Duties and
responsibilities: A career as a dental hygienist offers a wide range of
challenges. In the dental office, the dentist and the dental hygienist work
together to meet the oral health needs of patients. Since each state has its
own specific regulations regarding their responsibilities, the range of
services performed by hygienists varies from state to state. Some of the
services provided by dental hygienists may include:
- patient screening
procedures; such as assessment of oral health conditions, review of the
health history, oral cancer screening, head and neck inspection, dental
charting and taking blood pressure and pulse
- taking and developing dental
radiographs (x-rays)
- removing calculus and plaque
(hard and soft deposits) from all surfaces of the teeth
- applying preventive
materials to the teeth (e.g., sealants and fluorides)
- teaching patients appropriate
oral hygiene strategies to maintain oral health;
(e.g., tooth brushing, flossing and nutritional counseling) - counseling patients about
good nutrition and its impact on oral health
- making impressions of
patients' teeth for study casts (models of teeth used by dentists to
evaluate patient treatment needs)
- performing documentation and
office management activities
Salary: $96,280
Education: Dental hygienists typically need an associate’s degree in
dental hygiene. Bachelor's degrees in dental hygiene are also available, but
are less common. A bachelor's or master's degree is usually required for
research, teaching, or clinical practice in public or school health programs.
High school students interested in
becoming dental hygienists should take courses in biology, chemistry, and
mathematics. Some dental hygiene programs also require applicants to have
completed at least 1 year of college. Specific entrance requirements vary by
school.
Most schools offer laboratory,
clinical, and classroom instruction. Hygienists study anatomy, physiology, nutrition,
radiography, and periodontology, which is the study of gum disease.
Add a picture: 
Reflection: Do you think you would like to
be one? Yes I would like to be one because you help people with the health of
their teeth’s and you fix their problems with their teeth and make them feel good and another thing is that you have a good
salary and you learn more to have your own teeth good I would love to be one
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