Monthly Archives: October 2012

Why I became a Dental Hygienist

I often get asked by my patients, “why did you want to be a hygienist?”. So I thought about it and here are my reasons.
My favourite subject at school was always biology. I originally thought I’d be a Nurse like my mum. But all my school life I wanted to join the police force, so I joined the police cadets at sixteen, then the special constabulary at nineteen for two years. It was then that I realised that it’s wasn’t for me.
My first job from leaving school was a dental nurse and I loved it. My boss, at the time asked why I didn’t go and train to become a dental hygienist. So I went to the Eastman Dental Institute and qualified in 1995.
I love my job. Everyday is different. The interest comes from the fact that the needs and desires of every patient differs, so my approach is always varied.
I enjoy the challenge of motivating my patients. To make small changes in their daily routine that make huge differences. I find it so satisfying providing patients with a gentle but thorough clean leaving them feeling refreshed and healthy.
I enjoy the skill my job entails, the precision of effective calculus and plaque removal using an array of different shaped scalers.
The job can, at times, be quite stressful with the time pressures and the intense concentration that is required for many hours in such a small area. But generally my days are full of wonderful people, all very different, with whom I build such a rapport, I never get bored.
As long as my hands keep working I will carry on saving people’s teeth through up to date advice, hard work and motivation. Motivation is key.
I constantly read many dental publications and attend workshops and training courses to make sure I’m carrying out my job to the best of my ability.