Dental Hygienist

Dental Hygienist

What is a Dental Hygienist?

A dental hygienist is a licensed primary healthcare professional who works in the field of dentistry. They work under the direction of other dental professionals, and are trained and educated in the prevention and treatment of oral diseases.

The demand for dental services, and dental hygienists in particular, is increasing, influenced by Canadian population growth.

Related Fields

  • Clinical trial research: dental hygienists can carry out trials alongside other dental specialists
  • Education: dental hygienists are able to teach and train future dental hygienists
  • Community Health: dental hygienists are able to provide assistance in community dental clinics
  • Hospital settings: dental hygienists can work along side nurses
  • Military setting: dental hygienists can offer their services to members and their dependants during disasters
  • Marketing and sales: dental hygienists can choose to work in a business setting, by promoting dental products through companies as their representative

Major duties

 Their major role is to perform periodontal duties. These include

  • Debridement
  • Charting
  • Prophylaxis
  • However they also
  • Make diagnosis to pass on to the oral surgeon/dentist
  • Take intraoral radiographs
  • Administer fluoride
  • Teach oral hygiene to patients
  • Perform examinations on patients
  • Making dental impressions
  • In some cases, administering anaesthesia

Qualifications and requirements

Canadian College Degree

Read More about how to become a certified Dental Hygienist in Ontario

Who are the employers?

Another dental professional typically employs dental hygienists. They can choose to work in a wide range of dental settings including

  • Private dental offices
  • Residential aged care facilities
  • Public practices
  • Alongside orthodontists

Compensation

Generally, the compensation for a dental hygienist in Canada is 71,000$, or 35$ an hour.