Live Life Team
A dental hygienist is somewhere between a dentist and a dental nurse. They provide the patients with advice on keeping their teeth and gums healthy, as well as cleaning them and trouble shooting the cleaning process.
In order to gain a place on a Hygienist course you will need to have 5 GCSEs at grades ‘C’ and above, and two A-levels or a recognised dental nursing qualification. Many hygienists start work as a dental nurse, to gain experience and to see if they are comfortable working in the dentist environment, whilst they train on the job for the needed dental nurse qualifications. You do not need A-levels to do this. However, if you prefer you can do the A-levels and then apply directly to the course of your choice.
The course is a two-year full time course, and there will be plenty of practical work to ensure you are competent and dextrous when dealing with the patients. Like most health care professionals you will need to wear dental scrubs, which are normally white, and wear shoes suitable for a needle stick environment, that is to say where it is possible for a needle to be dropped on your foot.
Clinical care is very important, you must wear gloves, changing them for each new patient, and all equipment must be sterile as there are nasty infections and diseases that can be passed on in saliva and blood.
