What Do Dental Hygienists Do?

A dental hygienist is one who performs various duties in the field of dental health care, chiefly assisting dentists in the process of providing preventative oral care and examinations. In addition to these duties, he or she also helps patients make dietary and lifestyle changes, such as proper oral hygiene, in order to maintain optimal dental health. Below are some of the typical duties of a dental hygienist.

Dentists will typically order routine dental exams for patients every six months to two years. Hygienists, however, can help patients maintain good oral hygiene by educating them on how to keep their teeth and gums healthy. They study patients' dental history, review symptoms for oral disease, and examine teeth for signs of decay and deterioration. They also take and develop x-rays of teeth to diagnose periodontal disease and give advice about preventative treatments.

Some dental hygienists are employed by community health departments and schools, where they teach students about dental hygiene. At community colleges, they teach students about tooth decay, proper oral hygiene, and preventative measures for future dental problems. Community health departments and schools often contract dental hygienists to conduct dental health programs for low-income students and for those with disabilities. In some cases, dental hygienists work under the supervision of dentists or surgeons.

A dentist has a standard portfolio that contains various instruments and supplies used for dental hygiene. This portfolio usually contains photographs of the patient and a color atlas (a graphic representation of the tooth's surface) prepared by the dentist. The color atlas is created from the patient's first teeth and is designed to be printed on white high-quality paper. The dentist's office provides copies of the color atlas to their patients for use in preparing their own portfolios or presenting them to a dentist. Many community dental clinics also provide free color atlases to their clients.

Most dental hygienists have specialized areas of expertise. Their areas of specialty include pediatrics, endodontics (or dental surgery), orthodontics (or dental surgery), prosthodontics (or dental surgery involving teeth), public health, and dental ceramics. Public health involves helping to reduce the spread of diseases such as diabetes, cholera, and measles; preventing children from contracting diseases such as dysentery and cholera; and protecting the public from contaminated food.

Dental ceramics involve the application of veneers to teeth. Resin prosthodontics is the application of synthetic teeth to real human teeth. In addition to helping to create beautiful smiles, dental hygienists help to maintain the overall health of teeth and their surrounding area. A beautiful smile not only increases confidence but also can improve one's self-image. Dental hygiene and the oral care of our teeth are important to maintaining overall good health and dental hygiene is one of the key elements of this.