What It Takes to Be a Dental Hygienist

A degree from a credited Dental Hygiene school along with a State license is what it is least required to be declared a dental hygienist.

To get admission in a dental hygiene program, a high school diploma and the college entrance test are demanded. The subjects that a high school dental hygiene enthusiast should pick up are biology, mathematics and chemistry. Advanced course in DH sometimes require students to have at least 1 year of college completed. There are minor differences in the requirements between different schools.

Most programs grant associate degrees to the students though some even administer Bachelor's or Master's degrees. A private dental clinic often requires the applicant to have at least an associate degree to be considered for employment. Fields like research, teaching or clinical practice require higher degrees.

Hygienists need to be licensed by the State in which they choose to practice. A graduation degree from an accredited dental school is the minimum requirement that the licensing authority requires. Most states, except Alabama, require candidates to take the ADA (American Dental Associations) Joint Commission written examination. Some states even require them to clear examinations that deal with the legal aspects of dental practice.

Dental Hygienists are usually compatible with other people as they are often required to work in cohesion with other dentists and dental assistants. Dental hygienists also require to have extensively developed manual skills as the tools they use are handled by hand and in the patient's mouth, there is little room for error.

Growing in this field calls for higher education i.e. a Bachelor's or a Master's degree. The advancements that this field offers spread into the realms of research, teaching and personal practice. Many practicing dental hygienists jump to teaching and have achieved brilliance in the field.

The employment factor of the job is amazing. As dental hygienists have the power to work in multiple offices, there are a lot of vacancies. The major job openings, around 96%, are in offices of dentists. There is a growing demand of dental hygienists due to growth of population. People are becoming more conscious about oral care and hence fuel the demand for hygienists. Research has indicated that people are finding the link between general care and oral care which leads them straight to these hygienists. With increasing workload on the dentists, more hygienists are being hired to complete these jobs for them so that they can themselves perform more complex procedures.

Life As a Dental Hygienist

Dental hygienists have a primary role in oral hygiene and healthcare. They remove deposits from teeth, examine their gums and record the presence of any abnormalities or diseases.

Hygienists have a sophisticated inventory of tools which they require to complete the complex procedures that oral hygiene demands. These include hand and rotary instruments and even ultrasonic devices, which are used to scale and polish teeth. These tools are also used to remove stains, plaque and tartar from teeth. X-rays are also required sometimes to diagnose problems. DHs may even use models of teeth to explain to their patients the procedures they need to carry out. These models are even used to plan periodontal therapy.

The geographical location of the hygienists also decides their functions. In some states, Dental Hygienists have the power to administer anesthetics. This is because different authorities allow different levels of procedures in their province. In some places, they are allowed to do temporary fillings, periodontal dressings, remove sutures and polish metal restorations. Other states, do not give such powers to the hygienists.

DHs not only treat dental problems, but also tell patients how to maintain good oral health. For instance, they explain the relationship of food and dental hygiene to their patients and even inform them on how to select their toothbrushes. Proper techniques of brushing and flossing are also explained by these hygienists.

As hygienists work hand-in-hand with dentists, they sometimes diagnose and prepare clinical diagnostic tests which the dentist then interprets. They even sit next to the dentist during some complicated procedures.

The work conditions that the dental hygienists enjoy are brilliant. Their offices are clean and well-lit. Proper clinic guidelines ensure that the work space is well disinfected and free of any harmful fumes. Hygienists don't have much to do with emergency cases and hence enjoy a proper work time without any urgent calls. They have to wear safety glasses, surgical masks and gloves to protect themselves from patients that have communicable diseases. The only concern that dental hygienists face is the advent of shoulder or neck problems. This arises as they have to sit long periods in the same posture when they are operating or treating patients.

Dentists often hire on-call dental hygienists to work with them a few times a week, so this gives them the flexibility to work in many offices at the same time. They may even chose to open their own dental care centre.