Our Dental Hygiene and Oral Health Therapists, Melanie Mitchell and Bronwyn Weaver works together with Dr Michael Stevens, our dentist, to provide optimum oral health.
Oral Health Therapists provide three types of services to their patients:
- Promoting and maintaining good oral health.
- Advising patients on better oral health and helping them to understand the importance of practising this.
- Treatments to stop disease and maintain healthy tissues on the mouth.
Examples of procedures performed by Oral Health Therapists include cleanings known as prophylaxis, scaling, and root planing for patients with periodontal disease, taking of x-rays when necessary, dental sealants, administration of fluoride and providing instructions for proper oral hygiene and care. Melanie also offers a free tooth whitening assessment and is qualified to provide a range of whitening services. Please note that she is licensed to administer local anaesthesia.
The dental hygiene process of care has the following five steps:
- Assessing the patient: this includes a full review of the patient’s history, taking x-rays if necessary, a clinical exam and a periodontal assessment including recording probing depths of the patient’s ‘gums’. During this stage a thorough documentation will be implemented.
- Dental hygiene diagnosis: assessing data regarding a patient’s condition/state in terms that will help identify problems so as to lead to a professional treatment plan and/or therapies.
- Planning: creating a treatment plan for the patient. The treatment plan will vary based on the patient’s immediate needs.
- Implementation: carrying out the plan in a timely and effective manner.
- Evaluation: determining the effectiveness of the treatment plan that was administered and make changes where necessary.
We look forward to helping you maintain a healthy mouth!