What Is The Hygienists Role In The Practice?

The hygienist's main role is to provide professional cleaning of the teeth for the patient. This is usually called scaling and polishing. However, perhaps their most important role is the education of the patient in the best way to keep the teeth free of plaque. Our hygienists work closely with the dentists and nurses to provide care tailored to your needs.

Why Is This Treatment Important?

Regular professional cleaning combined with your home care will help maintain a healthy mouth. A clean and healthy mouth will improve your appearance, help you keep your teeth and give you fresh breath. Poor gum health is now known to be related to heart problems later in life.

Can A Hygienist Help Prevent Dental Disease?

The training of the hygienist is centred around preventing dental disease (Gum disease and tooth decay). Carefully removing the deposits that build up on the teeth (tartar) and teaching you how to prevent it reforming again, will go a long way to slowing the progress of gum disease. By discussing your diet and recommending other preventive measure your decay rate can also be reduced. Remember prevention is free - you do it yourself!

What Help Is Available For Children?

Children can benefit from having their teeth polished and being shown how to brush correctly. Techniques learned as a child will be used throughout life. The hygienist can also apply fluoride gels and solutions to help prevent decay. The permanent back teeth can also benefit from having the fissures sealed. This is done by applying a special plastic coating to the biting surface soon after they erupt into the mouth.