Dental hygienist

"The American Dental Hygienists Association (ADHA) defines dental hygienists as oral health professionals who are responsible for preventing and treating oral diseases. Regardless of the state in which they practice, dental hygienists must be state licensed, which requires graduating from a college or university dental hygienist program and passing a written national board examination and state clinical examination.

Unlike dental assistants, whose job duties must generally be performed under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist, dental hygienists perform much of their work independently, with only general supervision from a licensed dentist.

Dental hygienists are an important part of dentist-led teams. Their work removes a considerable burden from the dentist, freeing up the dentist to perform more advanced procedures. Therefore, it is quite common for dental hygienists to perform many of the preventive dental procedures in an office, such as teeth cleaning and fluoride application."