Becoming a Dental Hygienist - Research Paper Example

? Becoming a Dental Hygienist Job Dental hygienists stand out as one of the fastest growing occupations. The task of dental hygienists according to the US Department of Labor, DoL (2008) encompasses the examination of teeth and gums of patients and recoding any abnormalities or diseases. They take the role of removal of hard and soft deposits from patients’ teeth, teach good oral hygiene practices and provide preventive dental care. Their role in ensuring development and maintenance of good oral health would involve explaining to patients how diet impacts on oral health and selection of toothbrushes and proper ways of brushing and flossing teeth (Byers, 2013). Additionally, they could prepare laboratory and clinical diagnostic tests for the dentist to interpret and would at times work chair side during treatment. The tools used by dental hygienists include ultrasonic devices and rotary and hand instruments used in cleaning and polishing teeth and removing plaque, stains and calculus. They would use x-ray machines for taking dental pictures and developing film. Teeth models would be used in explaining oral hygiene, performing root planning or applying cavity prevention agents like pit and fissure sealants. While other states would allow dental hygienists to administer anesthetics, others would require that they use syringes to administer local anesthetics (DoL, 2008). With these responsibilities, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS (2012) indicates that a dental hygienist would be required to have a credible dental hygiene associate’s degree together with licensure examinations, even though states have varied requirements for licensing. Their clean and well lit work environment would call for adherence to important health safeguards such as following proper radiological procedures and use of suitable protective devices during the administration of anesthetic gas (Jerkovic-Cosic, Offenbeek & Schans, 2012). For protection against infectious diseases, dental hygienists would be observed wearing surgical masks, gloves and safety glasses. One of the distinctive features of this occupation is its flexibility with DoL (2008) documenting that they would be hired to work for two to three days in a week, an aspect that has made over 50% of them to work part time. In an office setting, medical assistants, dental assistants, physical therapist assistants, physician assistants, registered nurses and occupational therapist assistants support dental hygienists. Education and Certification For one to be admitted to a dental hygiene program, required will be a high school diploma together with test scores for college entrance. As such, interested high school students should take mathematics, biology and chemistry courses. Since entrance requirement vary among schools, DoL (2008) notes that some programs would require the applicant to have finished at least a year in college. While some of these programs would grant an associate degree, others offer certificates, bachelor’s degrees or master’s degrees. For practice, a minimum of an associate degree would be mandatory with a bachelor’s or even master’s degree needed for teaching, clinical practice or research. According to American Dental Hygienists Association, ADHA (2012), associate and bachelor’s degrees would take 86 and 122 credit hours respectively. In school, the students of dental hygiene would be offered classroom, clinical and laboratory instructions in subjects like physiology, chemistry, anatomy, pharmacology, nutrition, radiography, microbiology, histology, periodontology, dental materials, pathology, clinical dental hygiene and behavioral and social sciences. For an associate’s and bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene, the average cost would be about $30,000 and 45,000 respectively. The Commission on Dental Accreditation, CODA accredits degree programs. The state in which a dental hygienist works would license for practice with DoL (2008) noting that almost all states require graduates from accredited dental hygiene schools and a pass in both clinical and written examinations. While the latter would be administered by the American Dental Association’s Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, acceptable across all states and also the Columbia District, clinical examinations would be administered by regional or state testing agencies. The most popular dental hygiene schools include St. Petersburg College in Florida, New York University in New York, University of Louisville in Kentucky, Farmingdale State College in New York and Oregon Tech, Klamath Falls in Oregon (Campus Explorer, 2013). Employment The Ottawa Herald ranks dental hygienist job top in the opportunities available and is considered to be fastest growing with excellent future prospects (“Top jobs”, 2013). Though not required, one year previous experience in the field or a related field would be preferred. In 2006, dental hygienists held approximately 167,000 jobs, a number much more than the number of hygienists due to multiple job-holding common in this field. The 2010 to 2020 job outlook by BLS (2012) indicate an expected growth of 38%, up from the 181,800 jobs in 2010, this being much higher than the average among all the fastest growing occupations. This has been attributed to the increase in dental care demand and greater use of dental hygienists. It could also be attributed to the population growth with the elderly retaining more teeth. Therefore, facilities where dental hygienists get employed including dentists’ offices in particular would increasingly source for dental hygienists and also increase the number of these hygienists in offices so as to undertake the tasks previously performed by dentists. The increase in workload of dentists present excellent job prospects for dental hygienists as they get hired to undertake preventive dental care duties including cleaning. Greater access to insurance for these services also increases job prospects. The earnings of dental hygienists vary with employment setting, years of experience and geographic location and payments could be on commission, hourly, daily or salary basis. As of May 2010, dental hygienists had median annual earnings of $68,250 (BLS, 2012). The lowest and highest 10% earned below $45,000 and more than $93,820 per year respectively. In the same way, the associated benefits would vary substantially based on practice setting and could be pegged on full-time employment, with DoL (2008) citing the American Dental Association statistics indicating that 86% of dental hygienists enjoy medical and hospital benefits. Other benefits enjoyed include vacation, contribution to retirement fund and sick leave. Advancement possibilities exist for dental hygienists working in hospitals, public or school health programs. A bachelor’s or master’s degree could provide opportunities for administrative or supervisory jobs with those having master’s degrees having the opportunity for teaching in dental hygiene schools. Professional Activities The American Dental Hygienists’ Association, ADHA is the national professional body that represents dental hygienists’ interests, providing members with opportunities for educational programs, professional discounts and support. Professional membership for those licensed to practice would attract an annual fee of $175. Corporate membership for schools, corporations and other organizations attracts an annual membership fee of $500. Student membership is open for those in pursuance of a complementary graduate or baccalaureate degree or enrolled for a dental hygiene program in accredited institutions of higher learning. This membership attracts a fee of $65 per year. Successful completion of continuing education remains mandatory for renewal of license in majority of the states and takes about 14 hours in two years or 75 hours in three years. Depending on the provider, the programs would vary across online schools, professional association, universities and colleges and would include courses in dental radiography, jaw osteoporosis and local anesthesia (ADHA, 2012). These courses enable dental hygienists to advance in their careers and remain up to date with technological advancement in the field.The Journal of Dental Hygiene provides dental hygienists with relevant information to make appropriate decisions on evidence-based treatment. These are accessible free to members of ADHA whose address is 444 N. Michigan Ave., Ste. 3400, Chicago, IL 60611. Other relevant notable ones include the International Journal of Dental Hygiene and the Canadian Journal of Dental Hygiene. Conclusion and Reflection Becoming a dental hygienist requires excellence in mathematics, biology and chemistry. This being a highly skilled discipline would offer a high sense of prestige. But additionally, I found its fast growth, flexibility in work environment and working schedules as meaningful to me as it provide numerous employment prospects and balance in career and lifestyle needs. The tasks involved would require a person with qualities of compassion, stamina, technical skills, interpersonal skills, detailed orientation and dexterity, which makes me a possible candidate. References American Dental Hygienists’ Association (2012). Proud past, unlimited future. Retrieved 12 March 2013 from www.adha.org Byers, A. (2013). A career as a dental hygienist. New York, NY: The Rosen Publishing Group. Campus Explorer (2013). Dental hygienists overview. Campus Explorer Inc. Retrieved 12 March 2013 from http://www.campusexplorer.com/careers/22A35189/dental-hygienists/ Jerkovic-Cosic, K., Offenbeek, M. & Schans, C. P. (2012). Job satisfaction and job content in Dutch dental hygienists. International Journal of Dental Hygiene, 10(3), 155 – 162. Top Jobs. (2013, March 11). The Ottawa Herald. Retrieved 12 March 2013 from http://www.ottawaherald.com/Jobs/ US Bureau of Labor Statistics (2012, March 29). Occupational outlook handbook: Dental hygienists. United States Department of Labor. Retrieved 12 March 2013 from http://www.bls.gov US Department of Labor (2008). Occupational outlook handbook. New York, NY: Skyhorse Publishing. Read More