A dental hygienist is a dental health care professional working alongside dentists to assist patients with the care and maintenance of their teeth. Dental hygienists usually work out of dental offices or hospitals and are often involved directly in patient dental care.
A dental hygienist is a licensed and qualified position and each state has particular and specific regulations on precisely what a dental hygienist may do. The dental hygiene services often performed by a hygienist include:
- Oral Health Assessments
- Plaque Identification and Removal
- Sealing Teeth and Applying Fluorides
- Educating patients on good oral hygiene
- Assistance with anti-smoking programs
- Nutritional advice
- In some states they can carry out anesthetics and polishing activities
Dental hygienists don’t just work in dentist offices, they also work in prisons, public health clinics, nursing homes, schools and private corporations.
Dental Hygienist
Although the dental hygienist doesn’t regularly diagnose dental problems, they often make tests and do the examinations that dentists later use to help make their diagnosis. Some states allow hygienists to diagnose issues too, but that isn’t the norm.
Much of the hygienist’s work is educational, offering patients advice on how to take better care of their teeth and to avoid problems in the future. You will probably see a dental hygienist before the dentist in order to assess whether you need further treatment.
A dental hygienist is the best person to help you choose the correct toothbrush, and can help you with other important ways of staying out of the dentist’s chair. Often they accompany a dentist chair-side while they are working on a patient. They are highly trained and are an important aide to dentist in their work.
Dental hygienists train at dental schools before they taking examinations and state licensing tests. There are many different types of dental schools and hygienists commonly have a certificate, associate’s degree, bachelors or masters degree in dental hygiene. After graduating from one of the almost 300 dental schools in America, they must take a series of tests in order to become a legally qualified dental hygienist.
After finishing dental school, there is a two-part test. First, there is a written examination, which is coordinated and approved by the American Dental Association Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations. The second part is a clinical practical exam, which is locally administered by the particular State in which the hygienist wishes to work. Once these have been successful completed and passed, the hygienist becomes a RDH or Registered Dental Hygienist. Dental hygienists that wish to train to a more advanced standard can become an Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner.
Dental hygienists can work at multiple locations and at present earn between $27-$34 per hour for their work. At present, and historically, dental hygiene workers have been females, and male dental hygienists are very rare.
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