PROFESSIONAL TASK AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT
Dental hygienists help people develop and maintain good oral health using current concepts in preventive dentistry. The program teaches counseling skills and how to perform the usual functions of the dental hygienist. The dental hygienist is a vital contributing member of the dental health team. Dental hygienists:

■ take and record dental and medical histories
■ perform oral examinations
■ assess dental hygiene treatment needs
■ scale and polish teeth
■ apply topical fluoride
■ prepare diagnostic casts
■ perform root debridement
■ expose and process dental X-rays
■ place temporary restorations
■ polish amalgam restorations
■ apply sealants
■ implement patient education programs

SKILLS AND INTEREST SUITED TO A CAREER IN DENTAL HYGIENE
Dental hygienists should be caring people who enjoy being with others, have good communication skills, have some ability to teach and enjoy working with their hands.

 

Related career fields include nursing, medical technology, radiologic technologies, occupational therapy and dental laboratory technology.