Dental Hygienists – Job Description
A dental hygienist is a licensed dental professional that is responsible for preventing or eliminating diseases or conditions of the teeth and gums, while educating patients on oral hygiene. Dental hygienists provide preventive care and treatment for patients, focusing on teaching patients how to brush, floss, and use other dental hygiene products.
Dental hygienists are highly trained professionals who work in dentist offices to help patients keep their mouths clean. Dental hygienists are part of the Dental team and are the only members who interact directly with patients and typically work in a clinical setting such as a private practice, community health clinic, school system, or public health agency.
Dental hygiene is one of the fastest-growing career fields today with the projected employment of dental hygienists expected to grow 11 percent from 2020 to 2030, faster than the average for all occupations.
A dental hygienist must have at least an associate degree in dental hygiene and pass the written Dental Hygiene National Board Tests (DHNBC) given by the American Dental Association or pass a state board exam before they can work independently though the requirements vary by state.
Dental Hygienist Job Skill:
– Use a variety of tools – including scalers, prophy angles, curettes, and high-frequency scalers – to remove tartar from teeth
– Teach patients about oral health
– Ability to work independently or in a team setting
– Provide information about oral diseases
– Work with patients on an individual basis to develop a plan for improved oral health based on their needs
– Avoid or minimize risks during cleaning procedures
– Good communication skills because they are often the ones communicating with patients about their treatment plans.
– Advise patients on how to improve their plaque control through diet and other methods.
Dental Hygienists – Salary
Though they are not doctors and they do not administer any type of medication to patients, Dental Hygienists are professionals who work in the dental field and are responsible for cleaning teeth, educating patients about oral health, and providing other preventive dental care.
Dental hygiene as a profession has been around for over 100 years. In 1903, the first dental hygiene school was established in Boston, Massachusetts. The first dental hygienist job description was outlined in the 1933 edition of the American Dental Association’s “American Dental Hygiene Primer”
How Much Do Dental Hygienists Make in Arizona? It is estimated that the annual median salary for a Dental Hygienist in Arizona is $86,613.
The average hourly wage for a Dental Hygienist in Arizona is $41.64, which amounts to about $86,613 per year. The lowest 20% earns about $64,065 annually while the highest 20% makes about $117,097 per year.