Dental Hygienist: Responsivities And Challenges

My goals after high school are to study dental hygiene. In order to become a Dental Hygienist, i'll have to earn an associate's degree. Some of the community colleges i’m thinking about enrolling in are Portland community college and Mt.Hood community college. I will attend one of those community for two years then transfer to University of Oregon. I would like to get an internship at a dental office while attending school. An internship will help me get an experience of what it's like to be a dental hygienist.

Dentists, dental hygienists, orthodontists, and endodontists perform different job duties. For instance, a dental hygienist supports a dentist by administering preventive dental hygiene care, tracking dental conditions, and performing screening procedures such as health history reviews, blood pressure checks, taking x-rays, and making impressions of teeth. In addition, the dental hygienist informs the dentist of any potential problems they have detected and assists during procedures.

My whole life, it has been apparent to those around me that I would be a dentist. I am highly inquisitive, passionate, compassionate, experienced, and I love teeth. I remember getting so excited to have my teeth cleaned as a child because my trips to the dentist were so much fun! At a young age, my mother instilled the importance of oral hygiene care. To this day, I wonder if it was the dentist, dental hygienist, or just the dental office ambiance that had me engaged as a young child. Almost immediately after graduating high school, I went to school to become a registered dental assistant and at that point, I figured out that I possess good manual dexterity, which is a fundamental skill to be efficient in the dental field. At the same time, I unlocked the key to my calling, passion. Six years later, I realized I had the potential to

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).

Being a dental hygienist was not the career I grew up believing I would pursue. At a young age, up to my Junior year in high school, I had my goals set on being a veterinarian. Going into high school I widened that plan into any job dealing with animal science. However, taking classes like zoology, botany, equine science, veterinary technology and advanced animal science, made me realize that I would not have as much direct contact or personal connections with the animals as I had hoped. However I found that being a dental hygienist gives me the opportunity to have that direct contact and personal connections with my patients.

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

As a dental hygienist I will assist patients as I work under the supervision of an licensed dentist. As a dental hygienist I am not qualified to make the same kind of diagnostic decisions or perform the same procedures as dentists. Instead, dental hygienists perform basic dental care tasks, mostly focused on keeping patients' teeth and gums clean as possible. As a dental hygienist my duties are to remove tartar, stains, and plaque from teeth, apply sealants and fluorides to help protect

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.

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

Incorporating professionalism, respect and empathy are a few of the most vital behaviors to attain in the dental hygiene profession. As a student we learn, read, and study about these behaviors expected of us; however I believe it is not until working independently with patients when we truly learn and master these three important behaviors. Similar to being a student, I feel that a professional is continuously learning, reading the latest news in the dental field and being familiar with the current dental research. While reflecting on the professional standpoint of care it can be viewed as both professionalism and being a professional; which are both similar by definition yet with a slightly different perspective. Professionalism is defined

My dream job is to be a dental hygienist and has been the same since I was a little girl. I have an interest in how health can affect one’s body. I would like to educate others how important it is to keep your body, including teeth, healthy and clean. To see people who have not cleaned their teeth in years compared to people who are able to see the dentist every six months, is a drastic difference. Some people may think it does not matter, but lack of dental care actually takes a toll on your health. I want to peruse this career to help other’s think. I will enjoy helping other people by showing them the importance of keeping their teeth cleaned. Contrary to popular belief, a tooth brush does not do all the work, that is also why it is so important to have a dentist to make sure you are getting the cleaning you need to stay healthy. Another reason why I want to pursue this career is I work best in an oriented atmosphere. Making sure people are comfortable with where they are and make sure the patients are taken care of. Creates a very friendly environment. That is why my passion is a dental hygienist.

Immediately after high school, I attended Concorde Career College with the goal of obtaining a dental assistant degree. Dental assistants help dental operators such as dentists and dental hygienists with providing more efficient dental treatment. We also prepare patients for treatments, sterilize instruments, handle instruments, operate dental equipment, process dental radiographs, and take dental impressions (“Dental Assistant”).

Dental Assistants can earn a certificate through programs within a year, but for more of an education, one can receive an associates degree. The process of learning is through laboratory work where students learn about the mouth and the instruments used. Dental Assistants who do not have formal education can learn their tasks through on-the-job training.