Dentistry

Southern California including Los Angeles, Santa Clarita, Beverly Hills, Valencia and Hollywood, California

Dental Hygienists

Do You See a Hygienist or a Tooth Scraper?

By Christopher Cook, RDH

What's the difference, some may wonder? Well, let me explain.

Dental hygienists are total health advocates. By that I mean that your hygienist is trained to recognize oral pathology (including oral cancer), drug interactions and contraindications. Hygienists are even trained to interpret early symptoms of major medical problems like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, thyroid problems and more. In fact, we may catch problems before other health professionals because we typically see our patients more often, are more familiar with their general health and are more likely to notice changes. However, this only works when your hygienist is alert to such matters.

So what is the difference in plain language? Well, a "tooth scraper" might chat with you a while, possibly recommend some x-rays clean your teeth in about 15-20 minutes and then "see you in six months" you're all done.

What should take place is this: blood pressure reading, health history update, oral cancer screening, periodontal measurements (which check for any signs of gum disease). After that has been accomplished and the patient is "OK" in all regards the cleaning can begin. The cleaning should then be followed by personalized oral hygiene instructions and recommendations. Finally, a recall interval should be established based on the needs of the patient (not on what insurance covers). If that sounds like more than what you're accustomed to, then you are probably seeing a "tooth scraper". Unfortunately some hygienists forego many of these vital steps for the sake of time. Yet this entire process can be accomplished within the timeframe of a typical hygiene appointment; about one hour.

Don't be satisfied with sub-standard care. If you are not currently receiving this type of treatment (which is considered the "standard of care") then I strongly encourage you to seek out a HYGIENIST!

Christopher Cook is the Dental Hygienist for A Unique Dental Experience?, Dentist, Dr. Dell Goodrick in Santa Clarita. For more dentistry information, visit our website www.drdell.com, or call us at (661) 254-4000. Serving patients in Valencia, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Santa Clarita, and Los Angeles, California.