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Career goals for a dental hygienist
Some of my career goals are to be a dental hygienist
Dental hygienist career goals
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There are many similarities between the three websites. The most important part of working in the office is meeting the oral health needs of the patients. The main duty of the hygienist is to do the routinely check-ups, which include removing plaque. They also give them a better understanding of how to improve their oral hygiene. Education is an important part of becoming a dental hygienist. The most important subjects going into the program include: chemistry, math, biology, health, ect.. Hygienist commonly just get their Associates degree, which is then only two to three years of schooling. Depending on the school there could be a year of pre-requisites and the program, or just two years of the program. There is also the option of going to a University, which requires two additional years of school. If a bachelor’s degree is obtained, it is normally used for teaching or researching. In order to become a hygienist, the last step is to take the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination. There …show more content…
The number of new graduates has also increased, which means it is much more competitive. In 2014 there were 200,500 people employed as a dental hygienist. The median wage for 2015 was $72,330 per year. There is more to just the salary, other advantages are vacation days, bonuses, and insurance. More than half of the dental hygienists worked only part time. “Employment of dental hygienists is projected to grow 19 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations.” (Bureau of Labor Statistics) Dental hygienists are ranked the fastest growing occupation. The demand will grow as the population is growing. It will also increase because there is better care of teeth now then there was back then. Between 1950 and 1965, first-year enrollment increased slowly from 3,226 to 3,808 (18 percent): that’s an increase of about 1.2 percent a year. In 1975, the number of dental schools increased to 60.
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
To become a dental hygienist, one must attend a college or university that has a dental hygiene program. “Your coursework will include classes such as the
According to the book, “Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist”, a dental hygienist is a dental health specialist whose primary concern is the maintenance of oral health and the prevention of oral disease. A career as a dental hygienist provides a wide range of challenges where in the dentist office, the dental hygienist and dentist work together to meet the oral health needs of their patients. There are many things that dental hygienists do that you may not realize when you think you are just going in to get your teeth cleaned.
The education requirements include having an associate's degree in dental hygiene and a bachelor or master’s degree required for research, teaching, or the clinical practice in public or school health programs. A daily routine for a Dental Hygienist is waking up to get to work at least a half hour before the first patient comes. They then should look over the charts about the patient’s situation with their teeth and see what medical treatment they need. They then bring the patient in and perform the treatment. Lastly, they charge the patient for the certain treatments, like the cleaning, and then for say a filling, they will charge them separately, and then the patient will leave. Soon after they will start all over
When most people think of dental hygienists, the first and only thing they think about it cleaning and whitening teeth. However, that is mainly what dental hygienists do, but they also learn to do a lot more than that. According the occupational outlook handbook, hygienists clean teeth, examine patients for signs of oral diseases such as gingivitis, and provide other preventative dental care. They also educate patients on ways to improve and maintain good oral health. As explained on American Dental Association, the dental hygienist...
The best description of a dental hygienist is a professional whose main job is to teach their patients necessary oral hygiene skills and provide great dental care. They perform various tasks around a dentist’s office such as applying fluoride treatments, removing plaque and stains, taking x-rays, removing sutures, placing temporary fillings, and evaluating the patient’s overall health (“Dental Hygienist” Coin Career). Dental hygienists do not just work in a dental office, but they also can work at schools, nursing homes, health clinics, and many other dental settings. Close contact is necessary when doing this job. Working with people is an everyday thing in this profession, so one must be able to communicate and get along with their clients very well. Having certain traits such as excellent hand-eye coordination and great motor skills are very important to posses since dental hygienists work on their patients mouths (Porterfield 4). Communication is vital since dental hygienists are constantly teaching patients how to hav...
My ambition for studying a degree for dental hygiene propagated during my research about it. I am very much aware of the importance of the hygienist's role in maintaining the patient's health as I have already experienced it during work experience in a dental surgery. I enjoy helping patients and I am able to communicate with different types of people. I can handle difficult situations in a small period of time without hesitation. I read scientific journals and enjoy researching about science and learning about the human body to develop my knowledge. I am currently studying BTEC level 3 sciences at St Albans Academy. I also achieved a gold Duke Of Edinburgh award and demonstrated effective leadership skills during my expeditions and practises. I The role of a dental hygienist comes with a big responsibility
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
The average pay is around $72,000 a year. “I usually work around 34 hours a week” (Lewellen). Most hygienists work four hours a week. The pay may increase depending on where you work and also how long you’ve worked there. Education for dental hygiene is semi-difficult but most people can accomplish it. “Dental hygienists need an associate’s degree in dental hygiene. Programs typically take 3 years to complete. All states require dental hygienists to be licensed; requirements vary by state” (College). Depending on where you live and where you go to college will determine what requirements and skills will be needed.
I promptly educated myself on dental hygiene and I feel there are a lot of advantages becoming a hygienist. One of the best features about a dental hygiene career is, you only need an associate's degree. That’s two years of prerequisites and two years in the program if you get selected. There is a process you have to exceed to get into the program. The process is based on GPA, interviews
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.
The total credit hours include The Dental Hygiene Program. After completing the perquisites and the program, I will graduate with an Associate Degree in Applied Science. The next objective will next be to become certified as a dental hygienist. This is completed by taking state and certifying examinations. Training usually includes one to two years, including being on the job experience and informal training. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, skills necessary are interpersonal skills, physical stamina, dexterity, detail oriented and compassion. It is only recommended that a student should at least major in an Associate Degree in Applied Science. A student can also acquire a bachelor’s degree, but it is not necessary for this career. It is recommended to acquire this degree if the student is planning on branching away from dental
Becoming an orthodontist requires specific education, including: four years of college, four years of dental school, and two to three years of orthodontic residency. (Chaekal). The aspiring orthodontist may major in either health, premedical studies, or life studies. There are also required college courses such as biology, chemistry, and physics. This person will be prepared for dental school through classroom lectures, and laboratory instruction on the physiology of the human body, especially focusing on the structure of the mouth and jaw. (Education Portal, “Majors for an Aspiring Orthodontist”). After completing four years of college, they move on to dental school. However, it is not always a guaranteed acceptance since dental schools are quite competitive, and expensive.
Human needs theories are very useful for the dental hygienist in identifying the unmet needs that pertain to oral aspect and be able to guide the patient in achieving the positive results and meeting those needs. The example of human needs theory would be Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs that is focused on basic human needs. It is a pyramid that consists of five aspects with the most important need located on the top. The first level consists of basic needs for survival such as eating, drinking, sleeping and performing some sort of exercising. If the basic needs are not being met, the person views other levels of needs not as crucial.