Dental Hygiene

Meet Sarah, Your Hygiene Therapist

Hi I am Sarah one of the Dental Therapists here at Taylored Dental Care. 

A question I have been asked a lot over the years is, what is the difference between a dental therapist and a hygienist and what is the difference between us and seeing a Dentist?

So just to explain a little bit about that for you today.  So Dental therapists are usually dully qualified so we will be a hygienist as well as a therapist so we will complete for you simple scaling and polishing, cosmetic cleaning such as air flow which will remove any staining in your mouth and more treatment for gum conditions that are more advanced we can do all that kind of treatment for you, as well as guiding you to getting the healthiest mouth possible along the way so whether that be tooth brushing instructions or tips and hints on how to just tweak things to make your mouth healthier we will always do our best to do that. 

Therapist also are trained in completing fillings in both adults and children so all types of fillings we can do whether it be simple fillings booked in or cosmetic work building teeth up, replacing silver fillings with white ones and we can also do all the treatment that is required on children, so we have quite an interest in treating children whether it be extractions, fillings, pulp treatments we can do all of that, as well as taking x-rays which will help us do the most precise treatments for you, always striving to do our best. 

We can also provide cosmetic treatments, so if you would like to have your teeth whitened then that’s definitely something that we can do for you. 

Modern dentistry is moving a lot more towards the team work approach now which is really good because it means that you are getting the best from everybody so if you see myself for a filling then that will free up our dentist to do the more complex treatments that require a lot of skill and attention and we can then provide our skills and attention to you for what we do best also.

So if you would like to book an appointment and see us that would be nice to see you.  We also have the offer of seeing myself directly if you just wanted to pop down to have your teeth cleaning then that’s something that we can do, you can come and meet myself, meet the team and go from there, but it would be lovely to see you.

Sarah Discusses Mouth Cancer Awareness

Scaling and polishing –

This is our way of saying that she cleans the teeth, removing sticky plaque and hard calculus as well as cleaning the gums and finishing with a polish. We all need a good clean, usually every six months, but some of us need to go even more often. Our hygienist can advise what is best for you.

Oral disease care and prevention – 

With good oral maintenance we can almost always slow down plaque build-up and prevent oral diseases like tooth decay, gingivitis and periodontitis. By following our hygienist’s advice you can be your own hygienist, with great success.

Special cases –

If you already suffer from an oral health condition like gum disease, are on medication or undergoing special medical treatment, our hygienist will take expert care of you, with the aim of preventing further deterioration and providing a cure wherever possible.

Children –

Our dentists often refer children to our hygienist for general treatment, including scaling and fillings. General Dental Council (GDC) rules demand that a therapist work on deciduous or children’s teeth under the prescription of a qualified dentist.

General oral health advice:

• Tooth-brushing techniques and tips
• Flossing and interdental brushing techniques and tips
• Types of dental hygiene products for implants, bridges, dentures, braces and other restorations
• Rinsing and mouth-washing
• Which foods and drinks are good for your teeth, and which are bad
• The best tips for fresh breath

Here’s Sarah’s Top Tooth brushing Tips

Training

The hygienist’s role is critical at Taylored Dental Care. In line with GDC requirements they must have a two to three-year qualification in Dental Hygiene and Oral Health Science. They must also keep up to date with developments in dentistry so that our patients receive the most current, quality oral health care and advice.

But wait, there’s more

Our hygienists are a key part of the dental team, assisting with diagnostic procedures like x-rays, dental impression-taking and digital photography, so you could easily meet them well before you get a clean. They are fully trained in the use of a wide range of dental instruments and sterile environment protocols, as well has health and safety requirements. They also help keep patient records current and sends out check-up reminders.

High fluoride treatments

Taylored Dental Care provides safe high fluoride treatments to help children and adults reduce risk of tooth decay or dental caries. These treatments seal the outer tooth surface, protecting the teeth from harmful bacteria. The fluoride acts as a barrier to developing tooth decay by making the tooth structure more resistant to bacterial acid and by strengthening tooth enamel. We may recommend toothpastes or mouthwashes, including for those with dental braces and dentures.

Although fluoride occurs as a natural mineral in water and foods, it may be added to dental products such as toothpastes and dental gels to further combat tooth decay. Water fluoridation is common in many countries where non-harmful fluoride concentrations are added to the water supply.

Tooth decay starts when bacteria in the mouth over-colonise and cause plaque to build up around the teeth releasing acid that erodes the tooth enamel. Cavities or tooth holes, toothache, infection, and dental abscess are signs of tooth decay.

A varied, healthy and balanced diet may help to reduce acid concentrations that erode the tooth surface, as may regular daily mouth cleansing by flossing and brushing teeth, gums, tongue and palate after meals, before sleep and on awaking.

However, sometimes these routines are not enough, and professional teeth cleaning and fluoride treatment is needed to clean away plaque, scale tartar from tooth grooves to prevent bacterial overgrowth. Three-monthly appointments with the hygienist and regular six-monthly appointments with the dentist are important to check for signs of tooth decay, cavities and gum disease.