Claire Bennett Dental Hygienist & Therapist

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Claire Bennett Dental Hygienist & Therapist Dental Hygienist & Therapist in Taunton. Gum health • GBT • AIRFLOW® • Implant maintenance • Direct Access. Nervous patients welcome.

“I’m sorry. My teeth are awful.”You’d be surprised how often someone says this to me before they’ve even sat in my chair...
12/10/2026

“I’m sorry. My teeth are awful.”

You’d be surprised how often someone says this to me before they’ve even sat in my chair.

They apologise for the staining, the build-up, not flossing, or because it’s been years since they last saw a hygienist.

Some are genuinely embarrassed about opening their mouths.

But here’s the thing.

I’ve worked in dentistry since I was 18. I’ve seen an awful lot of teeth.

And I can honestly say I’m not interested in judging yours.

I’m much more interested in why you’ve come to see me.

Is something bothering you? Are your gums bleeding? Do you just want your mouth to feel clean again? Or have you finally plucked up the courage to book?

Whatever brought you through the door, we can start there.

You don’t need to clean your teeth to perfection before your appointment. You don’t need to explain why you’ve left it so long.

And you certainly don’t need to apologise.

That’s rather the point of coming to see me.

Claire Bennett
Dental Hygienist & Dental Therapist
Taunton Dental Practice

What a lovely review to receive!One of the things I hear so often is how nervous people feel about visiting the hygienis...
09/10/2026

What a lovely review to receive!

One of the things I hear so often is how nervous people feel about visiting the hygienist, particularly when they’re worried about their gums or embarrassed about their teeth.

And I completely understand.

For me, it’s never just about the treatment. It’s about listening, explaining what’s happening and making sure you feel comfortable every step of the way.

There are no lectures or telling-offs in my surgery. Just a conversation about where we are, what we can do and how we move forward together.

Thank you, Kay, for trusting me and taking the time to share your experience. It really does mean a lot.

Claire

“I’m not registered with a dentist. Can I still book with you?”Yes.You don’t need a referral from a dentist to book a hy...
30/09/2026

“I’m not registered with a dentist. Can I still book with you?”

Yes.

You don’t need a referral from a dentist to book a hygiene appointment with me.

I see lots of patients this way. Some haven’t seen a hygienist for years. Some have bleeding gums or staining they want help with. Others have implants they want to look after.

You can simply book directly with me.

And if I spot something that I think needs a dentist, I’ll tell you — I’m not going to pretend it’s something I can deal with if it isn’t.

So if not being registered with a dentist has been stopping you from booking a hygienist, it doesn’t need to.

Our red door is open.

Claire Bennett
Dental Hygienist & Dental Therapist
Taunton Dental Practice

An implant isn’t a tooth. So why would we look after it exactly the same way?Dental implants can’t get tooth decay, but ...
28/09/2026

An implant isn’t a tooth. So why would we look after it exactly the same way?

Dental implants can’t get tooth decay, but the gums and bone around them can still develop problems.

One of the important differences is how the gum tissues attach around an implant compared with a natural tooth. That’s one reason I don’t treat implant maintenance as simply another routine clean.

When I see patients with implants, I monitor the health of the tissues around them, remove biofilm where needed and help patients find the right way to clean around their particular implant restoration at home.

Whether you have one implant or several, they’re an investment worth looking after.

Claire Bennett
Dental Hygienist & Dental Therapist
Taunton Dental Practice

This is the bit that means the most to me: “always makes me feel comfortable.”Being nervous about a dental appointment i...
24/09/2026

This is the bit that means the most to me: “always makes me feel comfortable.”

Being nervous about a dental appointment is incredibly common, and you never need to apologise for it.

My job isn’t just to look after your gums, implants or remove staining. I want you to understand what we’re doing, feel in control and — hopefully — leave wondering why you were quite so worried in the first place.

Thank you, Ellie, for such a lovely review. It really does mean a lot.

Claire
Dental Hygienist & Dental Therapist
Taunton Dental Practice

“My gums only bleed because I poke them with the little brushes.”I hear versions of this quite a lot.Or:“They only bleed...
23/09/2026

“My gums only bleed because I poke them with the little brushes.”

I hear versions of this quite a lot.

Or:

“They only bleed when I floss.”

But bleeding is actually useful information.

When I examine your gums, I record where they bleed and calculate a bleeding percentage. I’m not giving you a score to tell you off — it helps us see where the inflammation is and where we need to concentrate.

And those bleeding areas usually aren’t the ones I want you to avoid because they’re sore or because you’re worried you’re making them bleed.

They’re often the areas where we need to improve the cleaning.

Then, when I see you again, we can measure it again.

Less bleeding = healthier gums.

It’s one of the simplest ways I can show you that what you’re doing at home is actually working.

Claire Bennett
Dental Hygienist & Dental Therapist
Taunton Dental Practice

to

Nervous about seeing the hygienist?You’re definitely not the only one.Sometimes it’s because of a previous experience. S...
21/09/2026

Nervous about seeing the hygienist?

You’re definitely not the only one.

Sometimes it’s because of a previous experience. Sometimes it’s embarrassment about how long it’s been. And sometimes people can’t really explain why — they just know they’re nervous.

You don’t need to apologise to me.

I always tell my patients: you’re in charge in my surgery. Just talk to me.

I’ll explain what I’m doing, we’ll take things at your pace, and if you need me to stop, we stop.

And please don’t worry about being judged. Whatever is happening in your mouth, we start from where you are today.

Claire
Dental Hygienist & Dental Therapist | Taunton

I’m a big believer in showing, not just telling.Dental appointments can involve a lot of information — and it’s very eas...
18/09/2026

I’m a big believer in showing, not just telling.

Dental appointments can involve a lot of information — and it’s very easy to nod along while someone talks at you and then forget half of it by the time you get home.

I’d much rather show you what I can see, explain it in normal language and make sure it actually makes sense.

You don’t need to understand dental jargon to understand your own mouth.

And there are no silly questions in my surgery.

Claire
Dental Hygienist & Dental Therapist | Taunton

PatientCare

I’m a big believer in showing, not just telling.Dental appointments can involve a lot of information — and it’s very eas...
18/09/2026

I’m a big believer in showing, not just telling.

Dental appointments can involve a lot of information — and it’s very easy to nod along while someone talks at you and then forget half of it by the time you get home.

I’d much rather show you what I can see, explain it in normal language and make sure it actually makes sense.

You don’t need to understand dental jargon to understand your own mouth.

And there are no silly questions in my surgery.

Claire
Dental Hygienist & Dental Therapist | Taunton

This is why I love making biofilm visible. 🩷The middle photo shows what we can’t always see easily with the naked eye.Th...
17/09/2026

This is why I love making biofilm visible. 🩷

The middle photo shows what we can’t always see easily with the naked eye.

The purple is a disclosing solution that makes biofilm (plaque) visible — so both you and I can see exactly where it is.

Then I can remove the biofilm using Guided Biofilm Therapy and, just as importantly, show you the areas to concentrate on at home.

The final photo isn’t tooth whitening. It’s simply the result after treatment.

See it. Remove it. Learn how to keep it away.

Claire
Dental Hygienist & Dental Therapist
📍 Taunton

Address

Taunton Dental Practice 11 The Crescent
Honiton
TA14EA

Opening Hours

Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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