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Teeth cleaning (Figure 1)

     "Do I really have to go?" most kids will say when knowing they have to go to the dentist for a cleaning. Some people do not look forward to the dentist at all. Dental hygienists are never fully appreciated when it is all said and done. Believe it or not, they are not there to pick at and yell about your teeth if they aren't in the condition they should be. Instead, dental hygienists are there to help you when it comes to your oral health. They are very caring about what they are doing and try their best to engage in a civil relationship with the patient. Hygienists want patients to be comfortable with them, and be able to talk about how well the patients oral health is. 

     Mary Amico graduated from Luzerne Community College and has been a dental hygienist for 12 years now. To this day, she takes her job very seriously and caringly. She wanted to be a hygienist all her life and knowing she is pursuing in her dream everyday makes Mary feel successful. She loves knowing she can help people maintain a better oral health, and prevent and educate her patients about disease that can happen. Mary Amico, a tall, blonde hair, blued eyed woman, is a passionate individual. You can always find her wearing brightly colored uniforms and always has a smile on her face. Mary, a hard working individual, strives each day to show her dedication in her work ethics. One of her main priorities consist of leaving patients pleased with their exam (Figure 1).

      As Mary entered the field of dental hygiene, she prepared herself for what it was going to take to pursue in her dream. Although becoming a hygienist is not as long as becoming a doctor, it is just as challenging. From receiving your Associate's Degree, to taking your boards, to examining a patient for the first time, you can finally receive your license. "It's a long road to come across, but in the end it is worth every minute, and every challenge it took," explained Mary. 

Office (Figure 2)

     After application and application, Mary was finally hired at Central Dentistry as a full time hygienist. Immediately, she became comfortable with the setting of her new career. The building is small and made of red brick. Beautiful colorful assorted flowers surround the entrance, give the building a welcoming feel. As you walk in, you receive a breeze of fresh air with a tint of apples from the air fresheners. The waiting room is filled with tan cushioned chairs, and corner tables filled with newspapers, magazines, and flyers. The reception desk is to the right, with a glass sliding window for patient's to check in. As you walk through the door, you will enter Mary's room on the right. Her room is very comforting. Light yellow walls brought out the pictures of daises hanging throughout the room. There is a navy body exam chair, bright shining examining light ahead, new and clean instruments on the examine board, and a rinse sink for the patient (Figure 2). On her desk are stacks of papers, pictures of her family, blue working gloves, and a container of masks to wear when working on the patient. Drawers filled with supplies that ranged from new instruments, toothbrushes, fluoride, floss, and goody bags to give to each patient when they are done with their exam. Mary states, "I want my room to feel as comforting as possible to the patients during their exams." She feels relieved knowing her patients are comfortable with their exam.
 

     Mary's days is usually very busy, but she knows how to manage her time well. On average Mary cleans from 12-14 patients' teeth a day. Each exam, including the dentist's brief exam, takes approximately 45 minutes. The procedure starts with evaluating for problems, and an oral exam including an x-ray if needed. Mary then starts the process of scaling plaque and calculus. This is the process that cleans the plaque off the teeth. After Mary flosses the patient's teeth, she starts the polishing for removal of stain and esthetics, and then the final exam when the dentist comes in and review the teeth for final evaluation. After the cleaning, Mary hands her patients a goody bag filled with a new soft bristled tooth brush, fresh mint whitening toothpaste, and floss. The patients are then directed to the receptionist to schedule their new appointment. As the patient schedules the new appointment, Mary gathers all of her instruments recently used and cleans them properly so they are sterile and ready to use for a new cleaning. She then sterilizes her room for the next cleaning. Although it may seem like a long process for Mary, at the end of the day, no matter how tired or stressed she may be, she will always have passion for her job and patients. "My favorite part of my job is being able to interact with the patients and getting to know them on a personal level," said Mary. "But when patients are ignorant about their oral health, and do not have the best personality, I tend to get a little aggravated," she stated with attitude. It is harder for hygienists to work properly with their patients when the patients are not willing to cooperate with them. Here is a video to show the proper way a hygienist clean teeth.

     Although being a dental hygienist may see easy, at times it could get complicated. Mary, along with all other hygienists, need to know their schedule, and prepare for times to get tough. "Along being a hygienist, not only do I need to have patience, but I also need to have the proper time management" explains Mary. Time management is very important, because if Mary does not watch her time, her whole day, along with the dentist's day can be held up. This can cause stress on the hygienist and dentist, which is not needed.
 

     Going to the dentist may not be someone's favorite event of the day, but thanks to dental hygienists, teeth stay in top condition as long as the patient is corporative. Without hygienists, teeth would not be a pretty feature to look at. When it comes down to it, patients should thank our hygienist instead of complaining about having to go to the dentist.