Direct access to Dental Hygiene near you

Registered Dental Hygienists in Alberta are Primary Healthcare Providers and are able to diagnose oral conditions. We will therefore check for not only gum/periodontal disease but tooth decay (cavities) both visually and by taking and reading radiographs (xrays) and check the head and neck and soft tissues for signs of oral cancer during your teeth cleaning appointment.

If anything concerning should be found,  that we can't treat within out scope of practice, we will refer you to a Dentist or Specialist, such as an Oral Pathologist, to investigate further. 

 Yes, Dental Hygienists need radiographs!

  We need these images in order to assess the bone level around your teeth and to look for active and incipient tooth decay between the teeth during your dental hygiene/ teeth cleaning appointment.  Seeing these things on an x-ray can enable us to coach you regarding diet, medications, habits, and products that may be contributing to problems and help you to prevent further damage as well as offer  up early intervention/treatment.

Radiographs also help us to be able to tell you if you have oral conditions that need to be referred to a Dentist or Specialist such as tooth decay, oral pathology, defects, bone infection around the teeth, and severe bone loss.

Scaling is the removal of the hard deposit we call calculus (tartar)...basically plaque that gets hardened onto the teeth and under the gums by the minerals in your saliva. 

Calculus needs to be removed (cleaned off of the teeth) regularly as when it sits under the gum line too long, it will "eat" away at the bone around the teeth leading to something called bone loss/ bone destruction and, in extreme cases, tooth loss.

 
Once the calculus is removed, the gums send out fibres to the tooth to re-attach and protect the bone from  further destruction. 

 
Scaling may be completed by power

scaler, hand instrumentation, or both.  

Scaling/teeth cleaning is recommended twice per year for most clients in order to maintain their bone levels. However, if you have gum/periodontal disease, more frequent intervals may be needed in order to improve and then manage your condition.

Root planing is smoothing the root of the tooth, (yep, similar to planing wood) after the deposit is removed. 

 
The outer layer of the root, the cementum, dies off kind of like skin cells.

The gums don't like to re-attach to a "furry" root so, this is how we make the root more "attractive" to the gums so that they can snuggle up to each other again.

 
Both scaling and rootplaning are billed in "units of time". A "unit" is 15 minutes of time spent carrying out the teeth cleaning procedure.

Polish is usually achieved by rubber cup polisher with a mild abrasive or a powder blast technology known as guided biofilm therapy or GBT  involving  pressurized air and water with glycinate, sodium bicarbonate, or erythritol powder that allows for removal of surface stain, plaque and biofilm! 

Biofilm is that sticky coating that sits on your teeth, loaded with bacteria, it contributes to both tooth decay and gum disease/bleeding. Let's get it out of there!

If you have molars or premolars with deep grooves that love to collect bacteria and plaque you may have increased risk of cavities forming in these areas. 

Sealants can be placed on those grooves.

Sealants are like a little coating we sometimes say it's like a "skating rink" placed over the grooves so that those "sugar bugs" (decay causing bacteria) can't get in and start making holes. 

Preventive and painless, sealants can be applied during your dental hygiene/teeth cleaning appointment!

It is essential to take even more care of your teeth if you will be undergoing radiation therapy around the head and neck.  Oral cancers are on the rise and the treatment can be very hard on your oral health. Your Dental Hygienist is a great resource to help you maintain healthy teeth during this time and to provide extra treatment and advice to help prevent oral health decline during and after cancer treatment. We are here to support you on your journey.

 Certain conditions found in the mouth can give us insight to determine if you may be at risk for Obstructive Sleep Apnea. 

 Having sleep apnea can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke five fold. 

If you are at risk, we may recommend going for a sleep study. 

 Registered Dental Hygienists have got more than your teeth and gums in mind, we've got your back!   

We screen for OSA during every dental hygiene/teeth cleaning appointment.

 There are products we use that can help to stop very early decay in it's tracks!  Ideal for baby teeth to prevent the decay from spreading but, can also be used on very early decay in Adult teeth.  Come chat with us about your options!