About This Career

Administers oral hygiene care to patients. Assesses patient oral hygiene problems or needs and maintains health records. Advises patients on oral health maintenance and disease prevention. May provide advanced care such as providing fluoride treatment or administering topical anesthesia.

This career is part of the Health Science cluster Therapeutic Services pathway.

A person in this career:

• Records and reviews patient medical histories.
• Feels and visually examines gums for sores and signs of disease.
• Cleans calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments.
• Examines gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease.
• Provides clinical services or health education to improve and maintain the oral health of patients or the general public.
• Charts conditions of decay and disease for diagnosis and treatment by dentist.
• Exposes and develops x-ray film.
• Attends continuing education courses to maintain or update skills.
• Maintains dental equipment and sharpens and sterilizes dental instruments.
• Applies fluorides or other cavity preventing agents to arrest dental decay.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Work in this occupation involves bending or twisting your body more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposed to disease and infections more than once a month through work such as patient care, laboratory work, and sanitation control
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Exposed to radiation more than once a month
• Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves sitting more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Regular working hours and limited travel