Definition
According to American Dental Hygienist Association (ADHA), the term Dental Hygienist refers to those individuals who got a license as an oral health professional who prevent as well as treat oral related diseases that concerns teeth and gums. These individuals got their education in an accredited dental hygiene school and studied different courses on oral health, particularly about oral hygiene.
Difference from a Dentist
There are several differences of being a dental hygienist from a dentist, but definitely what a dental hygienist can do is something a dentist can do too. Dentistry, the course being studied by dentists requires more years of education and training compared to oral hygiene which is what a dental hygienist studies. The scope of their education and training is difference since hygienists only concentrates on oral hygiene while being a dentist requires them to study all aspects of oral health, including prevention and treatment. Salary is also different – dentists get more than dental hygienists. Dental hygienists work more on doing prevention than treatment. This is the reason why most of them become instructors/educators in their chosen field.
Responsibilities
Since more of what they have studied focused more on prevention, dental hygienists do a lot of educating their patients. They teach patients how to prevent teeth and gum diseases (periodontal diseases) and also teach them how to exercise good oral hygiene. Even if they do oral cleaning, also known as prophylaxis, they barely do other things than that. Oral prophylaxis is the removal of hard and soft residues in teeth like plaque and tartar. They cannot perform dental operations since this is not part of their training. But in some states, hygienists are allowed to give local anesthesia to their patients, do dental fillings or do restorations.
Education, Trainings, License
A dental hygiene program would normally take 2-4 years of study (depending on the school you attend) from a school that is accredited by American Dental Association. This can either be a bachelor or master’s degree. Some schools offer a diploma or a certificate for such course. A licensed hygienist is called a Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) which is taken after your schooling. You need to pass this written license test and do clinical exams depending on the state where you want to practice.
Career Path and Related Occupations
Most RDH become a part of a team in a dental clinic, working together with dentists and dental assistants. Some of them open their own clinics or become educators teaching oral hygiene. They also do a lot of research since most studies shows that general health is associated with good oral health as well. This is why there has been a prediction of an increase of Registered Dental Hygienist related jobs in the future.
Always remember that prevention is always better than cure. This could be the reason why more and more people appreciate and are learning to accept the importance of dental hygienists for their overall oral health care. So if you haven’t tried it yet, better see your local dental hygienist in your area.
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