Job Description of Dental Hygienist - Research Paper Example

With this basic knowledge in mind, it will be of the essence to have a look at some of the factors that affect dental practitioners. The medical field in question is where dental hygienists work. This is a medical practitioner charged with maintaining the oral health and hygiene of the individuals (Wilkins, n.d.). Education and Certification There are various ways that can be implemented the purpose of achieving the dentist qualification. One of the most common ways is that students have to obtain a hospital diploma.

This is the most basic qualification for individuals willing to engage in general medical practice. After the acquisition of this basic diploma, an individual can then progress to an associate degree in dentistry. This is a degree that has some prerequisites, the most important of which is that an individual ought to have gone through the diploma. The period for this degree is usually 3 years. For beginners, the first two years will be used for the acquisition of general medical knowledge.

The remaining time will then be spent on medicine courses. Similarly, a bachelor’s degree in dental health takes four years to complete. The American Dental Association offers accreditation for institutions that offer dental training. For individual licensing of dental health practitioners, they are to receive licenses from the states, in which they work in. This is because Registered Dental Hygienist licenses are different from state to state (Mueller-Joseph & Petersen, 1995). Employment In the case of employment, practitioners seem to be among the individuals who may never be out of the job.

This is major because there may be no instance where people in the population do not have dental complications. At the same time, there are emerging trends in the dental medical profession, which people in this profession ought to be acquainted with. This is due to the dynamic nature of the careers that are on offer. At the same time, possession of some skills may add to the competitive advantage of a person in comparison to other individuals who are in the same profession (Wilkins, n.d.). Various organizations, both public and private call for practitioners to apply for job positions.

Some organizations may be strict about the expectations of the candidates who apply. These are majorly private institutions. One of the main reasons for such strictness lies within the intention of ensuring quality in the service on offer. There are also other situations, which call for the services of dentists (Johnson & Yanka, 2004). The best thing about dental medical practitioners is that they do not have to be employed. They can function on an individual level or they can freelance from one organization to another.

Professional Activities The activities of dentists are not only limited to the hospital or health institution environment. There are other organizations and related bodies which serve to develop the practitioners in their careers even more. In this case, before an individual can become a qualified dentist, he or she must go through some form of training or program which is recognized by the institution. These activities related to the field may be different depending on the country.