What does a hygenist do that a general dentist can't? My dental office said I need to see the hygenist.?

We do have to have an education. I have a BS which is a bachelor of science degree in dental hygiene. We are not the dentists assistants, most dentists have assistants. I can clean teeth, give injections, take x-rays, spot oral cancer, spot decay and anything out of the ordinary. Educate on oral health, take blood pressure and review medical histories. Give advice on nutrition, vitamins, and minerals. The list goes on and on. Dentists can do everything hygienists do, however most don't want to. They want to spend their time on more profitable dentistry, like crowns, bridges, implants etc.

What does a hygenist do that a general dentist can't? My dental office said I need to see the hygenist.?
Maybe they were referring to an area of your body other than your mouth.
Reply:Just gonna clean your teeth-chill
Reply:the hygenist only cleans your teeth so the doctor doesn't have to waste his time. It is not requried to have a degree to clean teeth.
Reply:Hygenist specialist in oral cleaniness and dentists rarely perform that function [just as nurses perform functions doctors rarely do, there are specialities in denistry also]





And BTW - a dental hygenist DOES require adegree...usually an Associates Degree





dental hygienist - an auxiliary member of the dental profession, trained in the art of removing calcareous deposits and stains from surfaces of teeth and in providing additional services and information on prevention of oral disease.
Reply:A hygienist is simply the dentist's assistant, she/he cleans the teeth, removes tartar and plaque, polishes the teeth. The dentist is much more educated and is certainly able to do everything the hygienist can do, but usually her/his time is best served by letting the hygenist do the cleanings while the dentist does the more advanced restorations. When your dental office said you need to see the hygenist, they just meant so you can get your teeth cleaned. A dentist can do everything a hygenist can do; a hygenist can only do cleanings. A hygenist typically has the equivalent of an associates degree. A dentist has an advanced professional/doctorate level degree.
Reply:it's more a matter of "won't" than "can't", it doesn't take a dental degree to perform deep cleanings
Reply:the dentist CAN do these things, just dosen't want to. Hygenists to the small jobs like cleanings, ajusting braces etc that dentists can't be bothered with.
Reply:It isn't what the dentist can't do. It's what the dentist won't do. Some chores, like cleanings and prep work are just too menial for the dentist to do. His expensive time is wasted on simple cleanings. He saves his time for the more important surgeries, root canals and fillings. This attitude makes me angry. It didn't used to be this way. I pay for the dentist, not the hygenist, but this is the way of things these days.
Reply:Ok, first of all, it's HYGIENIST, not HYGENIST. And we do


have to have a license. We have to be certified and licensed


by the board of dentistry in whichever state we're in. And


we do cleanings, x-rays, periodontal exams, oral hygiene


instruction, and fluoride treatments, among other things.


In some cases, we're licensed to give local anesthesia.


This frees up the dentist's schedule to do other things we


can't do, like restorations, crowns, bridges, etc.

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