Hygienists and therapists take centre stage

The extensive annual report into NHS dental care in England found that the most frequent clinical treatment delivered to adults is a scale and polish, accounting for 45.2 per cent of all treatments. The most frequent clinical treatment for children was fluoride varnish treatments, with 3.4m courses of treatments (CoT), a 24.6 per cent increase from the last period. Both of these treatments are provided by dental hygienists and therapists.

Together these treatments accounted for more than 16m CoT’s in the 24 month period to June 30, 2015, emphasising the vital role in which preventative treatment, and therefore dental hygienists and therapists, continue to play in maintaining the nations dental health.

President of the British Society of Dental Hygiene & Therapy (BSDHT) Michaela ONeill highlighted the increased role that dental hygienists and therapists are now playing within NHS dental practice; “With more than 16m patients having preventative treatments on the NHS dental hygienists and therapists have seen their roles take centre stage in helping to shape the current state of dental care in England.