The Hygienists

As in most modern specialist orthodontic practices, our scheduling and clinical management is planned and organised to provide the most efficient patient flow, while maintaining the highest possible standard of clinical care and control.

Only AHPRA registered clinicians are able to work directly in the patient's mouth. In our practice, that means the orthodontist and dental therapists and hygienists. Of course, the hygienists will provide oral hygiene instruction and some tooth cleaning - in conjunction with the family's general dentist. Most of their work in our practice though consists of taking records (photographs, scans for indirect construction of lingual braces and impressions for study models of the teeth or for construction of various plates, expanders, holding wires and retainers) or removing braces. They will also help the orthodontist during normal clinical time by simply removing elastic modules on the braces, while the orthodontist is reassessing the treatment plan or preparing customised wires and springs to place in the mouth. 

In our practice, hygienists do not make any treatment decisions themselves or provide any braces clinical work without being under the direct supervision of the orthodontist. That is why we have a typical modern open plan clinic - so that the orthodontist can directly control all patient activities. Our hygienists are well-qualified with Bachelor of Oral Health Therapy university degrees and have been trained very carefully in all aspects of our specialist clinical work. The orthodontist is still always responsible for all aspects of clinical management and the outcomes of all treatment in our practice.