Dental Hygiene: Careers to Smile about

Career World, Oct, 2000 by Hanna Geshelin

Dental hygienists, dental assistants, and technicians have healthy job prospects.

More than 30 years ago, Tennessee's first public health dental hygienist, Debbye Krueger visited public schools to teach kids about oral health. Many years later, after earning a master's in business administration, she was working on a research program in an unrelated medical field. One day a patient told Debbye that she reminded her of a lady who had come to her school when she was young and had given her her first toothbrush! Debbye asked when and where this had happened, and--yes, you guessed it!--Debbye had indeed been the "tooth lady."

"You just never realize how you affect your patients' lives or who will remember you," she said. That incident was a turning point in Dabbye's career. She left research and returned to public health because she realized how important it was and how many lives she had touched as a dental hygienist.

If you want a career that impacts people's overall health, consider a career as a dental hygienist, dental assistant, or technician. Job opportunities in all three areas are expected to keep growing in the next several years. In fact, dental hygienists are projected to be one of the 20 fastest growing occupations.

"Dental assistants and dental technicians can begin on-the-job training right out of high school," says Denise Bowen, professor of dental hygiene at Idaho State University, "or they can attend vocational programs first. Dental hygienists need three years of college to enter a field with great pay and lots of part-time and full-time opportunities."

"OK, now hold still, please."

Dental hygienists provide a variety of preventive services, including scaling and polishing teeth and teaching patients how to maintain good oral health. "I meet wonderfully interesting people, and we establish a long relationship," says Beth Clark, a registered dental hygienist (RDH) in Worcester, Massachusetts. "In the right office, you are able to plant your roots deeply."

Dental hygienists also examine teeth for decay and the mouth for abnormalities and signs of gum disease. They take and develop X-rays and interpret them for the dentist, who makes the diagnosis.

All states require that dental hygienists be licensed. In Washington, D.C., and in all states except Alabama, dental hygienists need to complete a minimum two-year college-level program in dental hygiene plus at least one year of college core courses such as English, psychology, biology, and physiology. (Alabama has a state-regulated program for on-the-job training.) All dental hygienists in the United States take the same written exam. Each state gives a clinical (hands-on) exam, and most states also require an exam on the law pertaining to the practice of dental hygiene.

Not all dental hygienists work in a dentist's office. "What I like best about the job," says Mickey Near-hood, RDH, of Portland, Oregon, "are the many opportunities available, such as teaching, selling dental products, or working in product research and testing."

"Relax and get comfortable."

Many people feel apprehensive about going to the dentist. As a dental assistant you must ease the patient's fears and make him or her more comfortable in the examining room. Dental assistants also prepare patients for treatment and hand instruments to the dentist. Some assistants perform laboratory tasks such as making temporary crowns or making casts of teeth from impressions taken by the dentist. Others schedule and confirm appointments, keep treatment records, and order supplies and materials. Assistants might even have both lab and office responsibilities.

"When I was a junior in high school, I started working as an assistant in a dental office," says Missy Holmes, now a registered dental hygienist in Douglasville, Georgia. After two years of on-the-job training, assistants are eligible to take a certification exam. Another way to become certified is to attend an accredited dental assistant program. One-year programs provide a certificate or diploma, while two-year programs award an associate's degree.

If you decide on schooling for this field, be sure the program is accredited. Some schools make you a dental assistant in four to six months, but you still need two years of experience in order to take the certification exam--just the same as if you had on-the-job training. You need to be certified for advancement, but not to get a job in the field.

If you plan to work while attending college, being a dental assistant is an excellent choice. There's a lot of part-time work. And the field provides a good foundation for two other fields. Dental assistants with office responsibilities can move into office management. And, as Missy Holmes discovered, working as a dental assistant is a good springboard for becoming a dental hygienist.

Smile, America

If you love working with clay or making models, think about creating smiles for a living. Dental technicians are artists who work with waxes, plastics, metallic alloys, porcelain, and other materials. Working from impressions (molds) of patients' teeth or mouths and detailed written instructions, they create dental appliances: crowns and bridges, partial dentures, complete dentures, and orthodontic appliances.