Dental hygienists often describe their careers as rewarding, being able to be with patients on a one on one basis is very intimate and gratifying. When you ask a dental hygienist what technology impacts their everyday experience it is almost a comical reaction. There has been many advances technologically in the dental field, however, most end up benefitting the dentist. Dental hygiene is still fueled by good old fashioned elbow grease. It takes experience and education to be able to identify what needs to be cleaned on a patient’s teeth and there is not an instrument to substitute that. In 1987 Dr. Francis Mouyen introduced the first digital radiography machine (IIic & Stojanovic, 2012, p.81). This has proven to be a significant advancement for dental hygienists. It has enabled them to do their job more efficiently. Digital dental x-rays have revolutionized the dental hygiene profession because hygienists no longer have to wait to develop the film, they are able to take 3-D images which helps diagnose periodontal disease more effectively, and they are able to send the films in digital format to other professionals, which allows them to communicate about a patients care in a more …show more content…
The ability to identify underlying issue and treat them more effectively is just one of the many benefits that are provided with this technology. It is becoming increasingly apparent that oral hygiene is an important part of a person’s overall health. Having technology that can aide a dental hygienist in providing better care to their patients is an advancement that can help propel dental hygiene into the future. Working together with the medical community and focusing on disease prevention, and overall wellness is the main reason that digital dental radiography has become so important in the dental hygiene
Magnification devices are yet another important product for dental hygienists to consider. “Magnification in dental hygiene practice can improve quality of assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and clinician posture”. The most preferred form of magnification by dental hygienists is magnification loubes. Magnification loubes magnify the oral cavity and in turn, prevents the hygienist from having to distort their body in order to see into a patient’s mouth. Loubes should be lightweight, comfortable, and properly adjusted to prevent musculoskeletal disorders .
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.
As I started my new journey of becoming a dental hygienist, I came into the program with no background of dental. I came into this program with an open mind and willing to embrace new concepts as well as develop new skills. During my time at the Canadian Academy of Dental Hygiene (CADH), I learned that as a dental hygienist that I am committed to promoting and helping each individual achieve their optimal oral health goals. In support of my client’s goals, I may assume any or all of the roles included in the dental hygiene scope of practice. My goal throughout this program was to help my clients achieve their optimal oral health goals through education, health promotion and providing preventive and clinical therapy.
1)Why do you want to be a Dental Assistant? I love people and that is why I want to become a Dental assistant. Being a huge people person and I'm always willing to learn, adapting is essential to this line of work and that is why I will be a perfect fit for the dental assistant program. Getting to know the patients and spending time with them is one of the reasons I am really looking forward to my future as a DA. I am an empathetic person and easily relate to others. This will really help me to be able to provide my patients with the best possible care. Originally I had planned on applying to Manhattan Area Technical College for their Dental Hygienist program. They require that all applicants have a minimum of forty hours experience shadowing
The Faculty of General Dental Practice is responsible for continued professional development of dental clinicians. It is committed to improving standards of patient care within dentistry by providing up to date publications and guidelines for clinicians. The standards and guidelines by the FGDP are evidence based and are recognised as authoritative statements of good practice within the profession (REF). The FGDP have produced standards and evidence-based guidelines detailing the Selection Criteria for Dental Radiography (REF).
Did you know that the dental assisting profession has been projected to grow 18 percent during the years of 2014 through 2024, which is much faster than the average for all other occupations? And from there who knows, the sky's the limit. But what exactly does a dental assistant do?
Dental hygienists are popularly known to work together with dentists in cleaning and examining patients' teeth. It is through examining the teeth of their patients that dental hygienists are able to detect that a particular patient has signs and symptoms of oral diseases. Through this, dental hygienists are able to provide patients with preventive dental care. They could either remove tartar or polish the teeth of the patient. Aside from that, they are also responsible in assessing the oral health of the patient and report their findings to the dentists. Also, they are tasked to document the treatment plans of the patients and educate them so that patients are able to improve their good oral health
Most people hate going to the dentist and getting their teeth cleaned but it is very important to have strong and healthy teeth. I had braces for three years I always thought a Orthodontic Hygienist job was very interesting, although I never had any thoughts on pursuing a career in that field. I recently started taking an serious interest in becoming a Registered Dental or Orthodontic Hygienist after shadowing the dentist and his hygienist at my home town Wrightsville Family Dentist Office. Dr. Justin Ragen and Ms. Charlene Kay has made a huge impact on my decision of going into the dentistry field. I got the privilege of watching them perform hands-on producers such as taking x-rays, monitor development
You might have to check patient’s health using thermometers and blood pressure cuffs. You should be comfortable while using the tools necessary for cleaning and caring for teeth, such as probes, scalers and polishers. Your profession require the use of X-ray equipment or lasers at times, so again one should be able to handle the machine comfortably. Care and precision in the use of such machines is important to patient
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...
Healthcare is a necessity to sustain society. Dentistry is an area of healthcare that I feel extremely passionate about because access to proper dental care is limited, especially in the underserved communities. As an African American, I want to become a dentist and healthcare provider in the hopes of helping patients and adding to the diversification of the field. With a growing minority population in the United States, it has become apparent that there is a shortage of black dentists. This is problematic because underrepresented minorities are in great need of access to culturally connected dentists who understand their clinical needs as much as their lives and their challenges. I believe that when the profession includes a range of ethnicities
The career I have chosen for my future is to become a registered dental hygienist. It wasn’t until I actually learned what dental hygienists do that influenced my interest from medical to dentistry. The first honest reason I was gravitated to dental hygiene was because of the salary. I didn’t really know what Dental Hygienist actually did until I did some research.
It's important for any high school student to have an idea or plan of what they want to pursue in the near future. Most students want to go into the medical field, become a professional athlete, a lawyer, etc. Many talk about becoming a dentist, but not a dental assistant. Simply because they feel like it's not that big of a title of being a dental assistant as compared to a dentist. Little do they know dental assistants play a big role as well in the office. A dental assistant does many tasks and duties that help benefit the dentist and also the patients.
The history of a Dental Hygienist is very riveting. This profession was first founded in 1913 by Dr. Fones when he created the first Dental Hygiene education program in Bridgeport, Connecticut. In 1906 Fones trained Irene Newman the basics, and she was then the first Dental Hygienist in the world. Later, the founding of the first Dental Hygienist training program, many more were founded. People that decide to become a Dental Hygienist for many reasons, and one is because it is listed to be the 5th out of the “100 best jobs” in 2015. Other reasons are because the “U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics” projects that the employment will grow to 33.3%
Introduction: In Canada, general dental health is not part Canada’s national system of health insurance (Medicare) (1) except for some dental surgical procedures that are performed at hospitals. Since Oral health does not come under the Health Act about ninety-five percent of the oral health care services are offered on a fee-for-service basis. Oral health care is under provincial or territorial jurisdiction like other health care services and publically financed dental care programs provide the remaining five percent of oral health care services (2). Thus, majority of Canadians receive oral health via privately owned dental clinics. Privately owned dental care gives these services providers control over dental service charges, types of available treatment for the patients and number of follow-up appointment for treatments or routine care. Service users pay for the dental expenses from their own pockets or utilize insurance coverage (1).