Oral care professional

Oral care professional

Duties and responsibilities: Dental hygienists typically do the following:

•         Remove tartar, stains, and plaque from teeth          
•         Apply sealants and fluorides to help protect teeth

•      Take and develop dental x rays
•                 Keep track of patient care and treatment plans
•         Teach patients oral hygiene techniques, such as how to brush and floss correctly

Dental hygienists use many types of tools to do their job. They clean and polish teeth with hand, power, and ultrasonic tools. In some cases, they remove stains with an air-polishing device, which sprays a combination of air, water, and baking soda. They polish teeth with a powered tool that works like an automatic toothbrush. Hygienists use x ray machines to take pictures to check for tooth or jaw problems.

Dental hygienists help patients develop and maintain good oral health. For example, they may explain the relationship between diet and oral health. They may also give advice to patients on how to select toothbrushes and other oral-care devices.

Other tasks hygienists may perform vary by state. Some states allow hygienists to place and carve filling materials, temporary fillings, and periodontal dressings.

Salary: $70,210

Education: Dental hygienists typically need an associate’s degree in dental hygiene. Bachelor's degrees in dental hygiene are also available, but are less common. A bachelor's or master's degree is usually required for research, teaching, or clinical practice in public or school health programs.

High school students interested in becoming dental hygienists should take courses in biology, chemistry, and mathematics. Some dental hygiene programs also require applicants to have completed at least 1 year of college. Specific entrance requirements vary by school.

Most schools offer laboratory, clinical, and classroom instruction. Hygienists study anatomy, physiology, nutrition, radiography, and periodontology, which is the study of gum disease.

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Reflection: do you think you would like to be one?

Why? Why not? If I would like to be an oral care professional um.. Maybe yea because it seems interesting but I still want to be a veterinarian or a therapist maybe even both I don’t know. As life goes by I might end up choosing one of these because I love animals and I don’t like seeing them hurt and I want to be a therapist because I feel like I can help out someone  in need like I can make a difference. I can also maybe save someone’s life I love helping people and giving them advice's or maybe none of these but I will see what I want to be. This isn't a bad chose though.