April is one of our favorite months. Why? Because it’s Oral Health Month! And to kick things off, we like to celebrate Dental Hygienists Week, which is the second week of April. At Milltown Family Dentistry, we love our friendly, hardworking dental hygienists, and we couldn’t do our job without them. We think it’s important for people to know just how much dental hygienists do, so we’d like to share a peek into their typical day.
Morning Prep
A dental hygienist starts a typical day by gathering up information about who it is they’re going to be seeing that day and what treatments those patients will need. They’ll review their patient charts and dental histories to make sure they have all the information they need to take care of the patient successfully. They’ll also have a brief meeting with the rest of the team to discuss goals and plans, and how everyone can help support each other.
Dental X-Rays
Once a patient comes in, the dental hygienist will take any necessary X-rays. Some patients have already gotten images taken recently, or may have had their current images sent over from another office. If that’s the case, they’ll skip this step.
Dental Cleaning
Now it’s time for the heart of the matter! After any X-rays have been taken, the dental hygienist will guide the patient to their treatment room and begin their teeth cleaning. They’ll use special tools to scrape away any plaque and tartar, and to polish teeth. Then, they’ll give their teeth a good flossing too! This is also the stage when a dental hygienist would also provide a fluoride treatment if that’s part of the patient’s treatment plan.
Hand-Off Between Dentist
When the cleaning is done and it’s time for the dentist to come in to examine the patient, the dental hygienist will convey whatever they found. They may also be the ones recording any relevant notes on the patient’s charts and in the patient’s files on the computer as the dentist takes a look.
Send-Off
Before a patient leaves, the dental hygienist will make sure that they understand any next steps they need to take to look after their oral health, whether that means going over proper flossing technique or helping them plan for any future treatments. If you happen to be visiting your dental office during the second week of April, be sure to wish your dental hygienist a happy Dental Hygienists Week! If you don’t happen to have your next appointment lined up, contact Milltown Family Dentistry today to set up a visit. Contact Us
MODIFIED REOPENING MAY 20!
To Our Valued Patients: We hope this letter finds you and your family in good health. Our community has been through a lot over the last few months, and we are looking forward to seeing you all again soon. While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety.
Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice and you may have seen this during your visits to our office. Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it’s both safe and comfortable.
Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued. We do this to ensure that our infection control procedures are current and adhere to each agency’s recommendations.
We are excited to fully OPEN for patient care again on May 20th. There will be several modifications to our protocol as we transition. You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and team. For example:
You will be screened beforehand (via telephone) and again when you arrive for your appointment. If you have missed an appointment during the recent closure, we will be reaching out to you to reschedule. Please be patient as it may take time to address the current backlog.
We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the office for you to use as needed.
Our waiting area has been modified to eliminate unnecessary items at risk for cross-contamination, such as magazines and our beverage station. An air purifier has also been installed, as well as in every operatory.
Since appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients, you may be offered fewer options for appointments.
We plan to allow more time between appointments to reduce traffic. Please check-in from your car via phone and wait in your car until you are called, at which point you will be taken directly to your treatment room. We also ask that adults consider coming to appointments alone. For children, we ask that only one adult come with them to their appointment.
We have worked diligently to abide by all current and updated PPE (personal protective equipment) standards per the recommendations of the ADA, CDC, and OSHA. You may recognize these changes during interactions with staff.
In keeping with these recommendations, all patients and family members are asked to wear a mask/face covering to all office visits. Unfortunately, we do not have the extra PPE to supply our patients, so please bring your own.
We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. To make an appointment, please call 919-590-5450 or visit our contact page. Thank you for your cooperation!
We think it’s important for people to know just how much dental hygienists do, so we’d like to share a peek into their typical day.
We think it’s important for people to know just how much dental hygienists do, so we’d like to share a peek into their typical day.