If you visit your dentist on a regular basis for dental exams and professional cleanings, chances are that you have reaped the benefits provided by a trained oral hygienist. These dental professionals are an important part of the oral health care team, and make huge contributions to keeping patients’ teeth and gums healthy. If you have an interest in becoming a dental hygienist, or if you are just curious about what kind of training and background your hygienist has likely gone through, here are a few facts you should know about what it takes to become a dental hygienist.
- Education: Hygienists attend courses offered by a variety of different educational institutions, including universities, dental schools, community colleges and technical colleges. Hygienist courses offered by community colleges typically require at least two years to complete, and when they are done, the students receive associate degrees. This is often enough to enable a graduate to become licensed and go to work in a dentist’s office. Hygienists who want a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in their field need at least four years of higher education. Specific requirements for admission to a hygienist program vary greatly depending on the school.
- Experience: Part of the coursework included in any accredited dental hygiene program involves the student working with patients under the supervision of an instructor. This is a necessary part of any program, since the student will need a sufficient amount of actual experience prior to graduation, obtaining a license, and beginning work in a dental office. So you can rest assured that any student who has graduated from an accredited program will have had a sufficient amount of actual experience before graduating.
- Licensure: Each state requires that a dental hygienist be licensed within that state before he or she can work there as a professional hygienist. Before she can be licensed, a hygienist typically needs a degree from an accredited dental hygiene program, a passing score on the licensing exam given by that specific state, as well as a passing score on the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination.
- “R.D.H.” designation: Once a person is successful in graduating from an accredited program and obtaining a license from the state in which she plans to work, she can use the initials “R.D.H.” after her name. This indicates that she is a Registered Dental Hygienist.
Hygienists are educated, trained, professional members of our dental health care community. The job they do on a regular basis is to remove plaque and tartar buildup on teeth, as well as to assist the dentist in the early detection of gum disease. So never underestimate the important role that your hygienist plays in your good oral health!
