A Dental Hygienist Is More Than Just Someone Who Cleans Teeth

For my senior project I have explored the career of a Dental Hygienist, who is a licensed dental professional who is registered with a dental care association within their country of practice. Their duty is to clean teeth, examine patients for signs and symptoms of oral diseases such as gingivitis, and provide other preventive dental care. They also educate patients on ways to improve and maintain good oral cavity health. Dental hygienist occupation has many important aspects to their job, which makes it a very rewarding occupation. According to my research dental hygienists is one of the top career choices in America, being so, over the years the career has evolved into a high demanding occupation.

Nature of the work for a dental hygienist is a wide range of challenges. Dental hygienist plays as the side kick of the dentist to better help their patient’s oral health conditions. The reason I mentioned theirs a wide variety of responsibilities is because different states have certain regulations on practices dental hygienist can actually do. Procedures like patient screening, head and neck inspection, and dental charting. Also, taking X-Rays, and removing plaque from all surfaces of the teeth. Dental hygienist also applies sealants and fluorides to the patient’s teeth and gums to help prevent diseases from forming. The information I conducted from my dental hygienist Linda. She noted that she teaches her patients proper instructions on flossing, and brushing teeth, and also nutrition counseling. Make an impression on their patient’s teeth for study casts which is models of teeth used by the dentist to evaluate patient treatment needs (Linda Smith). Finally, dental hygienist performs documentation and office activities. Academy of General Dentistry gave me the sources

Dental hygienists play an important role in the dental care facilities since they apply their knowledge on every case by removing tartar, stains, and plaque from teeth. They are in charge of applying sealants and fluorides to the teeth in order to protect them, they take and develop x-rays which helps them determine the patient 's vocal health and then present all this information through a report for the dentists to see. Once they have documented the patient 's care, they begin a treatment plan for each patient. They also educate their patients about the oral health and techniques they should apply and how to brush and floss the teeth accurately. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016-17, p.2) Dental hygienists apply critical thinking, compassion towards their patients, interpersonal skills, and dexterity while on their jobs and are supposed to be very detail oriented since they work on small parts of the body and need precise use of the tolls. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016-17, p.4).

I observed a second year student in the dental clinic who was incredibly enthusiastic, genuine, cheerful, and helpful, and her personality would fit perfectly into what I consider the typical dental hygienist. She seemed very well prepared and confident in her ability to treat her patient. A dynamic conversation was held throughout the appointment with her easygoing and cooperative patient. Besides the appropriate clock and chair positions, I was not aware of many proper techniques when I observed at the beginning of the semester. I noticed the student kept the patient chair in the same position for treating the maxillary and mandibular teeth. I observed her for the full four hours including the preparation before her patient arrived until

In Dr. Parson’s presentation, I learned that there are still many seniors with out dental insurance. This is sad because the population by 2030 is going to double and more will eventually need treatment done by a dentist. According to her presentation oral care is not a concern to the nursing home staff. Some families show up to brush their family members teeth. With the limited financial resources for dental care these patients have it is one of their barriers to getting treatment done if needed or even cleaning. Therefore, we as dental hygienist can help make a difference by going out to the community and offering dental care education to the nursing staff because they must first know how to take care of their oral health before taking care

As the number of older Americans continue to rise, along with dental practitioners who are entering retirement, it would benefit this under-served population for the dental profession to develop new models of mid- level care. To expand training as well as additional licensing for dental hygienists, along with more training for other health care professionals would be a great beginning towards improved access to care (Overview of oral health,

In the 4th video I watched about Dental Hygiene, Tammy Shelton, the assistant professor in the dental hygiene program at ETSU. She is a registered dental hygienist with a Masters in Dental Hygiene, in this video she will discuss about the profession of dental hygiene, requirements for the program at ETSU, and career options available. According to Shelton, “dental hygienists are licensed oral health professionals who focus on preventing and treating oral diseases to protect teeth and gums” (Dental Hygiene). A graduate of a dental hygiene program must take a written national and clinical examination before they are licensed to practice. Dental hygiene services are assessments that review a patient’s health history, dental charting, oral cancer

As dental hygienists we are members of the healthcare community. That means that we have an extremely important role when it comes to the health of our patients. When patients present themselves in our treatment room, it is our responsibility to make sure we do not leave anything unexamined. We are professionals in the practice of identifying, preventing, and treating oral diseases. We do this by completing thorough extraoral and intraoral exams and being conscious of what to look for. One particular exam that we do is an oral cancer exam. As dental hygienists we are at the forefront in identifying this disease. In an article written by Nancy Burkhart, a coauthor of General and Oral Pathology for the Dental Hygienist, she states, “It is known that oral cancer is more likely to be detected in an early stage in the dental office than those found at a physician’s office, which tend to be at a later stage.” (Burkhart, 2014) This may be because dental hygienists focus more on the oral tissues than physicians do; or the fact that patients go to a doctor when it is already at advanced stages. It is imperative that we as dental hygienists know the signs and symptoms of oral cancer, as well as the risk factors involved in developing the disease and how it can be prevented. While it is important as a dental hygienist to identify oral diseases, it is more important to educate our patients on how they can avoid any potential abnormalities from becoming severe problems,

With all of the work required of a dentist and with all of the patients that see a dentist, it is impossible for a dentist to run an office alone. One group of people that are essential to a dentist and to a dental office are dental hygienists. Dental hygienists work very closely aligned with dentists for the overall health of patients (Dental Hygienists). These individuals have the responsibility of screening patients, taking dental x-rays, removing plaque from a patient’s teeth,

The dental hygienist’s role is one that can be expanded in several ways. One of which is in palliative care. Dental hygienists can help those in palliative care by relieving physical, psychologic, emotional, and spiritual distress. A dental hygienist can relieve physical distress by knowing how to identify and treat some of the common oral findings of patients in palliative care. This includes, but is not limited to: mucositis, ulcerations, oral candidiasis, and xerostomia. In addition to oral findings, some patients can become malnourished due to not eating if they are in dental pain. This can greatly affect the patient systemically and potentially shorten their expected time of living. The dental hygienist can provide education to palliative

We offer same-day emergency care for those in need. If you are experiencing a dental emergency, please call our office at 770-676-1122. If it is during business hours, we will try to work you in right away. If you catch us after business hours, please call the number on the answering machine. A member of our team will give you instructions on what you should do until you are able to be seen the next day. Don’t wait – if you are in pain, call us immediately.

When someone begins to feel the aching sharp pain of a cavity or the pressure of a wisdom tooth coming in, they dread having to make an appointment with the dentist. There are millions of Americans who avoid visits to the dental office out of fear. This has become an extremely serious problem due to the lack of oral health which leads to a number off issues such as: gum disease, cavities, loss of teeth, high blood pressure, heart disease, and death. The neglect placed on oral health can be deadly, not just a cosmetic issue. There are a number of reasons why people fear going to the dentist, general anxiety disorder or panic attacks are two of the top leading causes of fear. Maintaining Dental hygiene is not just a luxury, it is an important part of a health regiment that helps prevent diseases, and is available through programs for those who seek it.

The objective of the assignment is to discuss the implementation of the management and treatment carried out on the patient (18999). Patient X is a New Zealand European and age 36 years male. He was presented for dental hygiene care in May 2014 as part of his 12 months recall. Patient X was hospitalised at an early age due to glue ear grommet procedure and later on with ankle surgery from sports injury. As a result, he takes antifungal medications, Voltaren and Lamisil weekly and annually as he is prone to infection. In addition to that, antihistamine is taken when required to control hayfever. Patient X lives with his partner and is in full-time employment. He had not been a regular attendance until two years ago when he visited the urgent care with regards to his restorations. He was later referred for periodontal maintenance. Patient was under the impression that dental visits are referenced to restorative care rather than preventive. Furthermore, he preferred seeking dental care unless it is necessary, such as pain and was not too found on the specialised dental team. The periodontal health of the patient had been identified as localised plaque induced gingivitis which generalised light plaque and subgingival calculus was evident. The following discussion will focus on the planning, implementation and evaluation of the dental hygiene care.

In a society that cares about efficiency rather than safety, dentists offices often lack giving thorough and correct information about dental hygiene. Along with cleaning teeth, their job is to teach their patients about what can happen if bad dental hygiene becomes a habit. It is crucial that individuals receive the correct information about dental care at a young age to ensure that it carries with them into adulthood. The lack of education on this issue is the first and most important

At some point, most neglected dental issues do become urgent. When this happens, the senior is left with few options, especially if their transportation is limited and/or there aren't family members living close enough to help. Nonetheless, the urgency must be addressed, sooner rather than later: