Hygiene Therapy Goes Well Beyond Teeth Cleaning

Most commonly known as dental hygienists, and sometimes referred to as oral hygienists, these same health care professionals are recognized as Hygiene Therapists at Archer Dental.  That’s because our preventative health care treatment program is so much more than just a teeth cleaning service.

Hygiene Therapy Treatment is a sophisticated oral health regime.  Archer Dental’s hygiene therapists are skilled clinicians who clean teeth to treat and prevent periodontal (gum) disease by scaling and polishing teeth, applying prophylactic and antimicrobial materials. They take dental radiographs (X-rays) and undertake monitoring and screening procedures by maintaining these historical records.  These service workers use a number of different high technology tools such as X-ray equipment and ultrasonic scalers and other power tools such as drills and polishers, alongside computers and printers to record and store data.

Archer Dental’s Hygiene Therapy Team offers a Complete Oral Health Exam

At Archer Dental we see the exercise as being similar to massage therapy, or physiotherapy, and we believe it’s just as important to our patients’ overall health and wellness.  This is a preventive approach to oral health care because having clean teeth in a healthy mouth also works to prevent disease.   A typical hygiene therapy treatment takes about forty minutes but can expand in length and intensity as the situation requires.  Consumers who select Archer Dental’s Hygiene Therapy benefit from the close proximity of experienced dentists who are able to give opinions and suggest additional treatments for issues detected in the oral health exam that generally follows the cleaning.

Our hygiene therapists educate patients, check for oral cancers, and prevent cavities by placing sealants on molars and other vulnerable surfaces.  Our professionals clean your teeth with both hand scalers and power tools but also they examine your gums and assess each patient’s overall healthcare.  There’s definitely a lot of science and real life dental experience leveraged here to help patients achieve optimal oral health.

What happens during Hygiene Therapy Treatment at Archer Dental?

A complete oral health exam, Archer Dental pampers patients in our spa-like dental clinics.  They’re treated to hot towels and lavender pillows. They’re encouraged to relax and watch Netflix or listen to the music in the air, or on our Beats headphones, or they can bring their own device. While the patient relaxes, our professionals begin the Hygiene Therapy Treatment with their own special devices. To the left is a picture of the hand scalers at Archer Dental Little Italy.

The most significant activity and major role of a hygienist therapist at Archer Dental is to perform teeth cleaning which can include periodontal charting, periodontal debridement (scaling and root planing), prophylaxis (preventing disease) or periodontal maintenance procedures for patients.  Using therapeutic methods, staff members work diligently to help patients prevent and control oral disease while also providing tailored treatment plans that emphasize the importance of behavioral changes.

Archer Dental’s hygiene therapists also assess each patient’s current oral health condition in order to offer patient-specific preventive and educational services.  Unrepentant teeth grinders get night guards, and smokers get cancer screenings and so forth as staff works to promote and maintain good oral health care in all patients regardless of age and lifestyle.

Cancer Screening:  At Archer Dental our well trained hygiene therapists are a primary resource for oral cancer screening and prevention.

X-rays:  Almost All Archer Dental hygiene therapists are licensed to administer local anesthesia and perform dental radiography. In addition to these procedures, our hygienists may also take intraoral radiographs.

Dental impressions: Hygiene therapists work together with dentists and other specialists at Archer Dental . They can take impressions for night guards and sports guards and custom teeth whitening trays.  Our Hygiene Therapists work inter-professionally to provide holistic oral health care in the best interest of their patient.

Hygiene Therapists also offer expertise in their field and can provide a dental hygiene diagnosis, which is an integral component of the comprehensive dental diagnosis.  Our team of hygienists work closely with our specialists not only to keep your teeth clean but to ensure your gums are healthy too. We will tailor a customized hygiene treatment plan designed to help you treat oral conditions or maintain a healthy smile. We take a preventative approach by thoroughly examining your teeth and gums to detect oral diseases and conditions early. This allows them to be treated or corrected with minimal treatment and discomfort.

How to Become a Hygiene Therapist ?

Oral health care professionals who aspire to become expert hygiene therapists must first become professional dental assistants who are registered, certified and licensed.  Prior to completing clinical and written board examinations, registered dental hygienists must have either an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Dental Hygiene from an accredited college or university.  Here in Canada there are plenty of education options. There are private college programs at The Canadian Academy of Dental Health and Community Sciences, and in Quebec at Collège Boréal, and also at the Southern Ontario Dental College which offers accredited training.  There are public college diploma courses for dental hygiene including diploma programs offered at Algonquin College and Fanshawe College. University level training, a bachelor of dental hygiene, is offered at Dalhousie University and the University of British Columbia. The bachelor degrees allow graduates to teach dental hygiene.

Archer Dental team members originate from all over the world. They were hired here because they’re have years of experience but their educations are as varied as their countries of origin. In just about every case however their schooling focused on oral and clinical science with an emphasis on health promotion and preventive, motivational and communication strategies.  Now we all work together to provide high quality dental care for the residents of Toronto.