Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists administer oral hygiene care to patients. They assess patients’ oral hygiene problems or needs and maintain health records and advise patients on oral health maintenance and disease prevention. They also provide advanced care such as providing fluoride treatment or administering topical anaesthesia.
A dental hygienist's job role is to keep the dental hygiene of his/her patient. Typically, dental hygienists work in a dentist’s office where they provide a wide range of dental services. The hygienist is the first line of caretakers for dental hygiene. Thus, hygienists are trained to spot and report gum disease, nerve, pulp, and other oral conditions and also give suggestions on diet choices.
Students with physics, chemistry, and biology at the senior secondary level are eligible to apply for a graduation degree, five years BDS (4 years of study + 1-year internship) and subsequently a post-graduation program (2 years MDS). Many dental schools offer dental hygienist courses. These are in the form of diploma or certificate courses that usually span two years. These courses are recognized by the Dental Council of India (DCI) offered at Indian colleges.
In the dental hygiene profession, the dentist has to be sympathetic and tolerant while dealing with nervous patients and young children. Besides that, good communication skills are pivotal in instructing people about oral hygiene and dental care. The dental hygienist's salary is commensurate with the location, skills and experience.
As dental hygiene is a part of the healthcare industry, you should be eager to help people secure or preserve optimal dental health. To be a successful dental hygiene doctor, one should have a strong inclination to help others.
Qualifications
Every career requires an element of study and academic qualification, and there can be several study routes and pathways you can take. In following any academic pathway you will study subjects that contribute to the specialised knowledge required to achieve your career goals. These qualifications provide a future employer with the evidence that you have the desired knowledge, understanding and experience of their industry, so it’s important to consider the various types of qualifications available to you and to understand how they can boost your career and create opportunities for you.
- NSQF Level 4 Dental Technician
- Diploma Dental Technician
Tasks
- Clean calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments.
- Feel and visually examine gums for sores and signs of disease.
- Chart conditions of decay and disease for diagnosis and treatment by dentist.
- Feel lymph nodes under patient's chin to detect swelling or tenderness that could indicate presence of oral cancer.
- Apply fluorides or other cavity preventing agents to arrest dental decay.
- Examine gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease.
- Expose and develop x-ray film.
- Remove excess cement from coronal surfaces of teeth.
- Make impressions for study casts.
- Administer local anesthetic agents.
Progression Routes
READY FOR MORE?
Subscribe to our Premium package and you'll unlock a wealth of extra information about your favourite careers and gain access our library of immersive 360° VR careers experience.
As a Premium user you'll find out more about the day-to-day demands of any career, what you could earn and, importantly, receive expert advice on study routes, preparation expenses, and where & what to study to fulfil your potential.