Tell me more about the Dental Hygiene


Our dental hygienists carry out educational and clinical care for individual patients. Our hygienists work closely with the dentist's who will examine the patient initially and recommend the treatment to be given by the hygienist.

We see the primary role of the dental hygienist is that of an educator, helping to give patients the necessary skills to enable them to maintain their oral hygiene effectively. Our hygienists are able to identify to the patient those areas where a patient is having difficulty in removing plaque and then work with the patient to modify his or her tooth brushing technique to ensure effective cleaning. Motivating patients to continue to clean their teeth effectively is vital; if this is not carried out routinely, oral health will not improve.

An effective cleaning regime can be improved by an understanding of the importance of diet. Few patients are aware of just how much sugar is contained in the foods we eat and the effect it can have on teeth.

In addition to providing advice on effective cleaning and on diet, the hygienist is responsible for removing deposits of calculus from the surfaces of teeth. The presence of calculus attracts plaque and makes tooth cleaning more difficult. Calculus and some types of staining are removed using hand scalers or ultrasonic scalers. Occasionally, patients are very sensitive to scaling and the hygienist may need to administer a local anaesthetic to make the process more comfortable. The hygienist may also apply fluoride directly to the teeth and fissure sealants, particularly on children's teeth, to help prevent decay.

To find out more about our hygienists click here.