Dental Hygienist

Nobody would think to build a house without a sound foundation, yet at Chatswood Dental Associates we see many new patients with gum disease. Gums, and more importantly the bone hidden under them, are the foundations for teeth; if infection is silently (and usually painlessly) eating away the bone, the support for the tooth weakens, the teeth gets loose, and eventually fall out.

Ideally the teeth and gums are checked every six months to discover and treat any hidden infection, much like the pest inspection we do on our houses. If infection is found, treatment is carried out at shorter intervals.

In the past, due to time constraints, most dentist do not have the sufficient time to appropriately monitor the gum condition, and patients with gum infection are referred to specialists. At Chatswood Dental Associates, most of our patients are keeping their teeth for much longer (in fact, we have a patient that has just turned 98 with over 70% of her own teeth), so are acutely aware of the need to help our patients look after the foundations to their teeth. That's where our hygienists comes in; every six months, or more often if there is infection present, they will monitor and treat the gum disease. Often this process will take up to an hour; in the past, the cost of such treatment with a dental specialist puts it out of reach of most people, but is now significantly more affordable.

A house, if the foundations are destroyed, perhaps by termites, the house collapses, which can happen suddenly and without warning unless regular inspections are done; in case of teeth, gum disease, left untreated, will cause teeth to fall out. Unfortunately unlike the foundations of a house, once bone is eaten away by infection, there is little hope of getting it back.

So who are Dental Hygienists?

Dental Hygienists are specially trained and registered professionals who are part of the preventive dental team at Chatswood Dental Associates, assisting in the prevention and treatment of gum disease by patient instruction, advice and supervised treatment.

So what is the Hygienist's role?

The Hygienist will

• Remove the calculus (tartar) build-up (both above and below the gums) and stains on teeth
• Apply fluoride and preventive medicaments to help prevent decay
• Provide personalized oral health education, including advice on caring for gums
• Assess gum condition, discuss x-rays and review medical history
• Provide dietary advice as necessary
• Take dental radiographs to help monitor the health of teeth, gums and supporting bone.

Will there be any discomfort?

• Usually treatment by the dental hygienist is pain free; most regular patients in fact find it very relaxing.
• However patients with gum disease often require deep scaling; if any discomfort is experienced during this treatment, it is possible to numb the gums to minimise discomfort.

 Why Doesn't the Dentist Do The Work?

Hygienists are specially trained in the cleaning and maintenance of the teeth and gums, undertaking tertiary studies over 2 to 3 years, and are registered with the Dental Board of Australia. A dentist will refer a patient to a hygienist for specialised preventive oral care, while the dentist provides complex restorative care, keeping optimum dental care affordable.

If your dentist does not have a hygienist and you can ask for a referral to our hygienist. Nobody would think to build a house without a sound foundation, yet at Chatswood Dental Associates we see many new patients with gum disease. Gums, and more importantly the bone hidden under them, are the foundations for teeth; if infection is silently (and usually painlessly; at most you may notice some bleeding when brushing or flossing) eating away the bone, the support for the tooth weakens, the teeth gets loose, and eventually fall out.

Ideally the teeth and gums are checked every six months to discover and treat any hidden infection, much like the pest inspection we do on our houses. If infection is found, treatment is carried out at shorter intervals.

In the past, due to time constraints, most dentist do not have the sufficient time to appropriately monitor the gum condition, and patients with gum infection are referred to specialists. At Chatswood Dental Associates, most of our patients are keeping their teeth for much longer (in fact, we have a patient that has just turned 98 with over 70% of her own teeth), so are acutely aware of the need to help our patients look after the foundations to their teeth. That's where our hygienists comes in; every six months, or more often if there is infection present, they will monitor and treat the gum disease. Often this process will take up to an hour; in the past, the cost of such treatment with a dental specialist puts it out of reach of most people, but is now significantly more affordable.

A house, if the foundations are destroyed, perhaps by termites, the house collapses, which can happen suddenly and without warning unless regular inspections are done; in case of teeth, gum disease, left untreated, will cause teeth to fall out. Unfortunately unlike the foundations of a house, once bone is eaten away by infection, there is little hope of getting it back.