Dental hygienist (Mondhygienist)
Information on this skill...
A dental hygienist is a paramedic who specializes in preventive oral care. The term paramedic means that a dental hygienist may independently perform certain established medical treatments despite the fact that a dental hygienist cannot be regarded as a dentist or as a doctor. A dental hygienist is therefore not a dentist, but in many cases works closely with a dentist. A dental hygienist is mainly concerned with the oral care of patients by monitoring, advising and treating possible oral problems. In addition to the physical work, a dental hygienist can work as a consultant or information officer in schools. The profession of dental hygienist is a profession at hbo level and is nowadays called oral health care. The training to become a dental hygienist is not an easy training and is very extensive. Nowadays, dental hygienists are also allowed to carry out the semi-annual check-up. Visiting a dental hygienist annually or more often can prevent many problems and will significantly extend the life of the teeth. Preventing tartar, receding gums and osteoporosis are important tasks to keep teeth healthy. In short, we can best describe the work of a dental hygienist as preventing dental problems by performing preventive treatments. Think of giving the right information, dental cleaning and performing gum treatments. In addition, dental hygienists may be responsible for taking X-rays, drilling and filling small holes, and giving anesthetics. As a dental hygienist you work independently in most cases, but you usually work under the supervision of a dentist. This depends on the specific work. A dental hygienist should only sedate, take X-rays, and drill and fill cavities under the supervision of a dentist.
A dental hygienist is therefore a specialized in preventive oral health care as a paramedic and usually works under the supervision of a dentist. As described earlier, in addition to treating patients, a dental hygienist has an important role in the field of education. Consider, for example, how people should brush their teeth and with which means this can best be done. But also the presentation of how people should floss and use toothpicks is important to achieve the desired result. A dental hygienist is therefore not only responsible for carrying out treatments. The dental hygienist also plays an important role when it comes to advising and caring for the teeth. A dental hygienist will also take X-rays of patients as needed, to check the state of the teeth and mouth in general. Most dental hygienists work as independent entrepreneurs, who may have their own practice or carry out their work together in the dentist's practice, which offers various advantages for patients, dentists and dental hygienists. There is also a Dutch association of dental hygienists, to which most dental hygienists are affiliated.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DENTAL HYGIENIST AND DENTIST
The main difference between a dental hygienist and dentist is that a dentist is a doctor, who has the university study dentistry. Dentistry involves recognizing, preventing and treating diseases of the teeth and surrounding structures. A dental hygienist cannot be considered a doctor and is not specialized in dentistry. A dental hygienist specializes in oral health care, which only relates to preventive care. As described earlier, dental hygienists are allowed to perform certain treatments, which can be classified as dentistry. In that case, a dental hygienist does work under the supervision of a dentist. As a dental hygienist you are usually working independently and you do not directly assist the dentist. Assisting the dentist is part of the work of the dental assistant.
THE DUTIES OF A DENTAL HYGIENIST INCLUDE:
- Assessing a patient's dental condition
- Taking X-rays
- Checking for oral diseases
- Cleaning the teeth and gums, such as removing plaque
- Performing dental treatments, such as fluorine treatments and sealing fillings
- Protecting root canals and preventing tooth root disorders
- Applying local anaesthetics
- Making dental impressions
- Providing information about oral care, oral hygiene and nutrition
- Reporting to and consulting with the dentist
WHAT DOES A DENTAL HYGIENIST DO:
DENTAL HYGIENIST TRAINING
In order to be able to work as a dental hygienist, you will have to complete the Bachelor's degree in oral health care, which will usually take four years. In order to be admitted to the programme, there are certain conditions that you must meet. In addition, there are limited places available every year and it may be that you are simply not allowed because there is no place left. The Hbo programme in oral health care is not an easy one and is probably one of the toughest of all hbo programmes. Some important professional tasks during the training are providing information and instructions, handling the instruments, drawing up a treatment plan, giving local anesthetics, taking X-rays, performing dental checks and applying simple fillings. Accounting is also important as an entrepreneur.
COMPANIES WHERE A DENTAL HYGIENIST MAY BE EMPLOYED
A dental hygienist can work for different employers. Think, for example, of a dental hygienist who works for a dentist, or of a dental hygienist who works for an orthodontist. In addition, a dental hygienist can work within a hospital. In that case, you are usually working for an oral surgeon. As a dental hygienist, it is also possible to start your own practice as an entrepreneur. There are quite a lot of dental hygienists who work as independent entrepreneurs.
COMPETENCES DENTAL HYGIENIST
As a dental hygienist, you must have a considerable number of different competencies that receive a lot of attention during the training, such as result-oriented work, your communication skills, customer focus and your professional knowledge, which must be in order. As a dental hygienist you are never really finished learning, because new techniques and possibilities are constantly being added. Generally important words are analytical, advising, planning, independence, consultation, cooperation, motivation, precision, hygiene, control, vigilance and sense of responsibility. If you work as an entrepreneur, you will also have to have a commercial institution.
LABOUR MARKET PERSPECTIVE AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AS A DENTAL HYGIENIST
The labour market perspective of a dental hygienist is good. There is still a shortage of dental hygienists and more and more tasks of dentists are nowadays performed by dental hygienists. Obtaining work as a well-trained dental hygienist will generally not be a problem at all. The career opportunities of a dental hygienist should be seen in further specialization, by following additional training. But also starting your own practice can be seen as growing.
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT AND SALARY DENTAL HYGIENIST
The Royal Dutch Society for the Promotion of Dentistry (KNMT) can find more information about the employment conditions and salary of dental hygienists. If you are an independent entrepreneur working as a dental hygienist, you naturally determine your own employment conditions and salary and these do not apply further. A dental hygienist employed will usually earn a salary between 2500 and 3800 euros gross per month, depending on age, education and responsibilities.
The content on this page has been automatically translated from the Dutch language. For this reason, texts and videos on this page may contain small errors.
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