Periodontal therapy involves many steps in the assessment, diagnostic, treatment and evaluation phases. Dental hygienists’ standard of care is measured by delivering quality oral health care to better serve the lives of our patients, all while implementing the many products and services available for better end results. Dental hygienists are knowledgeable team members who can put together general overall health concerns combined with oral health needs and deliver customized care for the individual patient.
As producers in a progressive dental practice, hygienists can add financial value when thorough screenings and high standards of periodontal care are executed. As educated and licensed team members, we can discuss oral cancer awareness, restorative needs and answer questions about whitening and improving esthetics for a beautiful and healthy smile.
Education Considerations
There are myriad products aimed at dental patient education. Helping patients to fully understand the enormous health ramifications of periodontal disease is vital to the overall success of treatment. Not only are they essential for patient education but they contribute to overall production and revenue as patients are accepting of needed treatment when they understand the overall importance to their health. And when patients grasp the overall health implications of periodontal disease and begin treatment, they'll be motivated to use the best products at home to decrease their chance of reoccurrence and to maintain their best oral care.
Electric Toothbrushes are excellent for daily biofilm reduction and they provide ergonomic cleaning for patients with dexterity problems.
Assessment Considerations
Thorough, accurate, and trouble-free periodontal probing systems are easy to use and take less time than traditional paper charting. They improve record keeping, are easily accessible and are convenient when needed for third party reimbursement. Risk assessment tools are ideal for patient motivation, reimbursement and monitoring health improvement over time They give the dental hygienist and the patient evidence-based information on the individual’s health history and needs.
Instrumentation Considerations
It is essential to use the best periodontal instruments for accurate scaling, minimal tissue damage, and maximum healing. Ultrasonic inserts come in various sizes for scaling many different types of root surfaces and calculus while removing biofilm and toxins more efficiently than hand instruments.
Ergonomics are important too for both diagnostic and scaling instruments. Curettes, scalers, explorers, mirrors and probes come in wide circumference handles and soft grips. Using quality instruments help aid against fatigue and pain allowing the dental hygienist to better treat the patient and prolong their career.
Locally Applied Therapies
For treating periodontal disease, the progressive dental hygienist has many resources for locally applied chemotherapy (LAC). Patients exhibiting local areas of gingival disease can benefit from LAC application and, depending on the product, it can be placed at periodontal maintenance or scaling/root planing appointments.
Esthetic Opportunities
Patients receiving periodontal therapy can also benefit from whitening services. A smile full of white teeth and healthy soft tissue can motivate patients to accept and complete periodontal therapy and also maintain a high level of health. Home dental bleaching kits or in-office bleaching kits are profitable for the hygiene department and safely whiten teeth for the desired esthetic effect.
Maximizing Comfort
With both esthetic whitening and periodontal therapy, patients can experience transient dentin hypersensitivity. Sensitivity reduction can be accomplished by two different mechanisms: tubule occlusion and nerve depolarization.
With tubule occlusion, the dentin tubules are sealed via a chemical reaction and physical blocking. Fluoride varnish therapy both in office and home desensitizing agents provide tubule occlusion and relief of sensitivity.
Calcium phosphate systems close off the dentinal tubules by adding calcium and phosphate in the presence of fluoride back to the tooth structure.
The other mechanism for sensitivity reduction is nerve depolarization and is accomplished by adding potassium nitrate to prescription fluorides, toothpastes and take-home gels such as Relief ACP Oral Care Gel.
Fresh Breath Assurance
Bad breath, or halitosis, is a strong motivation for patients to seek oral health care, though they may be reluctant to ask the hygienist for help because of embarrassment or self-consciousness. After periodontal pathogens and their toxic byproducts have been removed via periodontal and ultrasonic therapy, bad breath can remain. Tongue cleaning with the appropriate tongue deplaquing tools, both in-office and for home care, combined with use of volatile sulfur compound (VSC) eliminating products such as oral rinses are indicated and an effective means in controlling flora and odor causing by-products.
There are so many periodontal therapy products to help in diagnose, educate, treat, and maintain the oral health of our patients. Periodontal disease can be treated, therefore reducing the detrimental effects on overall health. The ability to educate our patients on periodontal disease make dental hygiene the logical profession to guide our patients in oral health decision-making and life-long wellbeing.