Job opportunities should continue to be good if graduates of dental hygiene programs do not increase greatly in number. Part-time work and flexible schedules are common. Nature of the Work Dental hygienists clean teeth and provide other preventive dental care, as well as teach patients how to practice good oral hygiene.
Hygienists examine patients' teeth and gums, recording the presence of diseases or abnormalities.
Dental hygienists also help patients develop and maintain good oral health. For example, they may explain the relationship between diet and oral health, inform patients how to select toothbrushes, and show patients how to brush and floss their teeth. Dental hygienists use hand and rotary instruments to clean teeth, x-ray machines to take dental pictures, syringes with needles to administer local anesthetics, and models of teeth to explain oral hygiene. Working Conditions Flexible scheduling is a distinctive feature of this job. Dentists frequently hire hygienists to work only 2 or 3 days a week, so hygienists may hold jobs in more than one dental office.