HYGIENISTS:

 What do Dental Hygienists do?

 A career as a dental hygienist offers a wide range of challenges. In the dental office, the dental hygienist works with the dentist to meet the oral health needs of patients.

 Since each province has its own specific regulations regarding their scope of duties, the range of services performed by dental hygienists varies from province to province.

 Some of the services provided by dental hygienists may include: patient screening procedures; such as assessment of oral health conditions, review of the health history, dental charting and taking blood pressure and pulse; taking and developing dental radiographs (x-rays); removing calculus and plaque (hard and soft deposits) from all surfaces of the teeth; applying preventive materials to the teeth (e.g., sealants and fluorides); teaching patients appropriate oral hygiene strategies to maintain oral health; (e.g. tooth brushing, flossing and nutritional counseling); counseling patients regarding good nutrition and its impact on oral health; making impressions of patients' teeth for study casts (models of teeth used by dentists to evaluate patient treatment needs); and performing documentation and office management activities.

 DENTAL ASSISTANTS:

 What do dental assistants do?

 Procedures a dental assistant may perform are regulated on a province by province basis and may not include duties assigned to dental hygienists. But the varied activities of an assistant in most states make for a challenging, interesting and responsible position whether chairside or in the business office.

In smaller practices, the assistant might work with the dentist as well as managing the business aspects of the practice such as scheduling, billing and purchasing. In larger practices, the duties may be more specialized. Many assistants are qualified to take X-rays...expose radiographs as it is properly called. In most dental offices, the dental assistant is in charge of infection control procedures, which are closely regulated by OSHA (the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration). The complexity and importance of this task is a real challenge for any professional, requiring constant updates to remain current with registrations.

The Dental Assistant works in behalf of the patient as well as the dentist in helping to assure a high level of professional excellence in oral health care delivery. Helping this health care professional to do a better job is the goal of the Manitoba Dental Association.