Dental Hygienists clean teeth and provide other preventive dental care, as well as teach patients how to practice good oral hygiene. The hygienist will examine patients' teeth and gums, recording the presence of diseases or abnormalities. They remove calculus, stain, and plaque from teeth; take and develop dental x rays; and apply cavity preventive agents such as fluorides and pit and fissure sealants.

The Dental Hygienist is often times the person the patients visit most frequently in the dental office. They help patients develop and maintain good oral health. They may explain the relationship between diet and oral health, inform patients how to select toothbrushes, and show patients how to brush and floss properly.

Using hand and rotary instruments to clean teeth, x-ray machines to take dental pictures; they also help keep the patients teeth cosmetically appealing. Hygienists perform cosmetic bleaching for patients and train them how to use bleaching trays regularly at home to keep their teeth as white as possible.

Most importantly Dental Hygienists screen for serious health problems, such as HIV infection, oral cancers, eating disorders, substance abuse, and diabetes.

See your Hygienist regularly for prevention of serious health problems and to keep your smile attractive