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Dental Hygiene

What is Dental Hygiene?

Dental hygiene is the practice of self or professional tooth cleaning to help prevent oral health problems like tooth decay and gum disease. Plaque bacteria is the main cause of dental disease and removing it with good tooth brushing and flossing can help avoid oral health problems.

The Role Of The Hygienist

It is the hygienist’s role to support and help people find the best way to achieve good oral health routine. Every patient is different with a variety of needs. Through detailed assessment of the patient’s medical, dental and social history, the hygienist can determine the most appropriate way to care for her patient’s teeth and gums.

Patients are given tailor made oral hygiene instructions to help them remove the daily build up of plaque bacteria at home. In the surgery, the hygienist scales teeth and if necessary, the roots to remove hard plaque deposits like calculus to manage gum disease.

The hygienist usually liaises with the dentist over the treatment of tooth decay and tooth wear. They also carry out oral cancer screening and can offer patients advice on how to stop smoking.

The Role Of The Hygienist At ADP

The multi-specialist dental team at Advanced Dental Practice often receives patients with a complicated set of dental problems. The role of the hygienist as part of this team is to promote good oral hygiene and encourage healthy oral foundations so that complex treatment can be carried out successfully. After treatment, patients are put into a routine maintenance programme by the hygienist tailored to their needs.