Who is the Dental Hygienist?

The dental hygienist is the member of the oral healthcare profession who provides treatment to prevent dental caries (cavities) and periodontal (gum) disease. Dental Hygienists are licensed professionals who must graduate from a nationally accredited educational program and successfully complete both a written national board examination and a state or regional clinical examination.

Educational Background

Educational preparation for registered dental hygienists typically involves an average of nearly 2,000 hours of classroom study in subjects emphasizing basic sciences, dental sciences, dental hygiene theory (including pain control, nutrition, oral health education and preventive counseling) and periodontology. Six hundred hours of supervised instruction in pre-clinical and clinical skills is also required.

What Do Dental Hygienists Do?

Dental Hygienists provide many services including cleaning teeth (prophylaxis); non-surgical periodontal procedures (deep scaling and root planing); applying chemo-therapeutic agents; taking x-rays; providing fluoride treatments; applying sealants; examining the condition of the mouth, teeth and gums; and educating patients to maintain optimum oral health.

Where Do Dental Hygienists Work?

While most registered dental hygienists practice in private dental offices, others provide services in hospitals; managed care organizations; federal, state and municipal health departments; primary and secondary school systems; private businesses and industry; correctional institutions; and private and public centers for pediatric (children), geriatric (elderly) and other groups with special needs. Dental hygienists work as clinical practitioners, educators, researchers, administrators, managers, preventive program developers and consultants.