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.

Tasks

Tasks include -
(a) Diagnosing diseases, injuries, irregularities and malformations of teeth and associated structures in the mouth and jaw using a range of methods such as radiographs, salivary tests and medical histories;
(b) Providing preventative oral health care such as periodontal treatments, fluoride applications and oral health promotion;
(c) Administering anaesthetics to limit the amount of pain experienced by patients during procedures;
(d) Prescribing medication for relief of ongoing pain after procedures;
(e) Providing restorative oral care such as implants, complex crown and bridge restorations, and orthodontics, and repairing damaged and decayed teeth;
(f) Providing surgical treatments such as extraction of teeth, biopsy of tissue, and performing orthodontic treatment;
(g) Measuring and taking impressions of patients' jaws and teeth in order to determine the shape and size of dental prostheses;
(h) Designing, making and fitting prosthodontic appliances such as space maintainers, bridges, and dentures, or writing fabrication instructions or prescriptions for dental prosthetic technicians;
(i) Restoring oral function with removable and fixed oral prostheses;
(j) Assisting in diagnosing general diseases having oral manifestations such as diabetes;
(k) Educating patients and families on dental hygiene, nutrition and other measures to take care of oral health;
(l) Supervising dental hygienists, dental assistants and other staff.