Dental Hygienists Winchester

The Role of a Dental Hygienist

Teeth may be lost due to gum disease rather than tooth decay and during your dental check-up, as well as examining the health of your teeth, your dentist will assess the health of your gums and the standard of your oral hygiene.

If you show signs of gum disease or if it’s felt that you need advice on  improving your oral hygiene, you’ll be referred to the one of the Parchment Street dental hygienists and together we can help you maintain a healthy mouth and confident smile. There is also the option to book an appointment directly with our hygienist team.

Dental hygienists have undergone thorough training in dental hygiene and one of the key responsibilities of a dental hygienist is cleaning a patients’ teeth and ensuring everything is functioning correctly in the mouth.

Dental hygienist Visit

  • Your dental hygienist will thoroughly examine teeth and gums to check for the presence of plaque and tartar as well as looking at the condition of your tooth enamel.  
  • The hygienist will examine the width of gaps between teeth in case there is evidence or risk of receding gums and this may indicate a referral to a periodontist for treatment.  
  • Removing the scale from your teeth (all the tartar and plaque) is one of the most important tasks carried out by the dental hygienist. Regular de-scaling is recommended to preserve the life-span of your tooth life by eliminating bacteria which could lead to tooth decay.
  • Once the teeth have been de-scaled then the dental hygienist will give your teeth a thorough polish to help to keep them stain free and to make your teeth more resistant to the build-up of harmful bacteria.
Dental Hygienist Winchester

If you are concerned about heavy staining on your teeth due to diet and lifestyle influences such as coffee, red wine and smoking we can offer the AirFlow cleaning treatment as an additional service during your regular dental hygiene visit. The AirFlow deep cleansing system involves blasting off plaque and heavy stains with a combination of air, water and a fine powder which cleans teeth thoroughly and safely. The cost of a regular hygiene visit with the AirFlow add-on is just £84.

What is a Dental Therapist?

Nathan Fisher is a key member of our Winchester dental hygienist team and he is also qualified as a dental therapist. This means that he holds additional responsibilities at both our Home Counties Winchester practices relating to general dental treatment. A dental therapist is a valuable member of a busy practice dental team with both clinical and oral healthcare responsibilities.

It is common for dental therapists to also be qualified as dental hygienists and are therefore equipped to provide preventative dental treatment and gum care along with routine examinations and restorative dental procedures. Whilst dental hygienists typically focus on preventative dental health and treatment, in order to help keep teeth and gums healthy, dental therapists perform full dental examinations and carry out common dental procedures, such as filling and extracting teeth.

These are some of the key roles and responsibilities of a dental therapist:

• Clinical dental examinations
• Dental history evaluation and condition diagnosis
• Recognition and interpretation of abnormalities
• Routine treatment including fillings, temporary crown replacement and periodontal therapy.
• Plaque removal and scale and polish treatment
• Milk tooth extractions
• Implant care and peri-implant tissue treatment
• Taking dental impressions and radiographs
• Referring patients where necessary to other dental professionals