Would you like to know about my typical day at the office?
I start my day early at Floss Bosses Dental Hygiene Clinic in Edmonton. I go through the day’s charts. I need to know who I’m seeing, their medical health, oral health and habits, their needs.
All information is reviewed.
Some of our patients at Floss Bosses are immune compromised. They might not heal as well. They might be susceptible to infections. They might need extra care, like antibiotics, before they see their RDH. This is the most important part of the day…pre-planning for what’s to come.
Then, I with the help of Jovelyn, my lovely and talented assistant set up our operatories (ops) before the first patient.
We are ready to roll…scrape…clean…torture…swish, spit and repeat. I am ready to clean teeth and fight gum disease.
What’s the best kept secret? Dental Hygienists.
Why are dental hygienists best kept secret? Because what we do directly affects your systemic health. There is no greater relationship between oral health and systemic health especially gum health. We provide preventative care and non-surgical treatment of gum disease. Who do you spend the most time with at your typical teeth cleaning visit?
As some of my patients have noticed, having a dental hygienist separate from a dental office just makes sense. As some opinionated, together under one roof, it is like having a shampoo and conditioner in one.
We do work great together as a team. Our goals, however, are different. I do not want you to need a dentist. That is my goal, to get you and your oral health to a level of non-invasive, preventative dentistry.
But really? Who is a registered dental hygienist in Alberta. Different jurisdictions have different rules and regulations. I practice dental hygiene in my beautiful city of Edmonton.
All my colleagues are graduates of University of Alberta or equivalent.
Did you know you can become a doctor in Dental Hygiene?
Who do we really answer to? Most of us still work in a traditional dental settings owned by a dentist or a dental corporation. Ultimately though, we are governed by the College of Registered Dental Hygienists of Alberta.
We are primary health care providers.
Since 2006, the Health Professions Act has allowed us to practice independently, to operate Dental Hygiene practices without a dentist present.
What does this mean to you as a consumer, a customer and a patient? It means a direct access to preventative dentistry, dental hygiene services like teeth cleaning, exams and dental x-rays to name a few. It is usually at a lower cost to allow for greater accessibly. The care is individualized, tailored to your needs. We take time to help you.
What do RDHs do?
- dental hygiene exams of the teeth and soft tissue (periodontal exam including probing, recessions, furcations measurements) and check for gum disease, cavities and demineralized areas, orofacial myology disorders.
- prescribe & take X-Rays to check the bone, teeth and potential pathology
- oral cancer screens involves head and neck check (muscles, lymph nodes, TMJ) and intra-oral exam. If we do find something, you are getting referred to an Oral Pathologist
- preventative teeth cleaning including scaling (scraping with ultrasonic or manual instruments), polish and fluoride treatment
- gum disease treatment when bone loss, furcations, bleeding and recessions are present. Includes root planning and curettage (Laser Assisted Periodontal Therapy lets us treat gum disease non-surgically)
- local anaesthetic
- non-surgical treatment of gum disease.
- irrigation, placement of subgingival medications
- desensitization of teeth
- sealants (when the biting surface of the tooth is turned into a skating rink so the pesky bacteria doesn’t munch on the grooves)
- arresting cavities
- prescribe of dental hygiene meds. If you do need a premedication, or a treatment for cold sores, canker sores, or periodontal, for example, we can prescribe one.
- nitrous oxide sedation (laughing gas, all though if you know me I’m so hilarious you won’t need one)
- soft tissue laser treatments
- impressions for sports guards and do whitening (in office or take home).
- EDUCATE!!!!
- Research
We are your best kept secret to your oral and systemic health! We would like to be an integral part of your health team. We have the knowledge and the means.
We also are business owners running independent dental hygiene clinics (at least 400 in Canada with a 1000 independent RDHs practicing at this moment).
As you can see now, we are primary health care providers that are here to take care of your oral health needs and more! We clean teeth too.
