Dental Hygienist Research Paper

The duties and responsibilities of being a dental hygienist involve explaining to their patients how they can carry out effective oral hygiene. This includes telling them how to choose toothbrushes, explaining how to clean their teeth correctly, and informing them about the relationship between oral health and diet. They polish and clean the teeth of their patients, and take away the stains, calculus, and plaque deposits from below and above the gum line. A dental hygienist may also help the dentist when he or she is treating patients, administer periodontal therapy, remove sutures, re-contour and polish fillings, and remove and replace temporary fillings and periodontal dressings. They are responsible for carrying out a full oral examination and taking patients' dental histories. They also take impressions, carry out x-rays and interpret them, and apply fissure sealants and cavity-preventive agents. They also look for abnormalities or diseases in the gums and teeth, and look for signals of disease and abnormality in the patient's neck and head regions. (Career as a Dental Hygienist, n.d.). …show more content…
Testing and counselling dental patients for human immunodeciency virus is available in some dental facilities and involves using tests with quick oral fluid based tests. This practice is thought to be an acceptable form of health screening by both the dental profession and the general public. "Future rapid HIV testing in the dental setting would be advantageous because screening technology allows individuals to learn their HIV status in 20 min, within the time frame that a patient is treated by a dental hygienist. Dental hygienists are in an ideal position to conduct rapid HIV testing with additional training on interpretation and significance of the results. Available counselling for individual follow-up must be established..." (Internal Journal of Dental Hygiene,