What Does a Dental Hygienist Do?
In the UK dental hygienists typically make around £13,000 per year. That amount can vary depending on what type of dentist the Hygienist works for. If the hygienist works for a private dentist they may make more than what is typical for someone working for NHS.
Typically an appointment with a dental hygienist will take about one hour. A dental hygienist is a crucial part of the dental team. The hygienist's job is to clean the patient's teeth. The hygienist usually starts this process by using specialized instruments to remove hard plaque from the teeth. In most cases this is not painful to the patient.
Some patients do experience discomfort during a dental cleaning. If the cleaning is painful the hygienist will apply some topical numbing solution to the gums. In many cases it is the noise that occurs as the hygienist removes the plaque from the teeth that irritates the patient. There isn't much that can be done about this. The hygienist may suggest listening to an mp3 player while she works to drown out the noise.
Once all the hard plaque is removed from the teeth the dental hygienist will generally pumice the teeth using a rubber tip and prophy paste. The prophy paste is a gritty pumice paste that can help to remove any small bits of tartar from the patient's teeth. It will also help to remove any stains from the teeth.
In some cases the dental hygienist will give the patient a fluoride treatment. There are several factors that will help the hygienist determine if this is necessary. If the patient has fluoride in his or her drinking water a fluoride treatment is typically unnecessary. Fluoride treatments come in a verity of flavors including mint, cinnamon, bubble gum, banana, and many more. These treatments can be helpful in preventing tooth decay.
Additional Dental Hygienist Abilities
Dental hygienists also help to educate the dental patients on proper care of their teeth. They will give patients instructions on how to properly brush their teeth to prevent build up. The will also help to teach the patients how to floss or use water pick if necessary. They may make recommendations on which dental rinses and toothpastes are most effective as well.
A dental hygienist works under a dentist. The dentist will check the teeth after the hygienist has finished, to ensure that there are no cavities. If the dentist suspects that there are cavities, he may instruct the hygienist to take some x-rays.
The dental hygienist is allowed to take x-rays, however fillings on cavities must be performed by the dentist. In most cases the dental office will schedule the patient to come back to have the fillings done.
It is important for people to have their teeth cleaned once or twice a year. Once in a year is typically fine for patients that have good hygiene habits. If the patient's habits are poor or the patient is prone to excessive tartar build up it is important that the patient has their teeth cleaned more often. This will help to ensure that the tartar build up stays to a minimum.
The dental hygienist plays an important role in the dental office. It is not a good career for those who are squimish or those who would have issues working in someone else's mouth. Being a dental hygienist can be a great career choice for people who enjoy working with a lot of different people on a daily basis. It takes someone that loves to work with the public to be a good dental hygienist.
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