What is a Dental Hygienist?
Dental Hygienists are specially trained members of the dental team who work together with your dentist to provide fully integrated dental care. They play an important role in dental health, preventing dental disease by providing individual oral hygiene care and instructions to patients.
What is the Hygienist's role in the dental practice?
Hygienists perform four main functions:
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Teaching patients oral hygiene techniques on an individual basis. This one-on-one instruction includes care for your gums and teeth, and advice on a healthy diet to prevent dental disease.
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Evaluation and assessment of your periodontal (gum) tissue, including x-ray discussion and review of medical history.
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Scaling and polishing of teeth.
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Application of decay prevention agents.
Why is home dental care so important?
Dental disease can be prevented. Good home plaque control techniques help to prevent gum disease and tooth decay. Such problems are then less likely to progress into more serious dental ailments requiring extensive and expensive dental treatment.
Preventive dental hygiene for adults and children.
In the treatment of both adults and children the hygienist, together with the dentist, will examine the mouth and develop and individual course of treatment. Both adults and children can benefit from having their teeth cleaned and polished. They are taught how dental disease occurs and how it can be prevented. They hygienist cleans teeth by removing plaque, calculus (tartar) and staining. Thy hygienist will also apply fluoride gels and solutions to help prevent decay as well as preventive sealants (fissure sealants) to the permanent back teeth if needed.
Is there any discomfort?
Usually dental hygiene is pain free. If you find treatment uncomfortable it is important that you discuss this with the hygienist. Various techniques are available to help.
Why doesn't the dentist do the work?
Thy hygienist has been specially trained in the cleaning and maintenance of the mouth, teeth, and gums. A dentist will refer a patient to a hygienist for more specialised oral care, while they provide complex restorative care.
