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Dental Hygienist By: Kassidy Stallings
I am interested in dental hygiene because I believe it is vital for all people to have good hygiene. I also believe it is important to have your teeth professionally cleaned because there are over 6 billion bacteria in the mouth at all times. I would like to make a difference in people’s dental hygiene.
Job description • Clean (remove stains and plaque) and polish teeth • Examine patients’ teeth and gums • Advise patients about good oral hygiene • Instruct patients about dental care after treatments • Work chair side with dentist during examinations and treatments • Take x-rays • Remove sutures • Make molds for dental prosthetics and crowns • Record medical history of patients • Provide preventive dental care
Length of education • Certificate programs for dental hygiene can be completed in 2-3 years • Associate’s, bachelor's and master’s degree is also offered for dental hygiene.
Educational requirements • A degree from an accredited dental hygiene school is required. Most dental hygiene programs grant an associate degree, some also offer a certificate, a bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree. Licensure is required as well. To become licensed, it is required to pass a written and clinical examination. Most states also require an examination on the legal aspects of dental hygiene pratice.
Monetary compensation • Less than 1 year $30,304 - $51,395 • 1-4 years $33,845 - $53,885 • 5-9 years $43,605 - $61,578 • 10-19 years $42,364 - $65,835 • 20 years or more $43,767 - $69,185
Science relation • Dental hygienist are required to learn about procedures and prevention of disease, which we learned about this year in biology. • They also have to follow strict procedures and we practiced this in our labs this year.