At one point in history people only visited the dentist when they had a toothache. Since no one knew how to take care of their oral health almost everyone had toothaches and all a dentist did was pull out teeth, make false ones to replace the ones that had been pulled out, and put caps on broken teeth. In 1906 a dentist named Alfred Fones, believed he knew why peoples gums hurt and why teeth went bad. Alfred tried telling other dentist and doctors the reason peoples teeth went bad was because they were covered with plaque and tartar and if people would just clean their teeth, their teeth would last longer and their mouths would feel better. But no one believed him, people just didnt see the value in preventive care because preventive care …show more content…
They also look carefully at any lumps and anything abnormal, these could signal an infection. In order to look for evidence of problems with teeth or decay they may wiggle teeth to check how firm they are and for more detailed examination of patients mouth hygienist take X-rays. Once a hygienist has examined the patient its time for treating them, they begin by removing stains, plaque and tartar. Plaque can be removed by proper brushing and flossing ; dental plaque is a soft thin film that attaches itself to teeth. It is made up of microscopic bits of food, mucus, and dead cells from inside the mouth. But tartar is not easily removed and has to be scraped off. It must be removed carefully with special tools so that the scraping does not damage the teeth. Tatar also called calculus is a combination of plaque and minerals from the mouth that harden after a few days. Tartar often looks yellow or brown, it is also hard and rough. Dental hygienist are trained to remove tartar and plaque from the teeth. After the tartar and plaque have been removed a dental hygienist will apply fluoride and sealants to the teeth. The fluoride helps strengthen teeth and makes them less prone to decay. Sealants are plastic coatings that fill the pits that are found in some teeth. Pits are hard to clean with normal brushing, but the plastics seals help keep bacteria
A dental hygienist is a very important role in any dental office. As stated by a dental assistant, “Dental hygienists work closely with the dentist as well as hands on with the patients. They assist dentists with operative procedures such as fillings and extractions, and making molds of patients teeth” (Wilson, Jennifer). A large part of their job is teaching patients proper dental care to ensure a lifetime of healthy teeth. This includes proper brushing and flossing techniques. According to the job out look, a day as a dental hygienist can include taking x-rays, cleaning and scaling teeth, charting treatment plans, putting sealants on teeth, taking impressions of teeth and completing information about the patient’s oral and medical history (Summary). In some states dental hygienist are allowed to give local anesthetic and place and remove sutures (Delivering Local Anesthetic). According to advantages of becoming a dental hygienist, hygienists spend more hands on time with the patients than the dentist does. These are some of the instruments that dental hygienists use on a daily basis: toothbrush, scaler, mirror, ultrasonic scaler, explorer, suction, computer, salvia ejector, rubber cap polisher, dental models, x-ray machine and probe. The dental hygienist uses a toothbrush to remove soft plaque from the teeth. Plaque is a soft coating on the teeth that contain bacteria. The bacteria can cause tooth decay and gum disease. The amount of plaque on the teeth gives the hygienist an idea of how well the daily brushing and flossing of the patient’s teeth are completed on a regular basis. The scaler is used to remove hardened plaque or calculus from the teeth. The mirror is used to look closely at the surfaces of the teeth a...
Dental hygiene is amongst many professions that come with an increased risk of injury. In fact, evidence suggests that the incidence of dental professionals acquiring musculoskeletal disorders is reaching 96%. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), these complications are a result of “repetitive motion or awkward posture for more than 2 hours at a time, unassisted frequent manual handling (eg, scaling an area using the same strokes), and unassisted forced manual handling (eg, heavy calculus removal using hand-activated instruments)”. These complications not only affect the quality of life for the
o Please describe a time when you performed a thorough head, neck and oral exam and the findings had a significant impact on how you proceeded with the dental hygiene process of care. Annette was performing her usual head, neck, and oral exam on a patient and found an enlarged thyroid. She recommended to the patient that she go see her primary care physician to get a better diagnosis. The patient went to her primary care physician and was told there was probably nothing. Later, the patient returned to the dental office and saw Annette and told her what the physician said.
Have you been flossing? If not the Dental Hygienist will know. A Dental Hygienist examines and makes sure that you have been flossing, brushing, and much more to your teeth. You really should make sure that you schedule cleanings every couple months or so. Your teeth are a big part of your health, and if you don’t take care of them, you will eventually end up with fake teeth, or the proper name would be Dentures. Dental Hygienists play a vital role in your Oral Heath.
Ever since I was a little kid, I have loved going to the dentist. I was never scared, not even when I went for my fillings and wisdom teeth extractions. Mostly all the hygienist I have had so far have been friendly, patient and always ready to help with a big smile on their face and that is what attracted me towards this career. I want to help people in need that cannot afford the services.
In the Dental Hygiene field, many challenges come about every day and during different situations. Every day there are new challenges and unusual situations that occur in the dental field, but one challenge that continues to come about and has been a big dispute over the years is the ability to provide beneficial information about oral health care for the underprivileged. For the individuals that are not fortunate enough to pay to have services done in the dental office, lack the knowledge of how important good oral health care is. They do not receive the one on one conversations explaining the significance of taking care of your teeth and gums that the patients who can afford to make appointments and receive essential services do. That
Today was quite a nice experience. There were a lot of volunteers in the office so it's kind of hard to have a lot of one-on-one time with patient. I ended up working closely with the hygienist for most of my time there. She showed me her day to day experiences and some techniques she uses to calm patients. It’s important to experience working with every dental professional. As a future dentist I'll be interacting with the entire dental team including the hygienist, so today I decided to stick with the hygienist.
To be honest my initial inspiration to take the dental therapy and hygienist course was from my mother, who would say ‘If more people had healthy teeth, more people would smile’.For me this statement was a turning point ,as it lead me to wondering that maybe the lack of clean and healthy teeth , is actually the prime reason to why many of us today do not smile enough , causing less unity between the people in our society. Hence from my research into the dental world, I settled on this course as it gives an opportunity for me to not only learn how to provide an assistance to the dentists trying to spread clean teeth ,but also get a chance to help and encourage younger, elder and those with disabilities to carry out the dental treatments, so
After being lost, puzzled, and indecisive for a while now about which health-related career I desire the most, I finally made up my mind and selected a major. I decided to complete a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Science after accomplishing an Associate’s Degree in Science, which is an open field filled with opportunities for several health professions. I realized that a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Science is the way to go as it enables me to switch back and forth between all of the health occupations that I worship. Down the road, I can even further my education and specialize in a specific domain that I am willing to commit to. In general, Health Science is a major where professionals undergo several tasks such as improving their community’s health and overall wellbeing, get involved in nutrition related conditions, use epidemiological techniques, counteract various infections, and enrich physical and daily health routines.
As we grow up, we are often asked what we want to be. Many people say careers such as a doctor or an actor. When I grow up, I want to be a dental hygienist. When I tell people this they often think i’m crazy for wanting to “work in someone’s mouth”. Dental hygiene is appealing to me. It is a big part of personal hygiene and keeping yourself healthy. One of the first things a person notices about you is your smile and I want to help people perfect theirs. I know that being a dental hygienist will not be the easiest thing in the world but there are some benefits. You don’t have to work full time if you don’t want to. Also as stated by Jenny Lewellen, “Overtime is not expected” (Lewellen). Hygienists also get a good salary. “The median annual wage for
It’s been a long time since the last narrative and a lot has changed. The internship with the dental hygienist failed miserably. After three sessions, my mentor just stopped communicating and cut all ties with me. I attempted to email her multiple times but I remained unheard. So, I had to find a way to troubleshoot and look for another mentor and place to intern at.
Did you know that a dental hygienist could make a slightly large mistake without asking a simple question? Well they can, the most common question is if their patient would like one or more crown placed in there mouth at a time. In order to succeed as a dental hygienist everyone is required to go to either a two or four year college and major in dental hygiene. Many people believe that it is easy to be a dental hygienist because they think that all that is required to do is clean teeth, but its actually quite difficult. Making sure the patients have excellent oral care is very important
This assignment calls for the evaluation/investigation of a professional organization. My passion in healthcare has always been dental hygiene. Since my childhood I’ve had this curiosity towards teeth and observing different individuals upkeep of their teeth. My career goal is to graduate and to become a registered dental hygienist. The professional organization that I chose to assess is The American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. This is an organization that I would love to be a part of because that strive to achieve excellence in Pediatric Dentistry. The American Board of Pediatric Dentistry is the only ADA recognized certifying Board for the specialty of Pediatric Dentistry. Pediatric Dentistry is dedicated to the oral health of children
When you are a dental hygienist you must be understanding and patient with someone with bad history of dentistry. Hygienist should make the patient feel comfortable and safe. I will always be uderstanding and patient with all patients. I will treat my patients with care and compassion, by listening and resolving problems the patient my have.A dental hygienist must also be passionate about oral health and educating others about it. They must be their patients role model. Another great trait of a detan hygienist is having a positive attitude. Being positive can give off an energetic and friendly feeling that can help the patient to relax and enjoy their visit at the dentist. As a hygienist, one must be detail-orientated. Especially, since the most of the occupation is in one general area, the oral cavity. It is with great need for dental hygienist watch closely at every thing they encounter while doing routine check ups on the patient. Informing the Dentist about anything out of the normal could be critical, like sensitivity. Catching little unnormal things, like dark or weak spots, earlier could keep that patient from severe
In the articles "The History of Teeth" and "Where Are All the Dentists?", both by Kristin Lewis, it explains the history of dentistry, as well as the advancements in that field of study. Throughout the years, there have been many challenges with dentistry, especially in the early days of civilization. For one, not many people can afford the fee of the dentist nowadays, not even for a simple cleaning. In “Where Are All the Dentists?”, it says, “Many Americans can’t go to the dentist because of the cost. The average price of an exam and a cleaning is about $100. This can be a financial burden, especially for those without insurance,” (Lewis 17). The financial aspect is a challenge because, if tooth issues go untreated, then there are many problems that could happen in the future, and