A Day in the Life of a Dental Hygienist
Dental hygienists are licensed health care professionals who--in a single day or even a single patient visit--play the roles of clinician, educator, researcher, advocate and administrator, according to the American Dental Hygienists' Association. The job requires more training than that required to be a dental assistant but less than required to be a dentist. Essentially, the job of dental hygienist boils down to one important task: cleaning teeth.
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Duties
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On an average day, dental hygienists clean and polish patients' teeth by scraping deposits off with specialized dental tools; clean and sanitize those dental tools; demonstrate proper brushing, flossing and other dental care techniques to patients; and examine patients' teeth and gums, making notes for the dentist, who usually follows up a patient's cleaning with a thorough examination. Sometimes dental hygienists take X-rays of patients' teeth, as well.
Work Environment
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Dental hygienists spend their workdays in clean, well-lit medical offices, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While they must stand to take X-rays and do other tasks, they can sit down to do the bulk of their work: cleaning and polishing teeth. In fact, the Bureau warns that dental hygienists "should be careful to avoid possible shoulder and neck injury from sitting for long periods of time while working with patients."
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Uniform
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On a typical day, dental hygienists wear uniforms consisting of medical scrubs for both comfort and hygiene reasons. In addition, dental hygienists protect themselves from germs and flying debris by wearing safety glasses, a mask and latex gloves.
Schedule & Benefits
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It is common for dental hygienists to work flexible, even part-time schedules. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, many hygienists work only two or three days per week, and some work in more than one dental office at one time. In 2008, about half of dental hygienists worked fewer than 35 hours a week, reports the Bureau. Only about half of all practicing dental hygienists report receiving employment benefits such as paid insurance and paid time off.
Training
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According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, dental hygienists must have at least an associate's degree or certificate in dental hygiene to work in a private dental office. To research, teach or work in a public health program, dental hygienists must have a bachelor's or master's degree. In addition, most states require dental hygienists to pass both a written and practical exam to be licensed to practice.
Earnings
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The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that, as of May 2008, the median annual salary for a dental hygienist was $66,570. "The lowest 10 percent earned less than $44,180, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $91,470," reports the Bureau.
Job prospects are good for dental hygienists, with the number of jobs expected to increase by 36 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the Bureau.
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References
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- Photo Credit Person having teeth cleaned image by skidme from Fotolia.com
