October is Dental Hygiene Month

October is Dental Hygiene Month. The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) and the Wrigley Oral Healthcare Program (WOHP) started this tradition 7 years ago. This October, we will celebrate the hard work dental hygienists do all year long.

The ADHA and WOHP started this campaign to promote good oral health maintenance to the public. The campaign is centered around four key components to keep good oral health. Doing the Daily 4 is very easy. Brush twice a day. Floss Daily. Rinse with mouthwash. Chew sugar-free gum (we recommend Wrigley Orbit gum). Find detailed information on the Daily 4 Here.

A dental hygienist is a licensed dental professional, who usually works alongside a dentist to provide full oral health care. They have extensive training and education that focuses on the prevention of oral disease. Dental hygienists assess a patient’s condition in order to offer patient-specific preventative and educational services to promote and maintain good oral health. Our dental hygienists are licensed to administer local anesthesic and nitrous oxide; perform dental radiography; perform periodontal therapy which includes things such periodontal charting, periodontal debridement (scaling and root planing), prophylaxis (cleaning); apply dental sealants; administer fluoride treatments; and provide patient specific oral hygiene instruction. Our dental hygienists have also undergone additional training to be licensed to use Laser Assisted Periodontal Therapy (LAPT), to help our patients with periodontal problems.

Since one of the primary jobs of a dental hygienist is patient education, this month our hygienists will share some great information and answer questions about good oral health care. Here are some topics they will write about this month:

The staff at Hughes Family Dental wishes everyone a Happy National Dental Hygiene Month! And we thank our wonderful Dental Hygienists for all they do to help others throughout the year!

Are there any questions you would like our Dental Hygienists to answer for you this month?