What is a dental hygienist?
Dental hygienists are specially trained members
of the dental team. They play an important role
in dental health care, preventing dental disease
by giving individual oral hygiene instruction to
patients.
What is oral hygiene
instruction?
It is a term used to describe methods
of cleaning the mouth by toothbrushing, flossing
and other techniques.
What is
the hygienist’s role in the practice?
Hygienists have two main roles: - scaling and polishing
and teaching patients oral hygiene techniques. They
work with the dentist to establish and maintain
a programme tailored to meet your specific needs
and skills.
Why is this important?
Good home care is important if gum disease
and tooth decay are not to progress to more serious
problems. A clean and healthy mouth will help to
improve your appearance and self-confidence, it
will also give you fresh breath making you nice
to be near.
How can a hygienist
help prevent disease?
Hygienists are trained to help prevent
dental disease by demonstrating how to care for
your teeth and gums and advising on diet. However,
this is just part of the preventative technique.
Is there anything I can do to help
the hygienist?
Yes, you can do a great deal to help yourself
because you are in control of your oral hygiene
between visits to the dental practice.
What help will I be given?
The hygienist will start off by making
a record of the condition of your gums. After
this your hygienist will show you a daily routine
for removing plaque from your mouth involving
thorough cleaning with a medium textured toothbrush
and fluoride toothpaste. You will also be shown
how to remove plaque from between your teeth with
floss, woodsticks or a small inter-space brush.
Following this, the hygienist will remove calculus
(tartar) by cleaning you teeth. This is known
as ‘scaling and polishing.
Why doesn’t the dentist do the
work?
The dentist may refer you to the hygienist
as they are able to spend more time on the scaling
and polishing of your teeth. The hygienist has
been specially trained to teach you how to look
after you mouth and guide you to a successful
cleaning regime.
Will it hurt?
Scaling and polishing the teeth should
be pain-free and if you do experience discomfort
it is important that you tell the hygienist. Arrangements
can be made for you to have some form of pain
control for the areas that are uncomfortable.
Is it expensive?
The costs of treatment by our hygienist
will vary depending on the amount of treatment
that is carried out. Each 30 minute appointment
costs £42. This is a private charge as appointments
with the hygienist are not available under the
NHS. The receptionist will give you a written
estimate of the cost of your treatment before
any treatment is started. Please note, this fee
is non-refundable for broken appointments and
late cancellations.
Tips for a healthy mouth
- Use a toothbrush with a small head and medium
textured nylon bristles.
- Brush thoroughly for 3 minutes at least once
a day using a fluoride toothpaste.
- Remember to concentrate of the area where
the teeth meet the gum.
- Use dental floss or an inter-dental brush
to clean between the teeth.
- If necessary, use disclosing tablets to identify
the areas where more attention is needed
- Have regular check-ups.
- Avoid sugary snacks between meals.
Once your initial treatment has been completed,
we encourage you to come back for regular check-ups
to ensure that all is well. Wherever possible, it
is our aim to help you achieve and maintain a healthy
mouth. In order to do this, we encourage a preventive
approach to dental care. This means not only looking
after the teeth and gums, but also attention to
other factors such as diet and oral hygiene. We
will usually send you a reminder every six months
to let you know when your check-up is due.
Mouth cancer is a malignant growth which can occur
in any part of the mouth, including the tongue,
lips and throat. Mouth cancers have a higher
proportion of deaths per number of cases than breast
cancer, cervical cancer or skin melanoma. The mortality
rate is just over 50%, despite treatment, with about
1,700 deaths per year in the UK. This is because
of late detection. Visit your dentist at once if
you notice any abnormal problems or are not sure.
Six-monthly dental checkups allow early detection!
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Mouth
Cancer Foundation
The MCF web site aims to help patients and
carers find free information on mouth cancers
easily. It provides direct links to the relevant
sections of existing cancer sites and includes
patient experiences as well as an online support
group. |
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Giving
Up Smoking
It's not easy... So that's why this web site
is here. Giving up smoking requires preparation,
determination, and support. This site is here
to help you with each of these. If you're
thinking about giving up, have a look-in. |
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