Tropins Blog

In the constant battle against oral disease and tooth decay, the oral hygienist (a.k.a dental hygienist) can be a strong ally in anyone person’s life. The oral hygienist is a qualified dental professional and wears many hats at the dentist office. Often times the oral hygienist is considered to be a dentist’s right hand person.

According to the United States Department of Labor, jobs in oral hygiene are some of the highest demanded jobs in the medical and dental fields. Oral hygienists are well paid professionals sometimes making $35-45 an hour, enabling many hygienists to work 3 or 4 days a week.

Most oral hygienists go to school to specifically receive a degree in oral hygiene. This often is achieved in the form of a two year associates degree or in many states an oral hygienist may receive a bachelor’s degree or even a master’s degree.

Oral hygienists are responsible for performing all sorts of procedures in the dental office. The oral hygienist performs dental cleanings that remove hard and soft deposits from the teeth like calculus, plaque and stains. The oral hygienist educates patients on proper ways to maintain the health of their mouths and teeth, explaining proper brushing techniques and diets that are beneficial.

Oral hygienists perform or assist the dentist in performing periodontal probing which is a procedure that identifies how healthy a patient’s gums are or how advanced periodontal disease may be.

The oral hygienist may be responsible for taking, developing and assisting in interpreting x-rays on a patient. This responsibility requires that the oral hygienist be comfortable working with different types of x-ray imaging equipment.

The oral hygienist, in some states will administer anesthetics, place filling materials and smooth and polish metal fillings under the supervision of a dentist. Many times the oral hygienist will assist the dentist in surgeries or advanced dental procedures such as placing crowns, bridges or dental implants.

Oral hygienists adhere to strict health and safety guidelines that apply to all areas of their profession. They must be licensed by the state in which they work, passing both written and clinical board examinations and graduate from an accredited school of oral hygiene. Oral hygienists also adhere to strict moral and ethical codes as well.

Most dentists will tell you that a good oral hygienist is worth their weight in gold as they are so diverse in their abilities to help dentists and their patients.