Dental Hygiene

Dental hygienists are licensed health care professionals who promote oral health and wellness. Dental hygienists educate patients regarding oral hygiene and preventive oral care, remove soft and hard deposits from teeth, and provide other preventive dental care. Hygienists examine a patient’s oral cavity and adjacent areas -- including the head, neck, lips, cheeks, tongue, teeth and gums -- recording the presence of diseases or abnormalities. After assessing a patient's conditions, they develop a dental hygiene assessment.
Dental hygienists remove plaque, calculus, and stains from teeth, expose and develop dental radiographs (x-rays), and apply cavity-preventive agents, such as fluorides and pit and fissure sealants. In some states, they also administer local anesthetics and nitrous oxide; place and carve filling materials, temporary fillings, and periodontal dressings; remove sutures; perform root-planing as a periodontal therapy; and smooth and polish restorations.
Dental hygienists prepare clinical and laboratory diagnostic tests for the dentist to interpret. Hygienists may also work chairside with the dentist during treatment.