What Does a Dental Hygienist Do?

A dental hygienist is an important member of a patient’s health care team. They offer preventative dental care by cleaning and assessing teeth, providing hygiene education, and offering oral treatments. They also expose and process dental X-rays, place and carve filling materials, apply pit and fissure sealants, and administer antimicrobial agents. They may even deliver local anesthetics and nitrous oxide, depending on the state they’re licensed in.

During the cleaning and assessment phase of a patient’s appointment, the dental hygienist will review the client’s health history. After the hygienist is comfortable with their knowledge, they will begin to clean the patient’s teeth, using tools and polishers to remove hardened plaque and stains from the surface of the tooth enamel and gum lines. This process is called scaling and root planing, and it’s one of the best ways to stop gum disease and promote a healthy mouth.

What Does a Dental Hygienist Do? Your Guide to Oral Care Experts

Dental hygienists typically work in dental offices, but they can also be found working in alternative settings like schools, research organizations and public health clinics. Those with advanced degrees can even find jobs in the areas of administration, sales and marketing for dental hygiene products and services, or teaching dental hygiene courses. The qualifications to become a dental hygienist vary slightly by state, but the minimum requirement is an associate degree from an accredited program. Additional requirements include passing the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and becoming licensed in your state of practice.