Dental Hygienist

Dental hygienists are an important part of the dental team, preventing dental problems in adults and children.

You will carry out procedures such as scaling teeth (at times under local anaesthetic), polishing teeth and applying topical fluoride and fissure sealants. You will help children and adults look after their teeth and gums. Sometimes you might be working on a one-to-one basis while on occasion you will work with groups of people.

Your work as a dental hygienist will save teeth by preventing and treating gum disease, helping people get rid of associated problems like bad breath. The dentist will usually advise you and help direct your work, although it is now possible for hygienists and therapists who have extra training to set up their own practices or work independently in a dental practice so they can see patients without them seeing a dentist first.

In the community, you could work with people with a wide range of special or additional needs. If you are based in a hospital, you will help patients who may have had major surgery or complicated orthodontic treatment or have particular medical conditions. The hospital patients you see may be very ill, apprehensive or unsure after life-changing surgery.