Dental Hygiene
I am currently an undergraduate student at Arkansas State University, but I am following the degree plan of Biological Sciences with an Emphasis in Pre Professional Studies. This major does not require you to be admitted, you can just declare it as your major. The general education for this major require courses such as college algebra, oral communications, general chemistry with lab and biology of the cell with lab. I’m following this major’s guide because I plan on entering a health care related professional school after leaving Arkansas State; which will be a dental school somewhere. I want to be a dental hygienist. The one that cleans teeth, examine patients for signs of oral diseases such as gingivitis and others and provide preventative dental care. A D.H. also educates patients on ways to improve and maintain good oral health. Many think of dental hygienists as someone who just simply clean your teeth, but they are actually very educated health professionals.
What is a dental hygienist? Dental hygienists are qualified oral health professionals who focus on preventing and handling oral diseases. Both to protect teeth and gums, and also to guard patients’ total health. All hygienist have to go through a dental hygiene school program of any sort in colleges or universities and afterwards take a national board and clinical exam before they are licensed. Along with working in the dental office, handling patients directly, dental hygienists may also work as
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.
Ever wonder why your dentist doesn’t actually clean your teeth? It’s cause that’s the job of the dental hygienist. They are specialist at keeping your teeth and gums healthy and clean. My goal of becoming a dental hygienist will soon come to pass. All I need is dedication, motivation, ambition, and understanding. This latter element becomes very important when discussing this career field. The most basic elements that one must understand when considering becoming a dental hygienist are threefold; first, I must possess the education requirements that are necessary for admittance to this field. Second, I will discuss the nature of the work,
Before becoming a dental hygienist, the person interested needs to have a High School diploma or equivalent in order to be admitted into the desired school or institution. Once they have entered, students are normally required to take specific courses and complete them successfully prior to attending the program for dental hygiene. The most common
Professionalism encompasses who we are and what we do. As dental hygienists, we are licensed oral health care providers who have undergone a rigorous education and possess certain skills that others do not. We exhibit many interrelated roles such as clinician, educator, researcher, advocate, mentor and many more. To be considered a profession, a specific field or area of study traditionally must have several characteristics. These include a specialized body of knowledge and skill of value to society, an intensive academic course of study, set standards of practice determined and regulated by the group,
Work with staff to provide the patient with the highest standard of care by supporting any needs they might have. Setting up treatment room and ensure that all surfaces are clean to set out instruments and disposables that are needed for each patient. Pulling, reviewing and updating patient records after treatment. Fill in for the front desk if necessary by greeting patients and welcoming them in the office, scheduling next visit, re-scheduling visits as necessary, calling patients when rescheduling is necessary. I think one of the most important things to do in this job that is not mentioned so much is to remember personal details to initiate conversation with patients, as Dental Hygienist will always be seeing, and interacting with this patients. It also shows and demonstrates the patient that you are interested about their life. Remembering personal details can also be beneficial because when some patients come and sit at the dental chair their blood pressure may be high due to stress or anxiety and initiating a conversation with them, will help them relax and bring down their blood pressure. This career does not obligate you to travel, but most Dental Hygienist jobs only offer a part time, meaning they might have to travel around there area to put in more work hours, in various facilities such as dental offices, schools, nursing homes, etc. But there are facilities that hire Dental Hygienist full time, so it does not obligate them to travel. This job allows you to work inside and with staff but it is considered to be more of an independent job, because Dental Hygienist are expected to know more than an assistant because they perform more treating patients and diagnose heath issues. (Nguyen, 2018). It can be stressful but it seems to be rewarding. After interviewing Cecile Nguyen I learned a lot more about this career and understood that it is not easy but it is very rewarding as
Dental hygiene has had a significant impact on my life since I was a child. While most children would absolutely dread going to have their teeth cleaned, I was the kid always eager and ready to get to the dentist office. Throughout my journey of traveling through life, I have had several experiences that just called to me saying dental hygiene is definitely the career for me. Shadowing my own dental hygienists and having the privilege to be hands on and work with them was amazing. I enjoyed every minute from simply going over X-Rays to getting to know the patients personally.
All states require dental hygiene license obtained by State Dental Board. As it stated earlier, requirements varies from state to state. During two years of program, students are required to attend lectures, labs and clinics. The majority college program requires the completion of courses such as radiology, Dental head and neck anatomy, pain control, pharmacology, public health, medical emergency, oral pathology and periodontology. By end of two years, students are required to take written state boards and regional clinical boards. Usually dental hygienist needs Associate’s degree in “dental hygiene” to begin working. According to American Dental Hygiene Association, hygienists are getting their bachelor’s and master’s to further their career
Dental Hygienist work with kids and adults. If someone has an interest in being a pediatric dentist they would be able to work with kids. Some people they dislike kids, there is a ton of other dental offices even for elderly and middle age people. Being a Dental Hygienist allows the worker to focus mainly on the mouth. They will examine patients for diseases in the mouth, and provide exceptional dental care. On the other hand, Radiation Therapist diagnose and help people with their illness. It is the use of high-energy
According to Jada A. Grave on Money.usnews.com, the main idea about this subject is the understood tasks of a general dental hygienist. Dental hygienist focus mainly on the preventive care of dental hygiene rather than the damage already caused. They also educate and inform the patients of the best over-the-counter medicines for their pains, and speak to them about flossing and brushing habits to prevent future damages to the teeth and gums. A dental hygienist's main purposes are completing dental prophylaxis, screening oral cancer and radiographic research, and charting the conditions of
The educational requirement to be a dental hygienist is to have an associate's degree, bachelor’s degree, or certificate. You can receive this degree by attending a university, technical college, or a community college.
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
SC introduced herself and told Laverne that she was Audrey s SC. SC aske Laverne about Audrey desired services Dental. Laverne said that Audrey when to when to the dentist last week. She noted that her teeth was clean and the doctor found no cavities. Her next point will be next year for routine cleaning. SC concludes that progress in his outcome Audrey wants to have clean teeth. Audrey is not present on the phone, however, Laverne had no issue to report and is satisfied with the dental services
From a very early age, I had a natural affinity for teeth. I wanted to know how they form, and differ in other individuals. As a toddler, I would grab hold of the staff’s teeth at my local daycare and attempt my own version of a dental inspection. It came quite apparent to my mother that either I had a serious fetish or I was finding a passion for a future profession. Even though my mother loved my curious personality, she wanted me to understand that there are boundaries that I must adhere too. Over time, I stopped playing with stranger’s mouths and started using my hands for more important duties. On Saturdays, after soccer practice, my father would drive us to food banks to volunteer our time. During my time as a volunteer, I did such activities such as feeding the homeless, packing boxes of food for families in need, and assisting the building of homes with habitat humanity. Thankfully, I could continue my development as a community leader throughout college and adulthood.
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 oral cavity is more often than not viewed as a separate entity than the rest of the body. This is a mistake due to the overriding effect the mouth has on the rest of the body. This view needs to cease immediately due to the fact that oral health affects what people eat, their quality of life, and their speech.1 Oral health also plays an important role with chronic diseases. Unfortunately, oral health has not been a priority among many healthcare professionals, and this has lead to millions of patients suffering from toothaches and over poor oral hygiene.2