What are the duties of a dental hygienist?

Search, attract and hire the best talent with the world's leading recruitment software. A dental hygienist is a qualified medical professional who performs a variety of roles to help patients achieve and maintain good oral health. They help dentists by performing initial exams, taking x-rays for patients, and helping other dental staff during a dental visit. Use this dental hygienist job description template to find reliable employees for your dental office or clinic.

Feel free to modify this template based on your unique needs and local legal requirements. The functions of the dental hygienist revolve around performing initial patient evaluations and cleaning teeth (p. ex. Remove plaque) and advise patients on oral health and preventive care.

You'll also help dentists decide on treatments for tooth or gum diseases and manage dental emergencies. As a dental hygienist, you must be reliable and able to build trust with patients of all ages. You must have a thorough understanding of relevant health and safety regulations and a good eye for detecting oral diseases and abnormalities. If you also have a firm hand and a good relationship with patients, we would like to meet you.

A dental hygienist examines patients for signs of oral diseases, such as gingivitis, and provides preventive care during the visit to the dentist. They also educate patients about dental hygiene to help patients maintain good oral health. A dental hygienist helps dentists during a patient's visit to a patient's dentist and they use a variety of tools to address the patient's oral health issues. For example, they can x-ray patients for signs that may indicate oral diseases or, in some cases, even administer preventive care with an air-polishing device, if necessary.

A good dental hygienist must have excellent communication skills, since he works directly with patients and must be familiar with various dental instruments, since he performs x-rays and other procedures on patients. Dental hygienists work directly with patients and are supervised by the dentist in the office. This means that a dental hygienist must have excellent communication skills to communicate with everyone in the office and build a strong professional relationship with the rest of the medical staff. Most dental hygienists work full time, but there are plenty of options for working part-time, making it a great field for parents or caregivers who need a more flexible career.

For licensing requirements in your state, see this chart from the American Association of Dental Hygienists. You must attend an accredited dental hygiene education program, which can be a diploma program or a full degree (such as an associate degree). The range depends on the experience of the dental hygienist, the region where they work and the specific characteristics of the office. All states require dental hygienists to complete a dental hygiene training program and pass licensing exams administered by the National Board of Dental Hygiene, as well as state-specific licensing requirements.

All dental facilities must comply with state and federal health and safety regulations, including OSHA, HIPAA, and staff licenses. The size of a dental office varies widely, from small ones such as a dentist and a single assistant, to large clinics with several doctors and dozens of support staff. The work environment is busy and bustling, with a variety of dental and office professionals performing different roles. To perform well in this position, you must have a current state hygiene license, up-to-date vaccines, and previous experience as a dental hygienist.

They do more clinical dental work, including cleanings, sealants, fluoride treatments, X-ray processing and examination, and more. Certification is obtained through the National Board of Dental Care, as well as through the specific licensing requirements of each state. Because there's always a high demand for dental care across the country, you can feel very confident about finding a job after completing a dental hygiene program. Dental assistants can work in general dentists' offices, as well as in orthodontics, periodontics, endodontics, pediatric dentistry, oral surgery and more.

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