Joan Davis, a certified dental hygienist, is thorough as she meticulously scrapes away the annoying and dangerous “calculus” or plaque that has hardened into cement-like ridges in a reporter’s teeth. Davis has opened up her independent dental hygiene practice on Rt. 1 in Wiscasset.
“Just For Grins” actually opened up on Jan. 22, but people are just starting to discover the shop. A new law passed allowing hygienists around the state to work independently of dentists. Since the law is so new, Davis said people aren’t aware of the service. She said her services are affordable and are a step in the right direction toward dental disease prevention.
Davis said there is a shortage of dentists in the state. Governor John Baldacci signed into law LD 2277, “an act regarding the Sunrise Review of oral health care issues” in May 2008. According to the Maine state website, the governor previously had created the Oral Health Task Force, “to identify barriers to oral health services and to make recommendations to expand access.”
As Davis understands from her experience, people don’t go to see a dentist on a regular basis. Some people might have their teeth cleaned once a year or even every few years. The fear of sharp-looking tools used to scrape away plaque, the whirring noise of a tooth polisher with its thick minty paste, and the threat of bad news are enough to keep people from a regular check-up. Cost and the lack of dental insurance are other factors.
Davis said hygienists are the first professionals people see when they go to a dentist, to have their teeth screened and to make referrals for the dentist. The cost of an entire bill, covering hygienist, then dental work, can be prohibitive for some people.
Davis said she can save people money and her business still benefits dentists. Dentists save by cutting costs on their overhead, such as employee insurance and worker’s compensation, she said. The referral base hygienists create is expanded as more independent hygienists open up their own practices.
Davis joined other professionals to help persuade state legislators to change the law to allow hygienists to work independently of dentists and to establish their own practices.
“This model increases the accessibility, offers affordable fees for the same quality, professional preventative dental care, an integral part of total body health,” Davis states in a summary of her curriculum vitae.
She said the model allows hygienists to do the work once limited to dentists’ offices and make referrals for advanced dental care. It provides access to dental care for those who might not have taken the steps due to cost.
“People always start with a hygienist to begin with,” Davis said. “We’re out there to educate and prevent tooth decay.”
Independent Practicing Dental Hygienists can perform all of the same functions they had working in dentists’ offices, including: comprehensive oral assessments (which can be sent to a dentist for further care), oral cancer screenings, teeth cleaning, fluoride treatments, and oral health education. This reporter had an oral assessment and teeth cleaning for $55.
Davis said education is essential to a healthy mouth and total body health.
“It’s all about getting people to come for prevention, and it’s affordable.” she said.
Davis is a licensed professional hygienist. She earned a degree in dental assisting from the Windham Regional Technical School in Connecticut, an associate’s degree from Westbrook College and received her certification as a dental hygienist in 1991.
Just for Grins is located at 510 Bath Rd. (Rt. 1) in Wiscasset. The number is: 687-2132. The business website is: www.justgrins.com.
