Dental Hygienists
Health Science > Therapeutic ServicesProjected Growth: Much faster than average
Projected Job Openings
Medium Preparation Needed
Job Description
Your job is to Clean teeth and examine oral areas, head, and neck for signs of oral disease. May educate patients on oral hygiene, take and develop x rays, or apply fluoride or sealants.
Common job titles of Dental Hygienists include:
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Experience and Education
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
78.53% said they needed a Associate's Degree.
20.7% said they needed a Bachelor's Degree.
Tasks
Chart conditions of decay and disease for diagnosis and treatment by dentist.
Clean calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments.
Feel lymph nodes under patient's chin to detect swelling or tenderness that could indicate presence of oral cancer.
Maintain dental equipment and sharpen and sterilize dental instruments.
Feel and visually examine gums for sores and signs of disease.
Examine gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease.
Record and review patient medical histories.
Apply fluorides or other cavity preventing agents to arrest dental decay.
Expose and develop x-ray film.
Provide clinical services or health education to improve and maintain the oral health of patients or the general public.
Maintain patient recall system.
Administer local anesthetic agents.
Remove excess cement from coronal surfaces of teeth.
Make impressions for study casts.
Place and remove rubber dams, matrices, and temporary restorations.
Remove sutures and dressings.
Conduct dental health clinics for community groups to augment services of dentist.
Tools
Ultrasonic sterilization units
Ultrasonic scalers
Suctioning equipment
Solid handle scalars
Saliva ejectors
Rubber dams
Rotating caps
All ToolsRetraction cords
Pulp testers
Portable dental x ray units
Personal computers
Periodontal probes
Periapical films
Panoramic dental x ray units
Oxygen administration equipment
Notebook computers
Nitrous oxide administration equipment
Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Nd:YAG dental lasers
Nabers furcation probes
Motor-driven dental polishers
Microscope slides
Mercury blood pressure units
Mechanical stethoscopes
Mechanical mixers
Matrices/matrix retainers
Manual blood pressure cuffs
Lead aprons
Intraoral dental cameras
Instrument sharpening devices
Impression trays
Hollow handle scalars
Hand scalers
Film badges
Electronic calculus detectors
Electronic blood pressure units
Digital dental x ray units
Digital cameras
Dental x ray machines
Dental x ray development equipment
Dental polishers
Dental needles
Dental lasers
Dental curettes
Dental chairs
Cotton pliers
Computer scanners
Cavitron equipment
Caries explorers
Caries detection aids
Calculus explorers
Bite wings
Autoscalars
Autoclaves
Aspirating syringes
Angle formers
Amalgam carriers
Air/water syringes
Air-driven dental polishers
Air abrasion equipment
Technologies
Dental billing software
Dental charting software
Dental clinical records software
Dental digital radiology software
Dental imaging software
Dental office management software
Henry Schein Dentrix
All TechnologiesPatterson Dental Supply Patterson EagleSoft
Scheduling software
Voice-activated perio charting software
Skills
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Abilities
Tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Problem Sensitivity
Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Comprehension
Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Expression