Dentist in San Diego: The Duties and Qualifications of the Dental Hygienist

The dental hygienist is as important to the dental office as the dentist himself. Her job is to remove tartar, check the gums for periodontal disease, clean and polish the teeth and give instructions on preventive care. They also take x-rays and examine for any problems in the mouth. They can be hired as full-time or part-time. The “dentist in San Diego” and dentists everywhere hire dental hygienists as part of their office staff. They depend heavily on them to educate patients regarding oral health care and preventive oral care.

"Our hygienist will work with you to develop and maintain your dental health at the San Diego Dentist Office."

Training is very importantwith a high school diploma and college entrance exams being required before training. Different states have different requirements as a dentist in San Diego may require different training and certificates than a dentist in Chicago. No matter where they will be working, a dental hygienist must be licensed by the state where they will be practicing.

Another qualification is that they work well with others because they will be in close contact with the dentist, dental assistants, and will have direct contact with the patients. The hygienist must be able to work effectively in small spaces where they will be using dental instruments with no room for error!

More Than Just Technical Training

The work environment is of major importance for the hygienist because she is not only protecting herself but also the welfare of her patients. They should always work in a clean well lit office with all sterile instruments and following all safety procedures. Safety glasses, surgical mask and gloves are a minimum for safety from infectious diseases. Many hygienist are only scheduled part-time and have flexible hours. A dentist in San Diego may hire several hygienist who work only two or three days a week.

One of the fastest growing occupations is that of the dental hygienist, and has a projected growth rate of 30% over the next seven years. The demand for their service is growing because of the older population retaining more teeth due to preventive dental care. An older dentist in San Diego who recently retired stated that he had just found the luxury of having the advanced services of the hygienist and wished he had started using them more and much sooner. These days the recent graduates will be working with dentists like this who will be more likely to employ one or more hygienist to help with their workload.