Dental Hygienist

Performs dental prophylaxis: Cleans calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments.

Performs dental prophylaxis: Cleans calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments. Feels lymph nodes under patient's chin to detect swelling or tenderness that could indicate presence of oral cancer. Feels and visually examines gums for sores and signs of disease. Examines gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease. Applies fluorides and other cavity preventing agents to arrest dental decay. Charts conditions of decay and disease for diagnosis and treatment by dentist. Exposes and develops x-ray film. Makes impressions for study casts. May remove sutures and dressings. May administer local anesthetic agents. May place and remove rubber dams, matrices, and temporary restorations. May place, carve, and finish amalgam restorations. May remove excess cement from coronal surfaces of teeth. May provide clinical services and health education to improve and maintain oral health of school children. May conduct dental health clinics for community groups to augment services of dentist.