Hygiene

The aim of the Dental Hygienist

  • Is to help you achieve optimal dental health in relation to your general health
  • We believe that a dedicated dental hygiene program is of paramount importance as part of this goal
  • Dental Hygienists are dental health professionals who promote the concept of optimal oral health through prevention of oral disease
  • They possess educational skills to assist in the prevention of periodontal (gum) disease and dental caries (decay)
  • Even though they have been part of the dental care team in the USA and the UK for up to 50 years they only became legal in Victoria in 1989

The Dental Hygienists role

Dental Hygienists work with people of all ages and provide patient management in the following areas:
  • Evaluation and assessment of periodontal health
  • Discussion and taking of radiographs in relation to periodontal health
  • Removal of plaque and calculus (tartar) from the teeth including root cleaning
  • Scale and clean
  • Educating patients about the importance of plaque control in relation to dental disease
  • Teaching effective oral hygiene techniques to maintain healthy teeth and gums
  • Customizing an overall oral hygiene program to meet the individual needs and monitoring the effectiveness of this program
  • Application of various techniques for the prevention of dental decay
  • Dental impressions
  • Tooth whitening
  • Counseling you on the importance of good nutrition for maintaining optimal oral health

Benefits of a Dental Hygienist program in our practice 

Dental Hygienists have been specifically trained in the treatment of gum disease and the cleaning and maintenance of the mouth, teeth and gums. Their dedication to prevention and oral health makes them an indispensable member of the dental practice. Dentists are certainly able to offer care in this area but work within a different fee structure that supports much higher overhead costs such as chair side assistants, expensive dental equipment and dental materials.

This means that a Dental Hygienist is able to spend more time on scaling, polishing and teaching of better home care regimes within a realistic fee structure. Whilst Dental Hygienists are not in a position to treat serious periodontal problems, they are skilled in evaluation of such problems thus able to reliably refer to the Dentist or Periodontist. You should nevertheless ensure that you have regular dental examinations.