New Hygienists

Digital radiographs

Barley Mow has recently taken the last major step towards being a paper-free practice by purchasing a digital radiograph system.
It uses x-ray sensitive plates to capture the image, and these are read or scanned in a special scanner by a laser, before being saved into the practice management software.
It is usually possible to view the radiographs on a monitor 2 minutes after they are taken. We are finding it much easier for patients to see the fine details that are important on the radiographs when they are full screen on a 19” monitor!
As the plates are more sensitive than film the overall radiation dose has been reduced and we can manipulate the image in software to see otherwise hidden details.
It will also be possible to email the images or burn them onto a CD for referral purposes, or if the patient moves away.

New Guidelines on Root Filling Instruments

On 19^th April 2007 the Department of Health issued new guidance that instruments used for root canal treatment should become single-use due to a theoretical risk of transmission of variant Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease.
It should be noted that to date there have been NO KNOWN OR SUSPECTED CASES of vCJD transmission arising from dental procedures.
The instruments that we use in root canal treatment are expensive and as a result of these new guidelines, an additional fee of £30.00 will be applied to all root canal treatments with immediate effect.
If you have any concerns relating to your treatment, please feel free to discuss them with your dentist
We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause.

Congratulations!

Oral Health Educators vs. Dental Hygienists

This is a brief explanation on the training and roles of Oral Health Educators (OHE’s) and hygienists as there often appears to be a lot of confusion amongst patients as to which they are seeing and what to expect.
OHE’s are Dental Nurses that have done a further course training them in provision of oral hygiene education to all age groups. This means they can provide hands on training in brushing, flossing and the use of interproximal cleaning aids such as Tepe’s, and provide practical advice to overcome any problems the patient may be having in this area.

They are also trained to analyse a patients diet ( often using a 3 or 5 day diet record sheet ) to look for the causes of increased decay incidence.
Hygienists are also trained to do all of this, however, they are also extensively trained in the mechanical skills of getting teeth clean of all tartar/calculus and staining, even in the almost impossible areas to get at!
Some have also been trained as Dental Therapists and are able to place fillings in adults & children.
Patients could expect to see an OHE where we feel their oral hygiene needs work, or they are having higher than expected levels of new decay.
A referral to a hygienist is called for when the teeth need debriding to improve the condition of the gums, and as part of long term maintenance where the patient has chronic gum disease.
In some cases a patient might see our OHE first, and then the hygienist, where we feel this would lead to a better result.
Oral bacteria in plaque cause the two main dental diseases of decay and gum disease, so thorough plaque removal is the cornerstone of prevention.

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