DENTAL HYGIENE PROFESSION

A look at the

dental hygiene profession By Diana Macri, RDH (information adapted from the ADHA website)

1913

95%

of hygienists are female, while only 5% are male.

1949

Dr. Civilion Fones established the first dental hygiene education program in Bridgeport, Connecticut. His vision of dental hygiene and dental hygiene education: encouraging that the role of the dental hygienist include “preventive education” for all patients, young and old, children and mothers, as well as nutritional counseling. He believed very strongly in the prevention of oral disease.

Timeline:

1998

ADHA: Registered Dental Hygienist becomes official credential of the profession

1984

1923

1906 Dr. Alfred Civilion Fones created the dental hygiene profession. He taught his cousin, Irene Newman, how to remove plaque, stain, and calculus from teeth through scaling and polishing techniques

1917

Irene Newman becomes the first licensed dental hygienist.

California becomes the first state to allow hygienists to own their own practices

Washington becomes the first state to allow unsupervised practice

1993 The ADHA is organized (it won’t be incorporated until 1927).

1947

Minimum educational requirements for dental hygienists are established.

1971

Washington becomes the first state to allow local anesthesia administration by dental hygienists

2011

National Center for Dental Hygiene Research is established

The first class of advanced dental therapists, a profession that expands on that of dental hygiene, graduates in Minnesota.

Educational Requirements: A dental hygiene education requires 84 credit hours on average for an associate degree, or 118 credit hours for a baccalaureate degree. However, before a student is admitted into a dental hygiene program, they must complete approximately 40 credit hours of prerequisite college courses in chemistry, biology, speech, sociology, English, and math.

prerequisite college courses associate programs

As part of dental hygiene services, dental hygienists:

Perform oral health care assessments that include the review of patients’ health  Treat and prevent oral diseases

Take patient’s history, chart, screen for oral cancer, and evaluate gum health and disease

Expose, process, and interpret dental radiographs (X-rays)

Administer local anesthetic and nitrous oxide analgesia

Remove plaque and calculus from above and below the gum line using dental instruments

What Do Dental Hygienists Do?

baccalaureate

Apply cavitypreventive agents such as fluorides and sealants to the teeth

Counsel patients about plaque control and developing individualized at-home oral hygiene programs

Each state has its own specific regulations and the range of services performed by dental hygienists varies from one state to another.

Educate patients on proper oral hygiene techniques to maintain healthy teeth and gums Counsel patients on the importance of good nutrition for maintaining optimal oral health Administer smoking cessation programs

associate programs

baccalaureate

Admission to a program is typically highly competitive. During the 2011-12 school year, associate programs reported a mean of 81 applicants with 31 admissions, while baccalaureate programs reported a mean of 76 applicants with 28 admissions. Graduates must successfully complete the written National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (approximately 350 questions). Graduates must also successfully complete a regional or state clinical board examination, which entails a live patient exam and 100 computerized multiple-choice, simulated patient questions.