What do hygienists do?

Dental Hygienists have both clinical and health promotional responsibilities. Clinically they help to treat and prevent periodontal (gum) disease by scaling and polishing teeth, applying prophylactic and anti-microbial materials, they can take dental radiographs and undertake monitoring and screening procedures. Dental Hygienists are also permitted to apply topical fluorides and fissure sealants in order to reduce dental caries (tooth decay).

Their Health Promotional role includes motivating and encouraging patients to maintain their oral health preventatively and includes oral hygiene and diet advice.

A dental hygienist, under the written prescription of a dentist may:

• Monitor gum (periodontal) disease by using current indices.
  
• Monitor plaque scores
  
• Provide oral hygiene advice.
  
• Give specific preventive advice including nutritional guidance,advice and use of fluoride agents and the benefits of smoking cessation.
  
• Develop a home care plan for individual patients to maintain oral health.
  
• Perform scaling above and below the gum.
  
• Comprehensive hand scaling of the root surface (debridement)
  
• Provide a through polishing, which will include finishing and polishing of fillings if required.
  
• Apply fissure sealants
  
• Replace crowns with temporary cement in an emergency.
  
• Remove excess cement by instruments.
  
• Placement of local anaesthetic when necessary
  
• Placing of anti-microbial agents when necessary.
  
• Take radiographs provided they have undergone 'core knowledge' certificate.
  
• Take impressions.
  
• Administer local infiltration anaesthesia without the direct personal supervision of a registered dentist.

The work of a dental hygienist is controlled by the Dentist Act 1984, and the Dental Auxiliaries Regulations 1986, as amended in 1991 and 2002. The regulations set out the work, which dental hygienists may carry out under the direction of a registered dentist who has examined the patient and issued a written prescription.