Friday, January 27, 2012

Know What a Dental Hygienist Does?

Dental hygienists are involved in providing direct patient care in a dental office. Along with dentists, dental hygienists provide services after obtaining the proper licensing or credentials from the appropriate jurisdiction. Go on to know what a dental hygienist does.

A dental hygienist performs various tasks that are related to dental care. He does teeth cleaning to remove plaque, tartar, and deposits from a patient's mouth. The hygienist also helps in other additional procedures such as taking X-rays, performing temporary dental fillings, removing stitches, and administration of local anesthesia. The hygienists also educate patients about the importance of oral health. They explain how to brush and floss properly, educate the basic dental procedures and anatomy of teeth. They provide patient handouts, videos and other materials for patients to take home or access online through the Internet. They also make patients understand the importance of various dental home-care products to improve periodontal health and reduce the risks of dental problems like caries, bad breath, dry mouth, etc.

Dental hygienists also involve in screening procedures such as oral cancer evaluations, blood pressure monitoring, blood glucose testing, periodontal saliva sampling, bone density testing, etc. to detect early stages of disease. If these tests result evidence of a systemic disease, then they contact the dentists and help the patient consider a referral to the physician or appropriate healthcare provider. They are also engaged in providing treatment planning including recalling appointments, in-office treatments, etc., based on the status of the patient's health. So, a dental hygienist helps dentists and patients as well.

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