Dental Hygienist

Dental Hygienists are oral health care professionals who have graduated from an accredited dental hygiene program. They provide educational, clinical, research, administrative and therapeutic services through oral health care. To perform the dental hygiene process the dental hygienists assists the patient’s oral tissues and determines the presence or absence of disease in the mouth (1). While researching Dental Hygienists I have found things such as the education/training needed for this job, the tasks they take on such as what they do, and how much money they make.

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).

Young children and many adults are terrified of visiting the dentist. The first clinician they would see is the dental hygienist, making it extremely important for the dental hygienist to be kind, understanding, and easy to talk to. These characteristics will allow patients to be at ease and enjoy their dental visits. It is also important for dental hygienists to be good listeners so they could understand their patients` concerns. Physical skills are just as important as interpersonal skills in this career. It is important to have good finger dexterity and near vision. These physical skills will come to good use because the job of dental hygienists require them to use instruments in the small area of a patient's mouth. It is also crucial that a dental hygienist be in good physical shape. Dental hygienists spend most of their time crouched over a patient which could result in back pain if the hygienist is not healthy and

They don’t just clean teeth they also look for signs of oral diseases and educate patients on how to take care of their teeth and keep them looking healthy. To become a dental hygienist you need an associate of science in dental hygiene, trade school or technical college trading. A dental hygiene annual salary and hourly wage is $70,700 a year and $33.75 an hour.

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 hygienists work in a dentist’s office. Work hours for this career can vary. However, the typical work day for a dental hygienist is 8 hours. “About half of dental hygienists worked part time in 2016. Dentists often hire hygienists to work only a few days a week, so some hygienists work for more than one dentist” (Dental Hygienists). Dental offices are usually located in suburban areas.

Believe it or not, there has been a time where brushing your teeth, flossing after meals, and visiting the dentist for check ups was not a normal process. Like everything else in in the world, dentistry derived from a specific point in history and has been practiced in ancient times. It has come along way since then, and has been a gradual process, but eventually, Dentistry has become a well-known career that everyone can distinguish today.

-Dental hygienists typically approach patient education in a persuasive, direct manner offering facts about oral disease and unsolicited advice on prescriptive strategies to encourage oral health behavior change.

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,

First of all, as dental hygienists (RDH) our main focus are on oral health. One of the major roles of RDH is to prevent diseases. For example, tooth brushing people might think it is simple but they must acknowledge

I am being trained to be an advocate to the community. Also, I am being trained to become an individual who knows how to maintain oral hygiene. Being trained to be a role model for the community brings huge responsibilities. These responsibilities range from ones heath to the health of my own body. It is important to prevent disease transmission among patients because they come to us for help on how to maintain oral hygiene. If I were to work in an environment where infection control guidelines are not being met, I would put my patients and myself in danger from deadly infectious diseases.

“Dentist diagnose and treat problems with patients teeth, gums, and related parts of the mouth” (“Summary”). They also advise the right diets that could help your oral health and give you tips on how to take care of your teeth and gums to help prevent cavities along with other problems that may occur. The latest recorded information about this profession goes all the way back to 2600 BC. The death of an Egyptian scribe, Hesy-Re, led to his tomb having the title “The greatest of those who deal with teeth and of Physicians”(“History of Dentistry Timeline”). In the 18th century this profession started to develop. Technology, Science, and updated knowledge came about in the 19th century. Dental Profession has come a long way since 2600 BC advancing human health and providing Career opportunities for college graduates. Dentistry is an art of the mouth that has challenging career requirements/qualifications, good salary pay, personalized working conditions, long varying days, and an important role in human health.

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