You are most likely to spend most of your regular dental appointment time with a dental hygienist before your dentist attends to you. Dental hygienists form an intrinsic part of dentistry. A dental hygienist is a dental specialist that focuses on preventative dentistry practice and education, helping the dentist by performing some integral duties to help maintain your dental health. A dental hygienist must complete a three-year program in dental hygiene and graduate with a bachelor or diploma and get licensed to practice.
Scope of dental hygiene
During your routine dental check-up, your dental hygienist will attend to you before your dentist and starts off by reviewing your dental history. Reviewing the dental history makes the dentist aware of your previous dental work, and medications to help avert medical complications. Reviewing your medical history also helps the dental hygienist plan a personalized treatment procedure.
A dental hygienist also performs screening on your dental cavity to access for disease and decay. Screening is important before any dental work commences. By taking an inventory of the mouth cavity, face, and neck, the dental hygienist helps identify illnesses before they advance. A screening could also involve dental x-rays to help them identify the onset of dental diseases. A dental hygienist is also tasked with conducting dental cleanings including simple planning and root scaling. This helps patients achieve a bright smile and healthy teeth and gums.
A dental hygienist also engages in educational practices and advice the patients on how to maintain their dental health. A dental hygienist will basically advise you on proper brushing and flossing cleaning techniques to enable maintain good oral health. A dental hygienist acts as a connection between the dentist and the patient by documenting the dentist's findings on the patient's health. The dentist also informs the dentist on their findings during examination and screening. Additionally, the dental hygienist helps take dental impressions on patients' teeth that require customized dental restorations.