Showing posts with label Dental Hygenist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dental Hygenist. Show all posts

Becoming a Dental Hygeinist - An Introduction

dental haygenist

dental haygenist

dental haygenist

  By Tom DeLauder 
Health careers are generally considered to be more stable jobs, and the dental hygeinist profession is widely accepted to be one of the most recession-proof professions in America. If you're interested in becoming a respected health professional with a recession-proof career, becoming a dental hygeinist could be one of the best decisions you'll make.

Dental hygeinists are one of the fastest growing occupations in the US. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average hygienist earned $66,570 annually in 2008, and the field will enjoy a job growth of 36% by the year 2018. Members of the profession often work beside dentists in dental offices, and some have their own dental hygene practices. In addition, many work on a part-time or flexible schedule basis. Clearly, the profession offers stability, higher than average income and flexibility.
The primary responsibility of a dental hygeinist is to ensure the hygiene of patients' teeth and gums by performing a wide variety of procedures, as well as educating them about teeth and gum hygiene and providing other preventive dental care. The procedures performed by a dental hygeinist may include:
  • Cleaning plaque, stains, tartar and other residue buildup on teeth using rotary and ultrasonic devices
  • Diagnose dental health problems using radiological (x-ray) equipment and refer them to dentists for further treatment if necessary,
  • Apply cavity-preventing treatments such as fluorides and sealants,
  • Educate patients on various aspects of dental health and hygiene using charts, photos and models.

    dental hygenist

    dental hygenist

Now that we've covered the basic job responsibilities of a dental hygenist, it's time to talk about the educational requirements and qualifications necessary to become one. In many states, entering the profession requires a degree from an accredited dental hygiene school (In addition, some states such as Florida may allow foreign-trained dentists to work as hygienists. This is an appealing career option for foreign-trained dentists, who otherwise can not obtain jobs as dentists in the US due to ADA regulations and restrictions on foreign-trained dentists.) Such training programs usually take two years to complete, and entrance requirements usually include a high school diploma and college entrance test scores. Specific entrance requirements vary highly between programs, and we recommend visiting the Web sites of various schools for more information.
As of 2010, there were 313 accredited entry-level dental hygene education programs in the US. Most of these programs require successful completion of classes on general health-related science subjects such as anatomy, chemistry, histology, microbiology and nutrition; as well as classes specializing on dental health subjects such as periodontology (study of gum diseases), clinical dental hygiene, dental materials and dental radiology.
After successful completion of an accredited dental hygeinist education program, dental hygeinists must be licensed by the state where they would like to practice. Almost all US states require candidates to graduate from an accredited school and pass both a written and clinical examination. The written examination is administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations of ADA (American Dental Association).
The clinical examinations are usually administered by regional and state agencies, and some states might require additional written examinations as well. You can find more information on the national and state examinations on our certification information pages.
We hope you find this brief introduction useful in your path to becoming a dental hygeinist!


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                                                                                                 Becoming a Dental Hygeinist

 

How to Prepare a Dental Hygenist Resume


Dental Hygenist

Dental Hygenist




A dental hygenist is required to clean and polish teeth, instruct the patient about oral hygiene, as well as the care to be taken after the treatment.
He/she is also required to provide other preventive care, apart from assisting the dentist during examination and treatment.

 A dental hygenist is also required to take X-rays, set molds for crowns, handle stitches, polish filling, apart from recording medical history as well as medication list.
You would require an associate degree in dental hygiene for working in a dental office, whereas an advanced qualification may be required in case of other avenues like clinics, or research facilities.

What Is The Role of a Dental Hygenist?



dental haygenist

dental haygenist



By Mark Jubbs
Generally the role of a dental hygenist includes helping patients prevent dental problems and also educate them about proper dental care. A dental hygenist will work closely with dentists in general practice, hospitals and community dental services.