What is Dental Hygiene?

Dental hygiene is a dynamic and expanding health care profession providing a wide range of opportunity for public service.

As a preventive dental health educator and expert clinician, the licensed dental hygienist provides care to clients in a variety of health care settings. The major focus of dental hygiene care emphasizes assessment of patients' needs; development of a comprehensive treatment plan based on individual or group needs and ultimately delivery and evaluation of this plan. Consultation with other health care professionals is an integral part of dental hygiene care. Dental hygiene has been listed as one of the top ten careers for this decade offering opportunities in private dental offices, public health agencies, research, industry, hospital dentistry and dental education.

If you have strong communication skills, good manual dexterity and a desire to work with people, dental hygiene may be the career for you!