Health Care Career Paper : Dental Hygienist

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

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

Dentistry involves a variety of guidelines and oral practices to help people maintain a good oral hygiene. This career is far more than just making your teeth pretty and clean. “Dentists in private practice manage their own offices. They may supervise other workers such as receptionists, bookkeepers, dental assistants, and dental hygienists. They may order equipment and supplies” (Dentists). This quote shows that Dentists have even more responsibilities than you might assume. Being a Dentist consists of practices you probably aren’t very familiar with at this point in your life. These quotes show a couple different practices that are used in this career. “Endodontists perform root-canal therapy, by which they remove the nerves and blood supply from injured or infected teeth” (Dentistry). “Oral and maxillofacial radiologists diagnose diseases in the head and neck through the use of imaging technologies” (Dentistry). “Dentists may fit dental appliances or provide preventive care” (America’s). All of this might sound quite challenging and stressful. To overcome the stress that comes with being a Dentist, you will have to be patient. Determination is also a great key to success. If you are patient, responsible, and determined while working as a Dentist, you will be very successful.

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.

The main roles of a dental hygienists are to clean teeth and teach people on ways to preform proper oral care. Lack of proper oral health care can lead to more than just rotten teeth or gum disease, but can lead to systematic health issues. Both children and adults suffer from oral neglect. In fact some 82 million adults do not have dental heath insurance, which means most of these individuals do not go to the dentist. Also, in 2005, all of the children living at 200% of the federal poverty level did not go to any type of dental provider.

A dental assistant must be able to work well with others because they are the second pair of hands for the dentist. A dental assistant must be able to understand the dentist and communicate with the dentist to provide proper tools and assistance. Assistants must be very reliable and have excellent manual dexterity so that they can provide the best service to the dentist and to the patient that they are working with. Dental assistants will also have to be knowledgeable on how to properly sterilize and disinfect equipment and instruments and how to set up and lay out instruments and materials for each patient. They must obtain and update patients records as needed and ensure that their patients are comfortable at all times.

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

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

Some of the benefits that a Dental Hygienist will receive is health insurance and dental insurance. According to (Dentistry) 53% of dental hygienists are covered through a family members plan, which means they work at the dental office but are covered through a different plan, say you are covered through your significant others plan. 38% of dental hygienists are covered through their employer's plan, and 9% are uninsured. For dental insurance, 45% receive treatment at reduced costs at employers practice, 24% are covered by a family member's plan, 22% are uninsured, and 10% are covered by a plan provided by the employer. There are many risks that involve working in a dentist office and as a dental hygienist. Exposure to disease and infections is a risk that ant dental profession needs to be aware of. Knowing the signs and symptoms of diseases, and not allowing any sick patients to sit in my chair unless they are in dental pain. Also, of course not to allow sick staff members come to work. Remember to always wash your hands frequently, 88% of disease is spread from hand-to-hand contact. Exposure to contaminants is also a risk, wearing proper personal protective equipment, including sharps and chemical-resistant utility gloves. Limit the use of chemicals, there are many areas in dentistry where we can limit the use of chemicals. There are a lot of perks of

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

in the field to cover these different tasks. For that reason being is for the instance a Dental Hygienist carries more responsibilities than a dental assistant would (Careers and Jobs in Dental Field). Not to mention, a dental hygienist is also considered a mid-level career in the field of Dentistry (Careers and Jobs in Dental Field) which means a dental assistant would not be able to take on the job of a dental hygienist since higher educational standards are required to have in order for the assistant to be able to take on the job of a hygienist in the field. Don’t forget that a lot of jobs in the Dentistry field do vary from each other, and a degree is required for each different type of job in the field. These type of jobs in the field consist of such as an Orthodontist, which specializes on jaw alignment and positioning

“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.

Dentistry is one of the oldest medical professions. It started back in 7000 BC with the Indus Valley Civilization. In Greece, the Aristotle and Hippocrates wrote about treating decayed teeth and extracted the teeth to keep the pain away. They used forceps to perform the procedure. By the 1700s dentistry has become more known as a profession. A French surgeon name Pierre Fauchard came up with the idea of tooth filling and the use of prostheses (to restore missing parts of teeth and the structures of the jaw and palate.) He also found that the acids from sugar leads to tooth decay. Later, Baltimore College of Dental was founded as the first dental college in 1840. Twenty years later, the American Dental Association was created. In 1869, the first African American to earn a dental degree and the first female dental assistance was in 1885. Americans didn’t start frequently brushing their teeth until after World War II. The soldiers who went overseas came back and brought the knowledge of dental hygiene back to the United States. Colgate produced the first tube of toothpaste in 1873. 12 years later Hiram Nicholas Wadsworth created the first tooth brush in America. In 1939, the electric tooth brush was created in Switzerland.