The essential role of the Dental Hygienist
Dental HygieneWhat exactly is a Dental Hygienist
A Dental Hygienist is a highly trained and registered professional, mostly tasked with the prevention of gum disease and providing the best up-to-date advice on oral hygiene.
This is usually done at your routine check-up, where your teeth undergo a thorough examination and cleaning known as a ‘scale and polish’.
This part of the process not only aims to fully clean the tooth's exterior surface but to remove the deeper signs of plaque buildup and any developing tartar.
It may be surprising to hear, but plaque can already start to take root as quickly as 8 – 12 hours after brushing and can turn into fully fledged tartar within 24 – 72 hours. This is why twice a day ‘thorough’ brushing is an essential first step towards prevention.
If plaque isn’t routinely cleared every day and is given time to harden into tartar, then it becomes impossible to remove with standard brushing alone. At this point, it can then spread through the surrounding gum and tooth areas, rapidly developing into gum disease.
Beyond the Scale and Polish
Though the ‘scale and polish’ is the principle role of the Dental Hygienist, the full scope of the examination or ‘check-up’ goes much further, seeking to identify any potential future dental issues as well as any signs of more serious implications such as cancer or emerging jaw problems such as TMJ (also known as TMD), or Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction to give its full title.
TMJ is often the culprit behind a clicking or clunking jawbone, and more details on its prevention and treatment can be found with a simple Google search.
Ok, what else does a Dental Hygienist do?
The full capacity of the Dental Hygienist actually covers many essential roles within a dental practice, among these are:
Evaluating a patient's medical history to assess and predict possible emerging problems.
Informing dentists of any issues that need more decisive or invasive care and action.
The placement of temporary dressings and cements.
Care of tooth implants.
Cancer screenings of the tooth, head and neck.
Smoothing out any areas that have become jagged or rough, which are a rich breeding ground for bacteria to thrive.
And depending on the individual dental practice, the Dental Hygienist may also perform additional services, such as:
Tooth whitening.
Administering sedation.
Removing sutures.
The last three are usually under the tutelage of a qualified dentist, who will oversee each step to ensure expert care and guidance.
Why brushing alone isn't enough
Even if your tooth brushing regime is extremely thorough, there is only so much the human hand and eye can achieve.
There are many ways in which a check-up with a Dental Hygienist far excels anything we can do, such as the angles they are able to achieve, the expert tools at hand, and simply knowing what to look for and how to assess it.
This is one area of life where it really does us good to leave it to the experts.
Most important is the dental professional's ability to spot the first signs of serious problems; for this alone, we should never miss a scheduled check-up.
What is happening at a check-up?
An initial tooth scan and assessment for any areas of note.
An examination of each and every tooth. This is known as a BPE or basic periodontal examination.
A deep probe around your teeth and gumline to see if there are any holes or unseen concerns, such as deep pockets.
And what do all those numbers mean?
As the assessment is carried out, a score is given to each part of your mouth as separated into 4 distinct sections: the upper right, upper front, lower right and lower front.
And the scores equate to the following measures of tooth health.
0 = No pockets over 3.5mm, No calculus (tartar) and no bleeding after probe.
1 = No pockets over 3.5mm, no calculus, but some bleeding with probe.
2 = No pockets over 3.5mm, but some calculus.
3 = Increased probing depth of between 3.5mm and 5.5mm.
4 = Probing depth over 5.5mm.
This BPE score is then compared to your previous totals to assess where your teeth score may have improved or indeed deteriorated.
Once the initial assessment is complete, the cleaning begins and especially targets the most at-risk and most difficult to reach areas.
What if my teeth are really bad?
If your BPE scores indicate problems that are more severe than standard, at-home brushing can deal with, a treatment plan will be designed, which may include more regular visits to your dentist. This should hopefully be a short-term measure, but it is absolutely pivotal not to delay any extra appointments. If these are outlined, any qualified dentist will have a very specific reason for suggesting them.
Is it possible to see a Dental Hygienist without also seeing a dentist?
Yes, this is commonly referred to as Direct Access, and allows you to see the Dental Hygienist for more peripheral assessments such as such as your BPE score, or a standard screening oral assessment, as well as limited treatments, and of course for any guidance or instruction you feel you may need.
Finally, some lesser-known tips for tooth brushing:
The best practice is to floss or use an interdental brush BEFORE you brush your teeth.
It is best NOT to wet your toothbrush before you apply toothpaste.
Brush in circular motions if you use a manual toothbrush.
It is important to brush EVERY tooth back and front.
Don’t rinse AFTER brushing! Do this thoroughly before.
Brushing your tongue can also improve complete oral hygiene!
Who we are
Life Dental and Wellbeing is an established dental practice in the heart of Exeter.
We pride ourselves on delivering the highest standards of advice and care throughout all elements of our business, from our informed and dedicated reception staff, through our highly trained and passionate nursing team, to our highly qualified and respected dental hygienists and dentists.
If you have any questions about today's article or indeed any other dental concerns or queries, please call us 01392 278843 or email us at info@lifedentalandwellbeing.co.uk and we will endeavour to answer your query as quickly as possible.
