Dental Hygienist: A Challenging Career

The duty of a dental hygienist is to help the dentist during dental surgery and other oral treatments. He is the in charge of advising and helping the patient in learning appropriate way of dental hygiene and cleaning the teeth before any kind of surgery or examination. He also cleans and polishes the teeth of the patients. Some office maintenance work is also done by a dental hygienist like updating patient database and allotting the medicine to the patients. The main duties of a dental hygienist have been enlisted below:

• Help the dentist during operations and other dental procedures.
• Help the patients in taking preparation before surgery and examinations.
• Scaling and polishing the teeth of the patient.
• Use inventory system to manage patient’s history.
• Take X-ray of the patient’s teeth.
• Wash mouth of the patient while filling.
• Make filling material.
• Prepare prosthetics for braces and dentures.
• Function as the in charge of the office and lab.
• Fine-tune the completed filling.
• Teach patient about oral healthcare.

A dental health care team is incomplete without a hygienist. They assist dentists in their routine checkup and other dental services offered to the patients. In order to work as a dental hygienist you need to attend a course in any recognized school which lasts for 2 years. For private practice you should have an associate degree. You need to have at least 2 years of clinical training. However, if you wish to be a researcher or teacher in the field of dental hygienist, you need to undergo further education. You should have both the Bachelor and Master degree to get these positions. You need to work harder to get these degrees, for example, it takes at least six years to complete a Bachelor degree and in some cases you will need to take certification examination to get qualified.

The career as a dental hygienist is both exciting and challenging. You should be focused and patient to have result. With proper practice and experience you can be an icon in this field. Now-a-days people are being more careful about the dental health. They now understand that dental health and physical health are inter-related. As a result the demand of the dentists is increasing rapidly and simultaneously the job opportunities of the dental hygienists are also increasing to help the dentists in their daily tasks. If you have a certificate as a dental hygienist, finding a job won’t be a problem for you. Even you will have multiple job offers to choose from. Whatsoever the job is, try to work hard and be honest in your occupation. If you serve your patients well, your goodwill will increase and more and more patients will come to you to take treatment.

Dental Secrets – What Your Dentist Isn’t Sharing With You

A bright smile and fresh breath are all part of achieving good oral health. Hence, despite economic depression, people are still finding ways to achieve affordable dental treatments through discount dental plans. These plans have helped thousands of people keep up with their dental appointments and maintain good oral health.

But every time you sit in that dental chair, there are things your dentist is not telling you. What’s surprising is that what they don’t tell you are often what will hurt you.

Ask Questions
It’s true that your dentist will tell you all about proper brushing and flossing and ways to take care of your teeth. But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask questions. So, what questions should you ask?

The first and perhaps the most important question to ask your dentist is, “how are your gums?” Because gum disease often result to heart disease and other health problems, keeping it in check at all times is vital. In addition, unhealthy gums can result to bone and teeth loss.

Another question you can ask is: do you have discount dental plans? Dental checkups often take most of your budget if you don’t have dental insurance. To avoid getting surprised by your bill at the end of a checkup, it’s important you talk to your dentist of your financial concerns early on.

Since your mouth is different every time you go for a dental visit, it’s best to ask your dentist questions and not simply accept whatever they tell you. After all, they don’t know what your concerns are. If asking questions make you nervous, you can write it down and give it to your dentist on your visit.

What your Dentist Don’t Tell You
Wondering what your dentist is not telling you? Here are few of the dental secrets he’s not sharing with you.
1. You don’t really need to visit the clinic every six months. Biannual checkup is not ideal for everyone. There are people who are not at high risk of tooth decay and gum disease; thus, they don’t need to be seen every six months. To know if you are one of the lucky folks who don’t need frequent checkup, talk to your dentist.
2. Too much fluoride is bad. Although fluoride saves a lot of teeth from cavity, too much of it is not good for the teeth. It can cause flourosis, which is a condition where the teeth have brown spots. Aside from being unsightly, it’ll make you look like you don’t brush your teeth at all.
3. Brilliant white teeth are not always good. There are people who are addicted to bleaching and teeth whitening. They tend to overuse the treatment which often results to burns in the gums and sensitive teeth.

The Key to Healthy Teeth
The best way to keep the teeth healthy is prevention. If you practice healthy oral care, dental disease will be prevented. Of course, never hesitate to converse with your dentist. Whether it’s the procedure or discount dental plans you are concerned about, asking questions won’t leave you in the dark on the truth about dental care.