A dental hygienist is a licensed oral health care practitioner who specializes in keeping patients teeth clean and healthy. As a dental hygienist you're often the person that sets the tone of a patient's entire dental exam. During the initial stages of a patient's visit you establish rapport by gathering the patient's health history and then interpreting and transcribing it for the dentist to review.
Next, comes the most exciting part where under limited supervision you conduct hands-on patient care by taking X-rays and going through the teeth cleaning process. But your job doesn't stop there because part of a dental hygienists responsibility is to educate patients on the correct way to brush, floss, and care for their gums. Plus, depending on your experience and training, you could also be asked to administer local anesthetic, help apply braces, fillings, or teeth whitenings.
Statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveal healthcare as one of the fastest growing industries. Dental hygienists can expect to be in high demand because they're critical to any practice and because as life-spans increase, so does the need to care for ones teeth. If you think the idea of working alongside health care professionals, while having flexible work hours and the opportunity to earn better-than-average starting wages, then explore this career possibility further.
Education requirements
At a minimum, a diploma, certificate, or degree from a two-year program at an accredited school in addition to passing a licensure exam.
Related majors
Pre-dentistry, nutrition sciences.
What they earn
Earnings vary and depend on level of education, experience, and region. However according to a 2007 survey the average earnings range from $30 to $40 an hour.
Where they work
