Dental care is the most crucial aspect of maintaining overall health and wellness. This often begins at home through regular brushing, flossing, a healthy diet, and good hydration. Current lifestyle and social trends like smoking and unhealthy eating habits can negatively impact your oral health. Thus you may require some extra dental care. 

Dental hygienists at the dentist office in San Jose, California offer special dental care and treatment that your teeth and gum deserve. The procedures significantly lower your risk of oral problems, thereby improving your quality of life.

A dental hygienist is an oral healthcare professional, offers teeth cleanings, preventive dental care procedures, and oral hygiene counseling. They work closely with your dentist to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Also known as an oral hygienist, they help maintain or improve your oral health in the long run.

How does a dental hygienist help?

Dental hygienists perform a series of important treatments, such as:

• Dental cleanings 
  • A dental hygienist uses special instruments to remove plaque and tartar (hardened form of plaque) from your teeth surfaces. 
  • They additionally polish your teeth and make them less vulnerable to plaque adhesion. 

• Tooth scaling and root planing 

• • This procedure involves plaque and tartar removal from beneath the surfaces of your gums where a regular brush cannot reach.
  • The roots are smoothed (planing) to prevent plaque and tartar from reattaching.

• Dental X-Rays

• • Hygienists are also trained to take dental X-rays to help your dentist view your teeth, bones, sinus, etc., to diagnose oral problems. 

• Oral exam

• • Dental hygienists perform routine oral health screenings to check for cavities, gum disease, and signs of oral cancer and report the findings to your dentist. 

• Reviewing dental and medical history

• • Your oral hygienist records your dental and overall health history. This helps your dentist understand your past dental experiences and goals for the future. 

• Application of dental sealants

• • This is an effective preventive treatment offered by hygienists to seal deep pits and grooves of your back teeth to prevent plaque and bacterial accumulation. 
  • This can greatly reduce your risk of tooth decay.

• Fluoride treatment

• • Topical fluorides applied by hygienists can greatly reduce the risk of cavities, especially in children.

• Patient Education

• • Your hygienists can guide you to follow proper oral hygiene habits for the welfare of your oral health.
  • They teach you the correct brushing and flossing techniques.

Bottom line

Dental hygienists play a key role in maintaining, as well as improving healthy teeth and gums. They help improve your oral health by offering you several treatments that are needed beyond regular brushing and flossing at home.