Do you visit your dentist once every six months like you're supposed to? Unfortunately, studies have shown that not all Canadians do this.
Only about 70% of Canadians take a trip to their dental office once each year. If you're not among them, you should aim to change that ASAP.
When you take the time to visit a dental office, you'll typically meet with both a dental hygienist and a dentist. They'll each work on providing you with the best possible dentist care around.
So, what is the difference between a dental hygienist vs. a dentist? Keep reading to find out.
What Is a Dental Hygienist?
During a trip to a dental office, you'll usually meet with a dental hygienist first. Also, sometimes called an oral hygienist, they'll be in charge of cleaning your teeth for you and evaluating your mouth for any signs of oral diseases.
Once a dental hygienist is finished working on your teeth and gums, they'll often provide you with some tips on how to better care for them. They'll also provide your dentist with a full report on what they were able to find during your dental cleaning and evaluation.
Outside of performing these tasks, a dental hygienist will also usually be in charge of performing X-rays on your mouth as necessary. You should only need to have X-rays taken every year or so, depending on the condition of your teeth and gums.
What Is a Dentist?
After a dental hygienist wraps up with you, a dentist will come in to see you in a dental office. Since your teeth will already be cleaned, they'll perform their own evaluation on your teeth and gums to see what kind of shape they're in.
From there, they'll recommend more advanced dental procedures if they feel they need to be performed. For example, they might suggest that you have cavities filled or crowns placed on damaged teeth.
What's the Difference Between a Dental Hygienist vs. a Dentist?
As you've seen, both dental hygienists and dentists will play important roles in helping you care for your teeth and gums. But dental hygienists will do more of the heavy lifting when it comes to providing you with routine care, while dentists will be more involved in the more advanced dental procedures you might need to have done.
Because of this, dentists will go through more schooling and training than dental hygienists. It'll provide them with all the information they'll need to perform dental procedures that'll prevent their patients from having to deal with any pain. It's the biggest difference between a dental hygienist vs. a dentist.
Make an Appointment at a Dental Office Now
Now that you know the difference between a dental hygienist vs. a dentist, you should make an appointment to see both soon. They'll work together to ensure you're able to get the proper dental care.
Integrity Dental would love to see you sitting in one of our dentist chairs soon. We can make your smile look even more amazing than it already does.
Contact us now to schedule dentist care.