Dental hygienists provide various dental treatments and oral care, including cleaning teeth, taking x-rays, and educating patients on oral health. They can work in private practices, hospitals, schools, and even abroad. Some roles may require additional education and experience.
A dental hygienist provides various dental treatments and other oral care to dental patients. The duties of a dental hygienist can range from the routine to the extraordinary. Sometimes they change depending on the configuration. Private practices, hospitals, oral hygiene schools and the military are some of the many dental hygienist jobs available.
In general, duties may include cleaning and polishing the teeth, removing plaque on the teeth and below the gum line, obtaining dental histories, caries and disease for the dentist to review, taking dental x-rays, and screening patients for signs of oral cancer. Other responsibilities of the dental hygienist include taking impressions or impressions of teeth, educating patients on correct procedures for good oral health, and applying anti-cavity agents to teeth such as sealants. In some areas, the dental hygienist may be in charge of patient pain management and other restorative procedures.
Depending on where the dental hygienist practices, she may work under a dentist’s supervision, with minimal supervision, or without a dentist’s supervision. For example, in some areas, a dental hygienist may perform duties in a nursing home with minimal supervision. In fact, dental hygienist jobs at many state institutions do not require much supervision.
Dental hygienist jobs are most common in private practices. These hygienists usually work for a single dentist or for a larger number of dentists as part of a group practice. Many other dental hygienist jobs can be found in the dental departments of hospitals, community agencies, health maintenance organizations, elementary and secondary schools, dental schools and the military. A dental hygienist simply needs to explore the options that work best with their schedule, lifestyle and preferences and then apply for dental hygienist jobs accordingly.
The World Health Organization and the Peace Corps offer many dental hygienist jobs abroad. Although it is not a well-paying job, taking on this position can be a rewarding experience. New areas of the world can be explored and even a dental hygienist can provide life-altering care in areas of the world where dental care is a luxury. To apply for this job, she must go through the proper channels at each organization, filling out paperwork and conducting interviews.
Other dental hygienist jobs may require additional educational and work experience beyond that of a typical dental hygienist. For example, jobs such as researchers, consultants, educators and administrators are all possible roles that a dental hygienist could take on. These dental hygienist jobs are usually held at a university or college of dentistry.
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