Dental Hygienist Essay

Dental hygienists are skilled healthcare workers who typically work in dentists' offices. They must be trained in techniques of dental care and need to gain state licensure. Their job duties center around cleaning patient’s teeth and giving instruction in proper dental hygiene. A Dental Hygienist works under the supervision of dentists. They perform examinations of the teeth and mouth, remove stains and deposits for teeth, expose and develop radiographs, apply fluorides or pit and fissure sealants to the the teeth to prevent cavities, and also provide services to help the patient maintain good dental health. Dental Hygienists mostly focus on keeping the patient's teeth and gums clean. Some responsibilities for this job are providing dental health education about tooth care and removing plaque and calculus by scaling and polishing teeth. Good listening and speaking skills are required.

Dental Hygienists fall under the career cluster of dental careers. Dental Hygienists usually need an Associate’s degree in

Typical daily activities for a Dental Hygienist are cleaning teeth, examining patients for oral diseases, and educated patients for maintaining good oral health. Hygienists need to be successful in certain characteristics to be successful at the job. A positive attitude is a good characteristic to have, it could release stress from the patient's visit. Another important characteristic to have is good understanding. Some patients may be nervous about dental work or oral examinations, a good Dental Hygienist would be able to understand and try to ease the patient. Also, a dental hygienist that is passionate about oral health and general health can be a role model to patients and help them focus on preventive maintenance on their