A dental hygienist is a specialist when it comes to oral hygiene. He or she helps the dentist provide the client with preventive dental care. US statistics report that the median hourly wage for a dental hygienist is about $30.00 USD.
Dental hygienists deal with local anesthesia, scaling and root canals, radiography, dental sealing, bleaching and fillings. Although most people are afraid to go to the dentist, good oral hygiene is part of complete health and as a dental hygienist you would be part of a health team for your patients.
Working under the supervision of the dentist in charge, the dental hygienist would undergo some of the more detailed work related to oral care such as root canals. When it comes to the basic cleaning of the teeth, the dental hygienist may even get the opportunity to work unsupervised.
Some other duties of the dental hygienist include:
• Assessing and gathering data about the patient’s medical history
• Performing a dental hygiene diagnosis: this would include interpreting data from materials such as ex-rays
• Evaluating the effectiveness of the oral health plan performed for the patient
To become a dental hygienist, formal education is required. There are many private and public colleges that offer programs to become a dental hygienist. The program can take anywhere from one to two years.
Other related occupations include:
• Dental assistant
• Dental therapist
• Dental technician
• Dentist
