April has been set aside to officially promote good oral health practices. Since your dental hygienist plays a huge and very important part in maintaining your good oral health, the second week of April has been set aside in honor of the dental hygiene profession.

What is National Dental Hygienists Week™?

National Dental Hygienists Week™ is an annual event sponsored by the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA). This year it will be celebrated April 11-15, 2016. “Oral Health for Total Health” has been chosen as this year’s theme to remind us that taking care of our mouths, teeth and gums positively impacts other aspects of our health.

What is a Dental Hygienist?

Our dental hygienists work closely with our dentists and dental assistants. Also known as a hygienist or Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH), your dental hygienist takes care of you in the following ways during each routine visit:

• Clean your teeth
• Examine your mouth for oral diseases such as gingivitis
• Provide other preventive dental care
• Educate you with ways to improve and maintain good oral health

What does a Dental Hygienist do?

Our hygienists clean your teeth with hand tools, powered tools and sometimes ultrasonic devices. Once your teeth are free of tartar and plaque, they will decide to polish your teeth. The tooth polisher is a power tool that works much like an automatic toothbrush. Some hygienists remove stains from teeth with an air polishing tool, which sprays a combination of air, water and baking soda. Our hygienists also take x-rays to check for tooth or jaw problems you might have.

Our dental hygienists’ tasks may also include:

• Applying sealants and fluorides
• Taking dental x-rays
• Providing anesthetic for dental hygiene appointments
• Providing nitrous oxide sedation for hygiene appointments
• Keeping records of patients’ care and treatment plans
• Teaching patients how to properly brush and floss for good oral hygiene

Helping patients develop and keep good oral health habits can also include explaining how good and poor diet affects oral health, how to select the right toothbrush or how to use other oral-care devices.

Our dental hygienists must follow specific rules and protocols to help diagnose and treat our patients. They must be sensitive to our patients’ emotions.

Celebrate your dental hygienist at Sherwood Dental April 11-15, 2016. Our dental hygienists are Awesome! They are passionate about helping you take excellent care of your mouth, teeth and gums for a healthy smile! Leave a comment below. Tell us how your hygienist helps you.

Call Sherwood Dental for a routine cleaning with your dental hygienist. Our number is (780) 464-4166 and our office hours of operation are:

Monday – Thursday: 7:00am to 8:00pm

Friday: 7:00am to 4:00pm

Saturday: 8:00am to 4:00pm

Sunday: Closed

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