Dental hygienists are trained to evaluate a patient’s dental health. Their duties include taking x-rays, cleaning teeth, and applying fluorides and sealants to teeth. They may also apply temporary fillings at the request of the dentist. Dental hygienists are responsible for providing dental health education on topics such as oral hygiene, toothbrush selection, the use of dental floss, and how diseases such as diabetes affect a patient’s oral health.


Work Environment
Dental hygienists usually work with dentists in private practices. Some may work with dentists who are in specialty practices such as periodontics or pediatric dentistry, and some may work in teaching institutions or research facilities. Others are employed by hospitals, clinics, public health agencies, schools and private industry.