Dental Hygienist Essay

Dental Hygienists
Even though there are many jobs in the dental field, I am going to write about dental hygiene in hopes to figure out what a dental hygienist is, what they do on a daily basis, and the steps I should take to make it my career. A dental hygienist, in a lot of patient’s eyes is the person they talk to the most, they connect with, and the majority of the time, is the one who is poking around in their mouths. This chatty person is the one who cleans the nasty gunk off of their teeth and constantly tells them to floss, even though they know he/she is not going to. This job seems like a piece of cake, like all they do is talk about their family, and scrape teeth. In reality, they are highly trained and licensed professionals, working

under the watchful eye of a dentist. In 2012 there were 192,800 people that held a dental hygiene job (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Because the number of people in this line of work is large, it is obviously a good career. Some might think the road to success is easy but, as I have researched I found out that road, and daily job is much more complex.
So, what exactly do they do? And why does it seem the majority of the time spent at the dentist is with the hygienist? Well, for starters, when the hygienist is digging around in someone’s mouth, and simultaneously asking questions about school, work, and family they are also trained to look for signs of disease. Some obvious things they look for is cavities, tooth decay, and oral cancer. But they also look for much more serious diseases such as gingivitis, tooth abbesses, and periodontitis. Dental hygienists can pinpoint the way someone lives. From the food eaten, to the physical health they are in, and even if the patient is pregnant! (Small red growths between teeth and gums) As Dr. Stuart Froum, the president of the American Academy of Periodontists says, "If the eye is the window to the soul, the mouth is the window to the body," (4) Along with looking for disease, hygienists clean teeth of course! A typical teeth cleaning that a hygienist performs can be described as a janitor cleaning the floor. First, the janitor will sweep the floor and get the surface junk off, just like a hygienist would get the plaque off teeth. Then, the janitor would examine the floor for cracks, stains, and other damage. That step is similar to the x-ray that a hygienist would give. Next, the dentist applies fluoride, and the janitor soap. After that the hygienist begins to polish your teeth, making them look shiny and new! The janitor would apply wax and do the same. Both do a final look over of their work, and it’s on to the next patient! Making teeth look pretty, and checking for disease is not the only part of their job description; they are required to educate their patients on proper tooth care. Whether the patient is listening or not, the hygienist will continue to tell them how very important things like flossing and brushing teeth are. When the patient returns, they hopefully do not have to get another lecture. Sadly, this is not the case, nearly 50% of adults have a form of gum disease, which is the leading cause of tooth loss, and a sign of many other health issues. Even though the constant talk about flossing and brushing may seem nagging, it is their job. So far, dental hygienists have checked for disease, and cleaned teeth. Depending on how far the dental hygienist has gone with his/her training, they will be able to do certain things such as prepare diagnostic tests, and administer anesthesia. Along with the dental assistant, the hygienist acts as a right hand man to the dentist, and also works alongside him/her during procedures and check up’s. So, yes, almost all of the time in the dentist chair is spent with a hygienist, but with good reason.
The dictionary definition of dental hygienist is, “An ancillary dental worker specializing in scaling and polishing teeth and in giving advice on cleaning the teeth.” (Ancillary- providing necessary support to.) But what do they actually have to look forward to during their day? Unfortunately, the answer to that question may seem dull to most. The extremely repetitive activities a dental hygienist performs are said to get boring, and most people do not have the focus or patients to repeat them day after day. The start of a hygienist’s day begins before the patient even arrives. The dental hygienist must look over the patient records, looking for things such as, updated x-rays, and if they need treatment (cavities and other procedures). This helps the hygienist know how long each of the appointments will take so they can plan their day accordingly. Sense a lot of people do not arrive to their appointment on time, dental hygienists often run behind schedule, which is very frustrating and stressful. As soon as the patient does arrive, they are initially asked by the hygienist if he or she has any sort of mouth problems, if not, the appointment continues as planned. The hygienist then performs a routine check up and cleaning, if it is smooth sailing they generally finish the appointment in about 50 minutes. Altercations such as a tooth ache, a popping jaw, or needed x-rays will prolong the appointment, putting them behind schedule and putting on the stress. By the time the day is up and all the patients are out the door, dental hygienists often have a lot of catch up work to do, for instance, update patient records. (Because most dental hygienists only work part time, many of them work for two dentists at the same time, this definitely adds to their already crazy day!) But, this career is not all bad of course, otherwise there wouldn’t be so many people pursuing it! Even though the days are long and repetitive, they get to work alongside with other hygienists, receptionists, and the dentist. To live the life of a dental hygienist, the path seems very bumpy, but luckily, the future is bright. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, dental hygiene jobs will grow at a much faster rate than the average in 2020. As for the pay, the average is 70,210 dollars, the lowest ten percent makes 46,280 dollars, and the top ten percent makes 96,280 dollars. Yes, it is tiring and stressful, but whether it is the joy of preventing tooth decay, or getting a paycheck, the job of a dental hygienist is extremely rewarding.
How to get into the field?

The schooling required to be a dental hygienists is an associate’s degree in dental hygiene, science, or applied science. These degree’s can completed partially online but is eventually required to get educated hands-on. During the hands-on training, they are educated on how to remove plaque, give x-rays, and look for/prevent diseases. Depending on the school and degree, they also may be trained to administer anesthesia. This degree can be completed in three years, but every state requires that they must be licensed. After they finish the course they must pass the exam in that state to become an official dental hygienist. Some of the most common dental hygiene courses are microbiology, nutrition, biology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology. Some of the courses made specifically for the dental field are, preventative dentistry, dental hygiene, and tooth morphology. The preventative dentistry course teaches students how to read patient files, use dental tools, and how to determine diseases. The dental hygiene course will teach students about proper oral care, and how to recognize periodontal (teeth) and gingival (gums) diseases. The last course, tooth morphology, teaches students the structures of teeth, and also how to interpret dental charts and x-rays. Although most dental hygienists get a job with only an associate’s degree, it is suggested to continue the education and get a bachelors degree. A bachelor’s degree would provide a clear advantage and can be completed completely online. Some of the additional training that a dental hygienist may want to get is business, education, administration, marketing, and public health. The reason extra training may be needed is if someone wants to teach about dental hygiene to students, or even start their own

practice.
The school requirements are only a part of the package a dental hygienist must have. There are many things regarding their personality and health that is needed. One characteristic they must have is compassion. Sometimes, dental hygienist deal with patients that may be in a great deal of pain, so the hygienists must be careful with their emotions. Another trait needed is something called dexterity, this means they must be good at working with their hands. This trait is extremely important because they are constantly putting sharp objects near sensitive areas in the mouth. Interpersonal skills may be one of the most important skills needed, they must be outgoing enough to hold a good conversation with their patient so they feel comfortable. Physical stamina is one of the lesser known things a dental hygienist must have. The long hours and awkward positions make for a lot of pain that other professions may not have to deal with. Being in physically good shape may be a deciding factor for an employer. Close contact is something that dental hygienist must be very comfortable with. The only thing between them and the patient’s mouth is a couple of inches, and a face mask. So, all of these extra details are essential because someone may pass a license exam, but that does not mean they are ready to be a dental hygienist. For example, someone can get all the requirements they need academically, and exceed exceptionally well but, if they do not have the qualities needed they may not make the cut.
In more ways than one, a dental hygienist is like a special dentist mother. She checks for diseases to make sure you are healthy, cleans you up and makes sure you look presentable, talks to you about your life and problems, and give you advice to teach you right from wrong. This caring dental mother plays a very important role in the dental society; she prevents disease, tooth decay, plaque and many other conditions all throughout the community. Now that I know about dental hygienists, what they do, and what the career is like, I think I will get started.