What Exactly does a Dental Hygienist do?

I am thinking about becoming a dental hygienist and would like more information about it. If anyone can help, it would be really appreciated. I am heading to college in a few months and am considering becoming one. Thank you

What Exactly does a Dental Hygienist do?
As a dentist myself, I can tell you the a dental hygienist plays an extremely important role in dentistry. He/she is the one who actually cleans your teeth (scaling and polishing), takes and usually develops your X-rays and educates the patient in the art of good oral hygiene. Usually when one of my patients comes in just for a cleaning the hygienist does everything for the patient and I myself only come in to check the X-rays and talk with the patient and discuss treatment should the x-rays show a problem. This frees the dentist up to actually tend to the more important dental procedures therefore being able to assist and help more patients
Reply:Dental hygienists remove soft and hard deposits from teeth, teach patients how to practice good oral hygiene, and provide other preventive dental care. Hygienists examine patients� teeth and gums, recording the presence of diseases or abnormalities. They remove calculus, stains, and plaque from teeth; perform root planing as a periodontal therapy; take and develop dental x rays; and apply cavity-preventive agents such as fluorides and pit and fissure sealants. In some States, hygienists administer anesthetics; place and carve filling materials, temporary fillings, and periodontal dressings; remove sutures; and smooth and polish metal restorations. Although hygienists may not diagnose diseases, they can prepare clinical and laboratory diagnostic tests for the dentist to interpret. Hygienists sometimes work chairside with the dentist during treatment.





Dental hygienists also help patients develop and maintain good oral health. For example, they may explain the relationship between diet and oral health or inform patients how to select toothbrushes and show them how to brush and floss their teeth.





Dental hygienists use hand and rotary instruments and ultrasonics to clean and polish teeth, x-ray machines to take dental pictures, syringes with needles to administer local anesthetics, and models of teeth to explain oral hygiene.








Here's a link for more info:


http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos097.htm





Good luck at school!
Reply:this type of person porvides info to the uninformed about how to care for teeth.