 Day in the Life
Dental hygienists work in clean, well-lighted offices. Important
health safeguards include strict adherence to proper radiological
procedures and the use of appropriate protective devices when
administering anesthetic gas.
Dental hygienists also wear
safety glasses, surgical masks, and gloves to protect themselves and
patients from infectious diseases.
Flexible scheduling is a distinctive feature of this job. Full-time,
part-time, evening, and weekend schedules are widely available.
Dentists frequently
hire hygienists to work only 2 or 3 days a week, so hygienists may hold
jobs in more than one dental office. More than half of all dental
hygienists worked part time, or less than 35 hours a week.
Dental hygienists
should work well with others because they work closely with dentists and
dental assistants as well as dealing directly with patients. Hygienists
also need good manual dexterity, because they use dental instruments
within a patient's mouth, with little room for error.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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