Is On-the-job-training Possible For A Dental Hygienist?
If dentists are allowed to have their way, becoming a dental hygienist will be a matter of receiving on-the-job-training. Some practicing dentists want to choose this instructional as opposed to having someone go through a two or four year formal, accredited education program. But, the safety of the patients is not being considered. In fact, an unskilled and inexperienced worker can jeopardize a patient’s health.
Despite the threat to patients, many dentists fear that dental hygienists will open up their own practice, thus decreasing the dentists’ number of clients. Another issue is that a dental office is not an appropriate place for on-the-job-training. Further, dentists have very little knowledge of a dental hygienist’s trained, preventative skills.
