Dental Hygienists: Saving Lives One Tooth At a Time

By AJ Fanter
ajfanter@careerschoolguide.com
Career School Guide Columnist

Having your teeth cleaned by a dental hygienist more than one time a year could do more than just prevent cavities. That’s because regular cleanings from a qualified dental hygienist can have a positive impact on your overall health.

If the idea of helping people to live healthier lives with beautiful teeth appeals to you, maybe it’s time to consider attending dental hygiene college.

Surprising Study Findings

Having healthy teeth and gums is an important indicator for overall health. In fact, gum disease has been linked to having a higher risk of diabetes, while gum infections are associated with heart attacks and stroke. Most recently, researchers have found that men who had a history of gum disease were 64% more likely to get pancreatic cancer. That’s why getting regular cleanings from a qualified dental hygienist is so important. Cleanings not only lead to a beautiful health smile by reducing the likelihood of getting gum disease but they can also help to improve your overall health.

What Dental Hygienists Do

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BSL), dental hygienists provide preventive care and teach good oral hygiene habits. They examine patient’s teeth and gums, recording any diseases or abnormalities. They use both hand and rotary instruments in addition to ultrasonics to clean and polish teeth, take dental x-rays, and administer local anesthetics. They may also assist a dentist during procedures.

Why Attend Dental Hygienist College

Hygienists enjoy the satisfaction of helping people to have more beautiful smiles and healthier lives. But attending dental hygiene college has other advantages as well. For example, the BLS notes that dental hygienist is one of the fastest growing occupations and that job prospects are expected to remain quite strong. Another advantage? Most dental offices offer very flexible scheduling. What’s more, the median salary is roughly $28 per hour, though this varies based on experience as well as location.

If great job prospects and pay, flexible scheduling, and helping others to have more beautiful smiles sound good to you, then you should consider attending dental hygiene college.

Sources

About the Author

AJ Fanter is a freelance writer based in Reno, NV.