What is a Dental Hygienist?

Dental hygienists are specially trained members of the dental team. They play an important role in dental healthcare, preventing dental disease by giving individual oral hygiene instruction to patients.

Why is it important?
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. Good home care is important if gum disease and tooth decay are not to progress to more serious problems.

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 preventive technique.

What help is available for children?
The hygienist can help to prevent decay by applying fissure sealants to teeth.
Fissure sealant is a plastic material which is bonded to the biting surface of back teeth and this helps protect them from decay.