Dental hygenist info please?!


Question:

Dental hygenist info please?

ok i am looking for some careers to go into that pay pretty well. i want to know if there are any dental hygenist out there that can answer these questions:
i live in orange county, ca. where did you go to dental school? did you get an associates at a community college or do you need coursework first before you get accepted to some time of special training school?
2) how long did it take you to graduate completley?
3) how many years of school does it take?
4) was it hard to get your first job how long did it take you?
5) what kind of stuff do you do in this job- what are you not allowd to do?
6) is the schoolong really hard- do you have any tips?
7) how much did you get paid starting out- then after a couple years?
do you get good benefits?
i really would love to work in pediatric denistry if anyone knows anything cool things about that please let me know. i know there is a lot of stuff here but i cant seem to get what i need. thanks in advance!!!!!


Answers:

Ok, help has arrived!!!
I have been a dental hygienist for almost 1 year, and it does pay really well.
California will probably pay better than this, but I got 28 dollars an hour starting out.
My 1st year of college (university), I took the general classes that my college advisor told me to take. These include classes like basic algebra, a few biology classes, speech class, computer class, english, etc.
I took all the classes that were not a part of the actual dental hygiene curriculum. It's a really good idea to do this, because my dental hygiene program was REALLY hard in itself..
I would suggest that you study very hard and don't slack off. Hygiene is sometimes a difficult and always-changing profession, but it is very rewarding.
Pediatric hygiene is fun: you place a lot of sealants, give Fluoride treatments, and have fun with the kids!
The do's and dont's: you cannot diagnose ANYTHING. You can only "describe" symptoms to the patient. It is up to the dentist to tell a patient he has a cavity or infected tooth, etc.
You cannot place fillings or do root canals, crown and bridge, or pull teeth.
Altogether, I spent 3 years in college: 1 year general classes, 2 years hygiene classes.
Basically hygiene involves cleaning teeth, polishing teeth, flossing, giving fluoride, taking x-rays, patient education, examing patients for several conditions, relaying that info to the dentist, and you can go to elementary schools, and teach kids about oral hygiene.
Most universities have 2-year hygiene programs, so check with them for their specifics.
If you have any more questions, FEEL FREE to email me at dental_scaler@yahoo.com.
Hope this helps!




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