I currently attend Tennessee State University as a freshman. I plan on majoring in Dental Hygiene.

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,

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.

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.

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.

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.

In spite of the fact that many people within the dental industry are aware of the multiple routes one may take in terms of becoming a registered dental hygienist, I believe that earning a Bachelors of Science (BS) degree will allow me to better serve my community. Being able to confidently apply a vast amount of knowledge concerning the occupation of dental hygiene in its entirety will essentially make me better equipped to serve future patients on a daily basis. I have found that many people within health professions strive to achieve excellence when reflecting on their aspirations.

One of the many important jobs out there is a dental hygienist, while this job may not look as important as doctors, dental hygienist sure do focus on helping others lead healthier lives; while providing an excellent salary and prestige. Taking care of their patients' needs is what they do; giving them

You may think that dental hygienist are just mean people who just want to clean your teeth, but they are really nice people. Have you ever been to a dentist and they just ignore you and do what they need to do and then that’s all? I never had that happen to me before and if you have then you need to go to a different dentist! Everytime I been to a dentist office they are always the nicest people ever, they never just clean my teeth they talk to me the whole time and I feel like they care about me. I would be the perfect dental hygienist, they are so nice and so talkative. When you walk into the door, and you smell that smell that all dentist offices have you know that you are in the right place. A dentist

Dental hygienists are part of the Health Science career cluster under the pathway of therapeutic services. The health science cluster deals with jobs that involve planning and providing basic health care services. The pathways in this cluster are Supportive Services, Information and Communication Services, Diagnostic Services, Therapeutic Services, and Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Services. Though there are many jobs in this cluster that require different certifications, they all help provide medical care to everyone in the world.

Being a dental hygienist comes with responsivities and challenges. A dentist and dental hygienist work together with patient’s oral health. All states have their own regulations for dental hygienists. Common tasks done by a dental hygienist are taking radiographs, removing calculus and plague, teaching patients how to take care of their teeth, lastly applying a sealant on teeth for future protection.

I originally chose the Dental Hygiene profession but then I realized it wasn 't my calling. The normal office day consists of perio charting, bitewing and periapical x rays, and a general prophylaxis. Sometimes Dental Hygienist will perform pediatric sealant procedures on 6 year molars. I

Pediatric Dentistry is a fantastic job for me because I adore children, the median annual wage is excellent, and dental hygiene is very preeminent to me. I cannot envision a better career path for myself. I have always been a person who can interact well with children. In addition, I also enjoy the idea of being able to help children feel great about their teeth and smile. Being a dentist is much more to me than just cleaning a child's teeth. It is also about boosting the child's self-confidence by encouraging them to brush their teeth and take care of their smile

What makes dentists so special is their ability to help people relieving their teeth pain such as cavity and wisdom tooth removal. The earlier patients go to the dentist, the less complicated and shorter the treatment was. Dentistry major is needed everywhere in the world. As the world population increases, people need more dentists to treat their teeth. Moreover, it’s one of the most respected majors because people need dentists to relief their pain, which is the point of weakness in human being.