Dental Hygiene & Periodontal Care
Professional care to support healthy teeth and gums
Routine hygiene care, non-surgical periodontal treatment and ongoing maintenance, with personalised advice and close coordination with Waimea Dental’s periodontist and other specialist clinicians where required.
With Olive Kennedy, Oral Health Therapist
Olive Kennedy
Oral Health Therapist
Olive is an experienced Oral Health Therapist with a particular interest in periodontal therapy and preventive dentistry.
Her approach is calm, practical and individualised. She takes the time to understand each patient’s oral health, current routine and any areas they find difficult to manage, then works with them to develop realistic ways to improve and maintain their oral health.
Olive places a strong emphasis on education and helping patients understand what is happening with their teeth and gums without making them feel judged or overwhelmed.
A key part of Olive’s role at Waimea Dental is working closely with our periodontist and other specialist clinicians. This allows hygiene and periodontal maintenance to be coordinated with specialist treatment plans and makes it easier for changes or concerns to be reviewed by the appropriate clinician when needed.
Hygiene and gum health
Plaque continually forms on the teeth and, if it is not effectively removed, can cause inflammation of the gums. Over time, plaque can harden into tartar and may build up below the gumline where it cannot be removed by normal brushing alone.
Bleeding or inflamed gums can be an early sign of gingivitis or periodontal disease. Gum disease can progress without significant pain, so identifying and managing changes early is important for protecting the tissues and bone that support your teeth.
Gum health is also linked with general health. The strongest evidence relates to the relationship between periodontal disease and diabetes, while associations have also been identified with cardiovascular disease.
Routine professional cleaning and maintenance
Bleeding, inflamed or sensitive gums
Gingivitis and periodontal disease
Ongoing maintenance following periodontal treatment
What We Help With
Tartar build-up and surface staining
Gum recession
Care around implants, crowns and bridges
Cleaning around braces and other orthodontic appliances
Areas that are difficult to clean effectively at home
What to expect
Every appointment is tailored to your individual needs.
Olive will assess your gum health, plaque and tartar levels, areas of inflammation or recession, and any areas that are difficult to keep clean.
Treatment may include ultrasonic and hand instrumentation, removal of plaque and tartar above or below the gumline, and removal of surface staining. Local anaesthetic can be used where appropriate to help keep treatment comfortable.
A key part of your appointment is making sure you have an effective home-care routine that works for you. Olive can provide practical advice on brushing, interdental cleaning and caring for implants, restorations or orthodontic appliances.
Non-surgical periodontal treatment and specialist-supported maintenance
If you have active gum disease or significant tartar below the gumline, you may require more than a routine hygiene appointment.
Non-surgical periodontal treatment may involve carefully cleaning below the gumline over one or more visits, depending on your individual needs.
For patients under the care of our periodontist, Olive provides ongoing maintenance in accordance with the specialist treatment plan. Because the clinicians work within the same practice, care is closely coordinated, with changes in gum health able to be reviewed efficiently where specialist input is required.
Olive also works alongside Waimea Dental’s other specialist clinicians, helping support patients whose oral hygiene needs are affected by more complex dental treatment, restorations or ongoing specialist care.
Braces and other orthodontic appliances create additional areas where plaque can accumulate and can make cleaning more difficult.
Regular hygiene appointments during orthodontic treatment can help manage plaque and tartar, reduce gum inflammation and provide practical advice on keeping teeth and gums healthy around brackets, wires and other appliances.
Where appropriate, hygiene care can also be coordinated with your orthodontic treatment.
Hygiene care during orthodontic treatment
Make an appointment
Book with Olive for routine hygiene care, non-surgical periodontal treatment or ongoing periodontal maintenance.
Dental hygiene and periodontal care in Nelson and Richmond
Waimea Dental provides routine hygiene care, non-surgical periodontal treatment and specialist-supported periodontal maintenance for patients across Nelson, Richmond and Tasman.