Dental hygienists use a variety of instruments in the course of their work. They 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. Full-time, part time, evening, and weekend work is 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.
Dental hygienists work in clean, well-lighted offices.
Dental hygienists also wear safety glasses, surgical masks and gloves to protect themselves from infectious diseases such as hepatitis. The occupation is one of several covered by the Consumer - Patient Radiation Health and Safety Act of 1981, which encourages the states to adopt uniform standards for the training and certification of individuals who perform medical and dental radiological procedures. Employment Dental hygienists held about 133,000 jobs in 1996. Because multiple job holding is common in this field, the number of jobs greatly exceeds the number of hygienists. About half of all dental hygienists usually worked part time - less than 35 hours a week.