Courtney Leggette 1ST BLOCK *DENTAL HYGENIEST* Courtney Leggette 1ST BLOCK

*Typical day on the Job* Hours each day may vary, but generally the courses run from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. The core curriculum focuses on a "hands-on" approach to dental hygiene education. During your senior year, you will be assigned to overnight extramural rotations sites such as Lynchburg, and the Northern Neck. The first semester begins on the last Monday in July or the first Monday in August, depending on the academic calendar for that year. All semesters are conducted on a strict full time schedule. You may view the dental hygiene class schedules online. All students are automatically registered for their courses by the Director of the Division of Dental Hygiene. There are no night classes, no summer courses and no on-line courses available for this program.

Salary Range The salary really depends on where you live. In bigger areas they usually offer more money and it also depends on how many years of experience you have.             

College Degrees/ Education Prospective dental hygienists must become licensed in the State in which they wish to practice. A degree from an accredited dental hygiene school is usually required along with licensure examinations. Education and training. A high school diploma and college entrance test scores are usually required for admission to a dental hygiene program. High school students interested in becoming a dental hygienist should take courses in biology, chemistry, and mathematics. Also, some dental hygiene programs require applicants to have completed at least 1 year of college. Specific entrance requirements vary from one school to another.

Skills Dental hygienists should work well with others because they work closely with dentists and dental assistants as well as dealing directly with patients. Hygienists also need good manual dexterity, because they use dental instruments within a patient's mouth, with little room for error.

*Environment* As a dental assistant, you will work in a dental office setting. It is a well-lighted, clean and comfortable environment that includes multiple rooms, such as a waiting area, front office, x-ray room and back area with separate dental chairs and work stations. Depending on the type of task you are doing, you will either work near the dental chairs providing assistance to the dentist or in the front office performing administrative tasks. Your chair side tasks will include: arranging instruments, gathering the right materials and medications, and handing the needed items to the dentist. In the front area, you will manage files, collect payments and schedule appointments in a comfortable office setting. While you assist the dentist, you will be required to wear gloves, masks, eyewear, and protective clothing, such as scrubs, to protect yourself and the patients from infectious diseases. Professionals in the front office also oftentimes wear scrubs or some other matching type of uniform. Your schedule as a dental assistant can vary. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about half of dental assistants have a 35- to 40-hour work week, while the rest work part-time or have variable schedules. Depending on the hours of your dental office, you might be able to create a schedule where you work evenings or Saturdays.

*Advantages/Disadvantages* Advantage of a Dental Hygienist Finding dental assistant jobs can be dangerous if you do not do your homework. You are a dedicated certified dental assistant who deserves a great job with great pay. In a perfect world you would have one job that would pay well and have excellent benefits. Your coworkers would be pleasant and your boss would be great. The patients would be easy to care for and you would never have a bad day at work. Disadvantage of a Dental Hygienist One huge trap that involves some dental assistant jobs, and other jobs for that matter, are the work agencies. There will always be scam artists in this world who prey on other people. If you apply for a job with an agency and they want to charge you a fee, then run away and report them to the Better Business Bureau. You should never have to pay anyone to get a job. Some agencies are temporary. If a dentist office has someone who calls in sick, then they will call the temp agency for a worker. The worker will get paid on a daily basis and fill in for however long is necessary. Some health care assistants have found permanent jobs this way so it is a viable option for some workers, especially if they are not looking for a full-time position at first.

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*Things That Go On In The* *Dentist Office*

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