Dental Hygiene: Career information
Career overview
Scope of practice
Student scope of practice according to the setting
A dental hygiene student is not allowed to practice dental hygiene duties outside of PCC educational facilities or PCC’s affiliated educational facilities, and it is strictly prohibited by the Oregon Board of Dentistry. Students must be officially registered for the clinic course in order to practice patient care during PCC clinic or affiliated site sessions.
Dental Hygiene scope of practice
Students are trained to practice at the highest level within the scope of practice for dental hygienists in Oregon. For detailed information on the scope of practice in Oregon, please visit Oregon Board of Dentistry – Dental Assistants.
The scope of practice for dental hygienists varies from state to state. Dental hygienists may only legally perform clinical procedures that are within the dental hygiene scope of practice for the state they are practicing in with a valid license.
Clinical procedures within the traditional dental hygiene scope of practice are legal to perform in most states. Traditional clinical procedures include performing oral health assessments; exposing, processing, and interpreting dental radiographs (x-rays); removing plaque, calculus, and stain from the teeth; applying preventive materials including fluoride and sealants; teaching patients proper oral hygiene techniques; and counseling patients on maintaining optimal oral health.
Clinical procedures that are considered expanded functions may or may not be legal in each state and may or may not require an additional credential beyond initial licensure. Expanded function clinical procedures may include: administering local anesthesia; administering nitrous oxide-oxygen sedation; prescribing preventive agents and medications related to dentistry; placing temporary restorations; and placing permanent restorations.
Students in the Dental Hygiene program will learn to perform the clinical procedures outlined in the Oregon Board of Dentistry Dental Practice Act. These clinical procedures are not currently legal in all states. Graduates should only perform clinical procedures that are legal in the state in which they practice and only if they have the appropriate credential.
Certification and licensure
Upon successful completion of the dental hygiene curriculum, students will be eligible to sit for board examinations required for licensure. In the state of Oregon, students may sit for the following licensure-related exams:
- National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE)
- ADEX Local Anesthesia Written Examination
- ADEX Local Anesthesia Clinical Examination
- ADEX Dental Hygiene Clinical Examination
- ADEX Dental Hygiene OSCE
- ADEX Restorative Dental Hygiene Clinical Examination
PCC’s Dental Hygiene program curriculum will prepare students to sit for the examinations, but cannot guarantee that students will successfully complete them. Successful completion of the NBDHE and ADEX Dental Hygiene Clinical Examination are required for dental hygiene licensure. For more information on the NBDHE visit the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination webpage and for the ADEX exams, visit Licensure Testing for the Dental Health Professions.
After graduation and successful completion of board examinations, graduates are eligible to apply for a dental hygiene license in the state of Oregon. The Oregon Board of Dentistry governs dental hygiene and determines approval or denial based on several criteria. Approval is contingent upon meeting application requirements, including successful completion of an accredited Dental Hygiene program, passing the relevant board examinations, undergoing a criminal background check, and passing the ethics and jurisprudence exam administered by the Board of Dentistry. It is the student’s responsibility to check with any applicable state and national licensing boards to ensure their criminal background history will not impact their ability to be placed in a clinical/field setting and get licensed upon completion of the PCC program.
Completion of the Dental Hygiene program qualifies the graduate to apply for the Local Anesthesia Endorsement and Expanded Practice Permit, and certifies the applicant in Radiology. An additional application is required to apply for the Nitrous Oxide Sedation Permit and an additional examination and application are required to apply for the Restorative Functions Endorsement. For more information about the dental hygiene license as well as all the other permits and endorsements, see the Dental Hygiene – Licensure by Examination section of the Oregon Board of Dentistry Apply for License, Permit or Endorsement webpage.
Completion of the program and some or all of the listed exams may also qualify the graduate for application for licensure in other states. Consult the state’s board of dentistry for specific application requirements.
Occupational risks
Working in healthcare poses some level of occupational risks. Dentistry, specifically, has a higher rate of repetitive motion injury. Occupational risks dental hygienists face may include but are not limited to:
- Musculoskeletal disorders (especially neck and upper extremity)
- Contact dermatitis
- Eye injury
- Hearing loss
- Toxicity from dental materials, including mercury exposure
- Exposure to blood-borne pathogens
- Exposure to ionizing radiation
- Percutaneous injury
- Stress
Professional associations
While a student of the PCC Dental Hygiene program, students are required to maintain a student membership in the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA). As such, they are also members of their state association, the Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association (ODHA), and a local component.
Students are also encouraged to hold membership in the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), which is free of charge. There are other professional organizations that students may wish to participate in either while a student or upon graduation. Some, but not all of these professional associations are listed below.
- American Academy of Cariology (AAC)
- Hispanic Dental Association (HDA)
- International Federation of Dental Hygienists (IFDH)
- National Dental Hygienists’ Association (NDHA)
- Western Society of Periodontology (WSP)