People do not often think about how important the dental hygienist has become in the dental field. Over the years the dental hygienist has assumed more and more responsibilities.
One of the most vital endeavors of your life may be to become a dental hygienist. According to the “United States Bureau of Labor Statistics” this career will grow an extremely large 36 percent by 2018. Not only that, but these dental professionals make excellent salaries with the range being somewhere around $50,000.
Duties of a Dental Hygienist
Today dental hygienists have many duties including the following:
- They clean hard and soft deposits from patients’ teeth which include plaque, tarter and stains.
- Instruct their patients in the habits of proper dental hygiene
- The dental hygienist administers cavity-prevention treatments
- They treat periodontal diseases
- Take x-rays of patients’ teeth
- Administer diagnostic tests in order for the dentist to evaluate
Furthermore, in some states the dental hygienist may not only administer anesthetic but may also put temporary fillings in their patients’ teeth.
However, in order to be able to fulfill these many roles, a dental hygienist must really be a “people person” which means she must communicate well with people of all sorts of ages. The dental hygienist must also have excellent manual dexterity in order to be able to operate the various types of hand instruments that are used to perform certain tasks.
Educational Requirements For A Dental Hygienist
If you want to become a dental hygienist, you must successfully complete the program from an accredited dental hygienist school. However, in order to be accepted into this program, you must have a high school diploma, and you must also have submitted either ACT or SAT test scores to the dental hygienist school you want to enter.
As stated by the “United States Bureau of Labor Statistics” there are over 300 dental hygienist programs that have been accredited in the United States by our Commission on Dental Accreditation. Most of the schools offer an associate’s degree after the student successfully completes their program. However, if the dental hygienist wants to progress in her field, she can take additional courses and obtain her bachelor’s or even her master’s degrees.
Here are some of the subjects that a dental hygienist will need to take:
· Pharmacology
· Histology
· Chemistry
· Radiography
· Anatomy
· Nutrition
· Pathology
· Periodontology (gum disease)
· Dental Hygiene
· Microbiology and many more
These subjects are taught to the students in a combination of classroom, clinical and laboratory settings in order to enhance the learning process as well as the experiential potential of the future dental hygienists.
Becoming A Licensed Dental Hygienist
Every dental hygienist has to be licensed by her practicing state. In order to become licensed, you will have to successfully complete an accredited dental hygienist school as well as the successful passing of not only a written but a clinical exam to become licensed. Alabama is the only state at the present time in which the applicant, in order to obtain license, does NOT have to complete the written examination. However, an applicant has to meet all other requirements according to the Alabama Dental Hygiene Program.
After you have passed all of these licensing requirements, you may now pursue a career in this growing as well as financially rewarding career field as a dental hygienist.
Other Great Dental Hygienist Information
How To Become A Dental Hygienist- If you have decided to become a dental hygienist then you have made an outstanding choice because you will help keep the community in good oral health, and have a lot of job choices in the areas of practice, research and education.
Dental Hygienist Schools- If you are planning becoming a dental hygienist, most jobs require that you have experience as well as an education through an accredited dental hygienist program. The United States offers about 300 different schools that you can choose from.
Dental Hygienist Salary- You might have been thinking about working as a dental hygienist. If you have, then one of the things that you need to consider is the dental hygienist salary that you can expect to make.
Dental Hygienist Resume- When writing a dental hygienist resume, you will want to start by identifying yourself and giving the recipient as much contact information as possible. In previous generations, an address and phone number would suffice, but today it is a good idea to add a cell phone number and an email address.
Dental Hygienist Requirements- A career as a dental hygienist is very rewarding and not only momentarily. As a dental hygienist, you will provide preventative dental care, helping your patients maintain healthy teeth and gums and keeping them disease free.
Dental Hygienist Jobs- If you have an interest in dentistry or have a curiosity about human teeth, then perhaps you should start a career as a dental hygienist. Currently, dental hygienist jobs are one of the most secure with an expected job growth in the next decade.
Dental Hygienist Job Description- If you have ever considered becoming a Dental Hygienist there are some things that you should know about this profession prior to making the commitment it takes to make this career choice.
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