Dental hygienists have major responsibilities. Young children are often scared of the doctor’s office and the dentist office, and their first few experiences are ones that will have a lasting impression. Dental hygienists have the opportunity to show children what may appear frightening is not always what it seems. They are able to be in constant interaction with people; they are social and caring individuals who are willing to work to make another person’s life better.
To become a dental hygienist, a person has to complete an associate’s degree in the field of dental hygiene. Education can be expanded by obtaining a bachelor’s or master’s degree, but these are not as common as having an associate’s degree (Study.com). An associate’s
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The average salary ranges from around 46,000 to 87,000 dollars annually, but this is only an average and each environment is different. There are many job openings in this field. Some openings are at Heartland Dental in Port Orange, Florida, and at Coast Dental in Atlanta, Georgia. These are only a few located in the southern area of the country, and there are multiple more opportunities throughout the United States.
Dental hygienists are required to complete various tasks on their job. They have to use a variety of tools that can be anything from hand powered to ultrasonic. These tools can be complex and difficult to handle, and it takes skill and practice to be able to be efficient with the tools. Dental hygienists have to be able to work and read complex machines. They have be able to observe, diagnose a patient, and develop a simple care plan for the patient. There are many more requirements of a dental hygienist, and they all require skill and
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They clean people’s teeth by removing stains, whitening, and other tactics. They remove tartar and plaque from mouths, and they have to practice proper techniques for a routine cleaning. In most cases, dental hygienists are constantly using machines to view the mouth from different perspectives. They must know how to operate each machine, and they have to know how to read them. From these tests, they look for problems and causes to those problems. Once this is completed, they created a dental care plan. These can range from referrals to other doctors, additional appointments, or simply dental hygiene techniques or demonstrations
Some people tend to believe that a dentist is all about pulling teeth, filling gaps, and drilling holes in a mouth. That may be true, but this is more about the person that treats a patient prior to a dentist drilling into a mouth. Dental Hygienists provide more than just the basic examination. They also give advice on how to properly brush and floss, the types of foods to avoid, and give examples of what teeth could look like if not taken care of correctly. A dental hygienist provides preventive, therapeutic, restorative and educational interventions to promote optimal oral health.
The best description of a dental hygienist is a professional whose main job is to teach their patients necessary oral hygiene skills and provide great dental care. They perform various tasks around a dentist’s office such as applying fluoride treatments, removing plaque and stains, taking x-rays, removing sutures, placing temporary fillings, and evaluating the patient’s overall health (“Dental Hygienist” Coin Career). Dental hygienists do not just work in a dental office, but they also can work at schools, nursing homes, health clinics, and many other dental settings. Close contact is necessary when doing this job. Working with people is an everyday thing in this profession, so one must be able to communicate and get along with their clients very well. Having certain traits such as excellent hand-eye coordination and great motor skills are very important to posses since dental hygienists work on their patients mouths (Porterfield 4). Communication is vital since dental hygienists are constantly teaching patients how to hav...
Having shadowed a dental hygienist prior to that of a dental assistant I didn’t know what to expect their job to be. Although I did assume a dental assistant’s job consisted of handing instruments to the doctor during the various procedures so I was surprised to see just how many responsibilities they have. Each dental clinic has different expectations of what they require their dental assistant to do in my shadowing experience they were responsible for: preparing the room prior to the patients arrival, greeting the patient upon arrival and inviting them into the operation room, confirming dental history with the patient, briefing them on the procedure they are about to have and what to expect, answering the clients questions to the best of their abilities, assisting the doctor in the procedure and aiding with any tasks required of you, when the patient is ready to leave helping them to look presentable and explaining what to expect after that kind of procedure, updating and verifying dental records, and sanitizing and sterilization of the room and all instruments after departure of
It’s been a long time since the last narrative and a lot has changed. The internship with the dental hygienist failed miserably. After three sessions, my mentor just stopped communicating and cut all ties with me. I attempted to email her multiple times but I remained unheard. So, I had to find a way to troubleshoot and look for another mentor and place to intern at.
After teeth are adjusted, maintaining their shape is fairly easy with retainers and casual check ups. A general dentist’s main focus is the teeth and gums. They take care of cavities and treat and diagnose gum disease (“Dental Schools And Careers”). Dentists recommend semi annual visits to take a closer look at your mouth. The
The total credit hours include The Dental Hygiene Program. After completing the perquisites and the program, I will graduate with an Associate Degree in Applied Science. The next objective will next be to become certified as a dental hygienist. This is completed by taking state and certifying examinations. Training usually includes one to two years, including being on the job experience and informal training. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, skills necessary are interpersonal skills, physical stamina, dexterity, detail oriented and compassion. It is only recommended that a student should at least major in an Associate Degree in Applied Science. A student can also acquire a bachelor’s degree, but it is not necessary for this career. It is recommended to acquire this degree if the student is planning on branching away from dental
Assisting the dentist in everything from patient relations to a wide variety of dental treatments and procedures.
The average starting salary for dental assistants in 2008 was about $32,774. The lowest 10 percent of workers in 2008 earned about $22,270 and the highest 10 percent earned over $46,150. These numbers have increased since 2008, but annual salaries still vary greatly depending on what type of office you work in. If you work in the office of a physician you are likely to only earn, on average, $31,240; if you work in a federal branch you can earn upwards of $39,201 on average. Some employers will give their workers dental benefits which can increase the value of the job.
The average pay is around $72,000 a year. “I usually work around 34 hours a week” (Lewellen). Most hygienists work four hours a week. The pay may increase depending on where you work and also how long you’ve worked there. Education for dental hygiene is semi-difficult but most people can accomplish it. “Dental hygienists need an associate’s degree in dental hygiene. Programs typically take 3 years to complete. All states require dental hygienists to be licensed; requirements vary by state” (College). Depending on where you live and where you go to college will determine what requirements and skills will be needed.
A dental hygienist is a very important role in any dental office. As stated by a dental assistant, “Dental hygienists work closely with the dentist as well as hands on with the patients. They assist dentists with operative procedures such as fillings and extractions, and making molds of patients teeth” (Wilson, Jennifer). A large part of their job is teaching patients proper dental care to ensure a lifetime of healthy teeth. This includes proper brushing and flossing techniques. According to the job out look, a day as a dental hygienist can include taking x-rays, cleaning and scaling teeth, charting treatment plans, putting sealants on teeth, taking impressions of teeth and completing information about the patient’s oral and medical history (Summary). In some states dental hygienist are allowed to give local anesthetic and place and remove sutures (Delivering Local Anesthetic). According to advantages of becoming a dental hygienist, hygienists spend more hands on time with the patients than the dentist does. These are some of the instruments that dental hygienists use on a daily basis: toothbrush, scaler, mirror, ultrasonic scaler, explorer, suction, computer, salvia ejector, rubber cap polisher, dental models, x-ray machine and probe. The dental hygienist uses a toothbrush to remove soft plaque from the teeth. Plaque is a soft coating on the teeth that contain bacteria. The bacteria can cause tooth decay and gum disease. The amount of plaque on the teeth gives the hygienist an idea of how well the daily brushing and flossing of the patient’s teeth are completed on a regular basis. The scaler is used to remove hardened plaque or calculus from the teeth. The mirror is used to look closely at the surfaces of the teeth a...
When most people think of dental hygienists, the first and only thing they think about it cleaning and whitening teeth. However, that is mainly what dental hygienists do, but they also learn to do a lot more than that. According the occupational outlook handbook, hygienists clean teeth, examine patients for signs of oral diseases such as gingivitis, and provide other preventative dental care. They also educate patients on ways to improve and maintain good oral health. As explained on American Dental Association, the dental hygienist...
As a future dental hygienist, I want to be able to help educate people about dental hygiene, prevent cancers and help rural communities overcome oral diseases and cancers. Dental Hygienist usually work in dentist office's, some of the responsibilities of a dental hygienist are removing tarter, stains and plaque from teeth, they take dental x-rays and access patient oral health and report findings to the dentist.
The education requirements vary depending where you are, but typically it vary from a high school diploma to the completion of a postsecondary training program. There are no formal education requirements for entering this career and some high school students have even went from their diploma straight to on-the-job training. Although, postsecondary dental assisting programs offer more comprehensive career training. Dental assisting programs are typically 1-year diploma or certificate programs that tend to focus more on technical training through classroom, laboratory, and clinical instruction. Some community colleges also offer 2-year associate's degree programs which combine general education, technical training, and more extensive clinical practicums. Licensure and/or certification might be required by some states. Some states allow dental assistants to perform all duties assigned by a dentist but in other states they must obtain licensure or registration to perform certain duties. Obtaining the licensure vary in states as well. Some may include completing an accredited postsecondary program or may have to pass a written or practical exam, which could be required. Most dental assistants maintain licensure by earning continuing education at state-specified intervals. To get the certification, The Dental Assisting National Board offers the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA®) certification which was
According to the book, “Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist”, a dental hygienist is a dental health specialist whose primary concern is the maintenance of oral health and the prevention of oral disease. A career as a dental hygienist provides a wide range of challenges where in the dentist office, the dental hygienist and dentist work together to meet the oral health needs of their patients. There are many things that dental hygienists do that you may not realize when you think you are just going in to get your teeth cleaned.
Yes, dental hygienists face several challenges in an everyday scenario, but they also face the challenge of benefiting others outside of their job and to the ones who are not as fortunate as others. It is imperative that dental hygienists and other health professions come together to expand their knowledge and practices to help the poor. The future of dental hygiene is expected to come from the interaction within the communities, and in order to do so, hygienists need to find the drive and put in the extra effort to encourage others to focus more on their health in order to stay healthy. If the dental field works to help others, their biggest challenge will soon become their