69 lines
3.2 KiB
Markdown
69 lines
3.2 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
name: dental-hygienist
|
|
description: "Occupational skill for the role 'dental hygienist' (also: trainee dental hygienist, oral health specialist, oral health practitioner, dental therapist, registered dental hygienist, oral health therapist). Use when the user asks for typical dental hygienist work such as: Record and review patient medical histories.; Provide clinical services or health education to improve and maintain the oral health of patients or the general public.; Maintain dental equipment and sharpen and sterilize dental instruments."
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
# Dental Hygienist
|
|
|
|
Dental hygienists work in cleaning and polishing teeth, supra- and sub-gingival scaling of the teeth, application of prophylactic materials to the teeth, collecting data, administering comprehensive advice on oral hygiene and the care of the mouth, according to patients` needs under the supervision of dental practitioners following her/his directions.
|
|
|
|
## Core workflow
|
|
|
|
1. Record and review patient medical histories.
|
|
2. Provide clinical services or health education to improve and maintain the oral health of patients or the general public.
|
|
3. Maintain dental equipment and sharpen and sterilize dental instruments.
|
|
4. Maintain patient recall system.
|
|
5. Attend continuing education courses to maintain or update skills.
|
|
6. Clean calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments.
|
|
7. Feel and visually examine gums for sores and signs of disease.
|
|
8. Chart conditions of decay and disease for diagnosis and treatment by dentist.
|
|
|
|
## How to use this skill
|
|
|
|
- Read [references/profile.md](references/profile.md) for the occupation profile and scope.
|
|
- Consult [references/tasks.md](references/tasks.md) for the full task and activity inventory.
|
|
- Check [references/skills.md](references/skills.md) for essential vs. optional competences.
|
|
- Check [references/tools.md](references/tools.md) for the software commonly used in this role.
|
|
- See [references/ai-skills.md](references/ai-skills.md) — matched external AI agent skills (per-source attribution).
|
|
|
|
## Key competences (essential)
|
|
|
|
- accept own accountability
|
|
- apply antibacterial substance to teeth
|
|
- apply context specific clinical competences
|
|
- apply organisational techniques
|
|
- communicate in healthcare
|
|
- comply with legislation related to health care
|
|
- contribute to continuity of health care
|
|
- counsel on nutrition and its impact on oral health
|
|
- deal with emergency care situations
|
|
- deal with patients' anxiety
|
|
- develop a collaborative therapeutic relationship
|
|
- educate on oral healthcare and disease prevention
|
|
- empathise with the healthcare user
|
|
- ensure safety of healthcare users
|
|
- evaluate clinical outcomes of dental hygiene interventions
|
|
|
|
## Hot technologies
|
|
|
|
- Henry Schein Dentrix
|
|
- Microsoft Office software
|
|
- Microsoft Excel
|
|
- Microsoft Word
|
|
|
|
|
|
<!-- hot-tech -->
|
|
|
|
## Hot technologies
|
|
|
|
Top tools from 52 gated job ads (see references/market.md, as of 2026-07-11):
|
|
|
|
- dental practice software — 15 %
|
|
- EPIC healthcare records — 8 %
|
|
- Open Dental — 6 %
|
|
|
|
<!-- hot-tech -->
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
*Sources: ESCO v1.2.1 (http://data.europa.eu/esco/occupation/d18deca3-3063-4970-9ddc-e3c70404a28c), O*NET 30.3 (29-1292.00). See manifest.json for licensing/attribution.*
|