University of Alabama School of Dentistry - Dentala Yearbook (Birmingham, AL)

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A SS Donald G. Watson Oneonta, Alabama Thomas W. Weatherford Linden, Alabama James C. Webb Jr. Columbia, S. C. John Clyde Yarborough Anniston, Alabama mlm James E. Yeager Clanton, Alabama Hmm H F

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FRESHM! Charles W. Smith Reform, Alabama Edwin L. Smith Birmingham, Alabama Leon D. Terry Montgomery, Alabama James B. Thomas Jr. y Highland Home, Alabama Buddy L. Thorne Cordova, Alabama John B. Walters Jr. Birmingham, Alabama

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WHAT IS A DENTAL HYGIENIST? It is not at all surprising that when the graduate Dental Hygienist proudly states, l am a Dental Hygienist, that she should get either an Oh, yes, or an inquisitive expression in reply. The field of Dental Hygiene is a young one, particularly in the Southern region where there are only nine ac- credited schools of Dental Hygiene. There are many persons who know nothing about this field, and many others who have an unfortunate misconception of it. That is why an answer must be given to the question What is a Dental Hygienist? The hygienist is first characterized by her healthy personality. Most evident among her qualities is a sincere interest in her fellow beings. She is one who enioys other people and enjoys helping them. She is grateful to be able to share her blessings by exerting her talents in a field that in- creases the health status of her fellow beings. She is one who is well adiusted to present-day society in all its various phases, for it is to this society that her efforts are directed. She is humble, for she well realizes that she is only part of a great team that provides for health, yet she is con- fident that her contribution will yield great results. She is sympathetic and cheering, she is atten- tive and alert. She is inquisitive and eager to find the answers. She is understanding and easily understood, for she is a woman motivated by the specific purpose to help others. The hygienist, as a student, is not unlike other professional students. She is immediately im- pressed with the responsibilities that will be hers and thus immediately assumes the responsibility of the studies she is to undertake. The formal training of the hygienist includes, not only her tech- nical training and its practical application, but also a thorough background in the basic sciences. It is in school that the trained hygienist learns the importance of the oral cavity in relation to the entire anatomy, and in contrast to apprenticeship hygienists, she definitely realizes that she is not me- chanically removing calculus, but is working with a being as an entity. This realization is one of the most important acquired through her formal education. Also included in her curriculum are various liberal subiects to more fully qualify her for patient contacts. During the two year period she is a student, the hygienist works with her professional brothers in all the facets of dentistry and thus develops a broad knowledge of this vast field. Further, through this association, she also de- velops effective working relationships. Trained primarily as a dental health educator, the hygienist is afforded the opportunity to learn and exhibit training techniques, to understand human behavior, and to acquire a sense of interpersonal procedures. Professional demeanor is learned and practiced by the student hygienist. Upon graduation, the hygienist has opportunities in,many fields of practice: private dental offices, health agencies Cfederal, state, county, cityl, school health services, hospitals, industrial clinics, the Armed forces, and schools of dental hygiene. The dental hygienist may be employed in any state, district, or territory in which she holds a license. All forty-eight states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Territories of Alaska and Hawaii license the practice of dental hygiene. The hygienist has an important role to play in alleviating the shortage of dental manpower. Through her competence in the prophylactic service and in many other related dental tasks, she expands dental services 25fM:. This means that the dentist increases his services and concomitantly increases his in- come. Patient education is the prime factor in preventive dentistry, and the hygienist is the one who devotes her time and energies to this phase. By emphasizing the importance of home care com- plemented by regular dental care, the hygienist not only renders a tremendous service to the pa- tient, but also encourages the establishment of a sound practice for the dentist.