Dental Hygienist Training

Dental Hygienist Training: How To Prepare For A Career In Oral Health Care

What does it take to find work in a dental office without having to become a dentist? A dental hygienist training is your best option if you want to give oral health care a try.  This is assuming you've factored in that you can look inside someone's mouth for extended periods of time without balking at what you'll discover in its depths.

The best way to determine if this is an occupation you'll be comfortable with is to shadow a dental hygienist for a day or two. You'll get the hang of what he does on the job, help out a little with small tasks and ask yourself if it's something you'll want to do, become adept at and and get paid for.  Once you're decided this is what you want, then checking out a suitable dental hygienist training is your next step.

Duties of a dental hygienist

With dentists taking in more load for complex dental procedures and treatments, dental hygienists are being called in to perform the simpler tasks: preventive oral health care. Aside from cleaning patients' teeth, it's your job to educate them how to care for their mouth, teeth and gums in between visits to the dentist.

By cleaning teeth, this involves removing calculus, stains and plaques from all surfaces of the teeth; applying preventive materials like sealants and fluorides; taking and developing oral x-rays; and making molds of patient's teeth for diagnosis.

In some states, dental hygienists are allowed to perform more expanded functions that include placing or removing fillings, temporary and permanent, and periodontal dressings; smoothen and polish metal restorations, administer anesthesia and prepare laboratory and diagnostic results for examination by the dentist.

All these you actually learn when taking up a dental hygienist training from a reputable and accredited school.

What formal training involves

Dental hygienist programs can either be an associate or bachelor's degree. More often, it's the two-year training that people opt for so they can begin work sooner. An associate degree is sufficient to qualify for licensure and work in private dental offices.

Requirements for those pursuing this course are a high school diploma or the GED equivalent, a ìC average grade, and some advance high school courses like mathematics, chemistry, biology and English. You also need to be at least 18 years of age. Many schools, community or technical colleges that offer associate degrees, also prefer students with at least one year of college education prior to admission into their dental hygienist training programs.

A four-year bachelor's degree requires additional classes in English, speech, psychology, sociology, nutrition, chemistry and biology aside from the main coursework in dental hygiene. These include dental anatomy, oral pathology, periodontology and patient management.

Generally, you go for a bachelor's degree if you're looking at research, teaching, administration and clinical practice in public or health school programs. There are also some schools that offer masters programs for dental hygienist.

Aside from classroom instruction, you are required to complete hands-on training to allow you to become proficient at the skills needed for work. Most dental hygienist schools will have laboratories or clinics where real people come in for dental hygiene work so students can practice in real life cases. The trade off is a discount in service charges.

Prospects after training

So, you're finally done with your dental hygienist training, you've qualified for and passed the regional or state examinations to become a Registered Dental Hygienist. You even passed the National Board of Dental Hygiene Examination, which is an added credential on your part. Where to?

An associate degree has prepared you for work in private dental offices or clinics, which is where half of the graduates are employed. Since dentists mostly hire you two to three times a week, you can opt to work for more than one employer. Work is also usually on a part-time basis. Hospitals also require your services, as do government agencies and school systems.

With a bachelor's degree, you're ready to go public. Meaning, you can take on clinical practice duties in public health organizations or clinics engaged in dental hygiene programs. With experience, you can move on to research, teaching or administrative duties and expect an increase in your dental hygienist salary. Or you can even work in companies dealing with dental supplies.

See what a little dental hygienist training can do for you?

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