reviewed), and fluoridation. The hygienist provides personalised oral hygiene instruction tailored to the patient's current appliance situation. **Recall maintenance session (1,200 CZK adults / 800 CZK children, 30 minutes):** A shorter follow-up appointment for patients whose gum health is stable. Includes plaque score review, removal of any new calculus deposits, polishing, and reinforcement of home care technique. **Air-Flow treatment (1,000 CZK adults / 500 CZK children, 25 minutes):** Air-Flow uses a controlled jet of fine sodium bicarbonate powder and water to remove extrinsic surface stains and fresh (non-mineralised) biofilm deposits efficiently and comfortably from tooth surfaces, including around brackets, from approximal (between-tooth) surfaces, and from the gum line. It is particularly effective for removing coffee, tea, and nicotine stains before whitening, and for cleaning around orthodontic attachments.