Hygienist

Just like we trust nutritionists and personal trainers to help us stay fit, we trust Hygienists to do the same with our mouths. I like to call Hygienists “dental fitness coaches”. They really are your personal trainers when it comes to having a healthy mouth and we are ecstatic to finally have one on our team!

What is a Hygienist?

Few people in New South Wales have had an opportunity to regularly see a Hygienist. In saying that, Hygienists have been an integral part of most private dental practices in the United States since mid-last century. Hygienists in Australia are required to complete a two to three year diploma or a degree in Oral Health. Their training includes similar subjects as dentistry, but is more condensed and focuses on areas of prevention of disease and maintenance of oral health. In Australia, Dental Hygienists do not practice independently of Dentists, but work together with them to ensure holistic approach to dental care.

What  do Hygienists do?

• Hygienists assess risk of oral disease

They examine your whole mouth both visually and by probing and charting any gum defects (recession or gum pockets). They analyse your diet and test your saliva to assess if your lifestyle and diet are putting you at risk of disease. They can also do blood pressure and diabetes screening to check whether you are at risk of cardiovascular disease or diabetes, both of which are related to periodontal (gum) disease.

• Hygienists perform most non-surgical periodontal treatments

If you are suffering from periodontal disease, you are suffering from an infectious, bacterial disease. Your gums may bleed and swell up, they may be ‘peeling away’ from your teeth and creating “pockets” in between your teeth and gums and/or you may be losing bone which is supporting your teeth.  Hygienists can devise a periodontal treatment plan which is aimed at removing plaque and bacteria from underneath your gums. This allows your gums to heal and re-attach to the roots or necks of your teeth, making it easier for you to clean and maintain your health with simple home care routines.

• Hygienists devise preventative care plans

From their findings at the examination stage and through consultation with the Dentist, Hygienists devise a preventative care plan which aims to eliminate disease and maintain this healthy status for many years to come. As an example, a preventative care plan may include initial periodontal treatment and removal of plaque, calculus and stain, accompanied with instructions on how to brush and floss, what brushes to use, what (if any) special toothpaste and mouthwash is best for each individual patient, what foods or drinks to stay away from, whether to wear a nightguard and how often to return for reviews, continuing cleaning and examination. Depending on your level of risk, you may be recommended to return every two, three, four of six months. This continuing care regime actually does not require much of an input from the Dentist once it is established. You should only ever have to see the Dentist if there is treatment to be done or if the Hygienist notices changes in your mouth which require a more thorough examination and treatment planning.

How much does this service cost?

All our treatment is customized to the needs of our clients. Not all clients suffer from same severity of disease and not all clients carry the same risk of disease. It is impossible to know the cost of periodontal treatment before you have seen our Hygienist for an evaluation. At the initial appointment, our Hygienist will assess your current status and your ongoing risk and present you with a periodontal treatment plan or a continuing preventative care plan. You will be made aware of what your treatment will entail and costs involved at this visit. Please let us know if cost is a concern and we can tailor a payment plan to fit in with your budget.

Continuing preventative care with a hygienist costs no more than continuing care with the dentist. However, you now have not one, but two dental professionals and our assistants looking after you and your health. Your average appointment duration is also increased from 15 or 30 minutes to 45 or 60 minutes, which means there is more time for discussion and education. As you can see, it is not the cost that has increased, it is the quality of the service that has been vastly improved!

Our fees are currently as follows:

LOW RISK PATIENT  (30 minute session, focuses mainly on stain removal): $150.00

MEDIUM RISK PATIENT (45 minute session, focuses on education and hygiene instructions with scaling of plaque and calculus and stain removal or a standard recall session with a dentist exam): $250.00

HIGH RISK PATIENT (60 minute session, focuses on education, risk assessment, diet analysis and advice, hygiene instructions and product recommendation, removal of some or all of heavy plaque and calculus deposits, with or without anaesthetic, often needs to be followed up with an additional review visit to confirm improvements): $300.00