How to Become a Dental Hygienist?

A dental hygienist is nothing short of an oral health care professional who works directly with a myriad of patients. Although they work under the supervision of a licensed dentist, they have the necessary know-how of oral healthcare and along with instructing patients on oral hygiene, they also have the expertise to conduct oral inspection, patient assessment, and teeth cleaning.

Before you begin with this educational journey to become a dental hygienist, you must understand what you seek in this profession; from salary to work-life balance to long-term goals.

Career Requirements

A dental hygienist working in a general or specialty dental clinic, nursing home or a hospital requires an associate degree in dental hygiene. Such associate programs typically take anywhere between two to three years to complete.

Alternatively, if you seek to advance your career, you could opt for a bachelor’s degree. It could take you well beyond a dentist’s office and open doors to private practice and clinical research.

Such degree programs are focused on dental tools and equipment, dental softwares, and include courses like oral pathology, radiology, periodontics, pharmacology, dental equipment and material, community dental health, pain management and infection control.

A career as a dental hygienist requires strong interpersonal skills, higher than average reasoning abilities and elementary medical knowledge. Some of the other attributes vital for a career in dental hygiene are stamina, patience, compassion, concentration, and dexterity.

You are also required to use good body mechanics for you’d be at a high risk of occupational injuries owing to awkward positions and long working hours.

Mentioned below are chief steps to become a dental hygienist:

1. An associate degree or any of its equivalent: It’s imperative to possess an associate degree or a diploma certificate which are typically available at dental institutes, dental diploma centers, vocational colleges and now, online as well. If aspiring to move any further, you could move to bachelor’s degree as well.

2. Licensing: Competent educational qualification is only the first step towards becoming a dental hygienist. Anyone looking to practice must be licensed. You need to opt for the screening test administered by the chief dental association. In India, it’s Dental Council of India.

3. Advanced training: In the field of dentistry, one needs to keep up with whatsoever additional knowledge available. While associate degrees and licensing is enough to become a dental hygienist, earning additional degrees would help you advance your career and keep you at the forefront of knowledge.

How does Rotary Endodontics differ from a Traditional Root Canal Therapy (RCT)

If you’re one among those who underwent a traditional root canal treatment, there’s a very high probability that you don’t even have the faintest idea regarding the types of tools your dentist used for the treatment.

It’s not that you’re the one at fault; most dentists do not prefer to disclose such specific details. And as long as the treatment is effectual, it doesn’t even matter.

However, if you were unlucky enough to be treated traditionally using the manual methods, you wouldn’t have failed to notice the aggravation once through the root canal procedure. This is exactly where rotary endodontics spring into action.

Rotary endodontics is a modern technology that helps making the traditional root canal treatment experience smoother, comfortable and more efficient for the dental patients.

Endodontics or root canal

Teeth, as we know it, comprise of several parts, one of which is the dental pulp. An endodontic therapy, or what’s more commonly known as a root canal treatment, involves the removal of such infected pulp from the inner root canals containing it.

Once the nerves and pulp are removed and insides of the root canal are cleansed, disinfected and sealed, the infected area is restored with a dental filling or crown.

This is how a traditional root canal therapy/endodontic treatment works and until recently, it was the only way out. Then rotary endodontics happened.

Rotary Endodontics

Replacing the traditionally used stainless steel manual files, rotary endodontics involves the use of electrically powered instruments for performing complex root canal treatment procedures.

The differentiating instrument is an electric hand tool which is equipped with nickel-titanium tip. Nickel titanium, which is also known as Nitinol, is an alloy 5 times more flexible than traditionally used stainless steel.

Owing to its flexibility and peculiar flow, rotary endodontics makes for a reliable, quick and comfortable root canal treatment.

Advantages of Rotary Endodontics
– The electric tool makes for a quicker and more consistent cleaning of inner canals
– There is a decreased risk of complications and injuries
– Rotary equipment also make the root canal treatment faster
– Comfortable experience for the patients
– There’s no need of manual grinding

Rotary Endodontics is a must for all the practicing and aspiring dentists. For anyone who seeks to include the rotary equipment within their practice, Dental Courses in Delhi is a premier dental diploma institute and a dental center in Delhi proffering rich insights and comprehensive training into Rotary Endodontics.

Dental Filling Market to Exceed 1.4 billion USD by 2024

Dental filling is a type of dental procedure used to repair minor to moderate tooth fracture, decay and other damaged surface on the tooth. To even out the surface and enhance the chewing and biting abilities, dental filling materials are used.

In 2015, the dental filling market was estimated over 1073 million USD. If the research by Global Market Insights is to be believed, it’s expected to exceed 1.4 billion USD by the end of 2024.

The growing occurrences of dental disorders are driving the demand for dental fillings. Tooth decays and cavities are a fairly common sight. According to World Health Organization (WHO), around 60-90% of children and almost all of the adults are suffering from dental cavities worldwide. The numbers are expected to rise over the coming years, further fuelling the demand for dental fillings.

A fair estimate informs how only 21% of adults regularly visit the dentists for checkups, while only 42% use toothbrush for oral hygiene.

The increase in the number of cosmetic and dental procedures as well as continuous advancements in technology would further contribute to the dental fillings market growth.

Based on the filling type, the market is divided into 2 categories:
– Indirect filling
– Direct filling

Based on the materials used, the global market is classified into:
– Silver/Amalgam fillings (High durability and demand in cosmetic dental procedures)
– Gold fillings
– Glass ionomer (Used mainly for children with big cavities)
– Ceramic/Porcelain fillings
– Composite fillings – glass/plastic

Regional outlook

Due to rising preference for aesthetic dentistry, North America is serving the maximum demand for dental fillings. The well-developed healthcare infrastructure and high per capita income helps them propel the demand for dental filling material.

However, owing to its vast geriatric population, Asia Pacific is estimated to witness the best growth rate among all the geographic regions in the world, growing at the highest Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR).

Besides the vast and growing population, improving awareness and healthcare infrastructure and rise in disposable income can also be credited for the growth.

The European market ranks third, and is majorly dominated by Germany, who holds over 26% if the dental fillings share in the European region. By 2024, it’s anticipated to surpass 83 million USD.

The global report is an all-inclusive overview of the prevalent scenario and is based on several factors influencing the demand for dental fillings. The report has been methodologically prepared based on proven research and includes data from authoritative, valuable sources.