Dental hygienists are professional, highly-trained dental practitioners who focus on disease prevention, through clinical intervention and education. Prevention is the fundamental to the management of oral health.
Dental hygienists are focusing on techniques that ensure oral tissues and teeth are maintained and remain healthy in order to prevent dental disease, especially common chronic diseases such as dental caries, gingivitis, and active periodontitis.
The provision of dental health education, including dietary advice and smoking cessation, and clinic procedures such as root debridement also assists patients to manage existing conditions such as periodontal disease, cardiovascular disease, oral cancers, diabetes and respiratory disease (in aged care facilities).
The skills, knowledge, and training of dental hygienists is extensive. Training includes health sciences, human biology, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, pathology, oral medicine, dental medicine, pharmacology, dental materials, periodontics, risk factors, etiology of disease, cariology, orthodontics, geriatric dentistry, special needs dentistry, oral health promotion and education, dental public health, preventive dentistry, community dentistry, minimal intervention, dental radiography, temporary restorations, local anaesthesia and clinical practice, including examinations, diagnosis and treatment planning and delivery within scope of practice.
Our objective is the effective delivery of quality oral health services, improving oral health and therefore also general health.
Dental hygienists have a critical role in maintaining standards which deliver the highest possible care to all population groups and in developing education strategies that align with the optimum provision of oral health care.
