“The oral cavity is the gateway to health and/or disease, and the more we learn about dental hygiene, the more we learn about how it can affect the overall health of the rest of our bodies,” says Dr. Dan Fischer, president and CEO of Ultradent Products, Inc. He continues, “The hygienist is the front and center of that aspect of dentistry. It’s all about education and personal care.”

As we celebrate National Dental Hygiene Awareness Month, it’s important that we recognize the vital role hygienists play in the dental field, both to the dentist and to the patients they treat. Dental hygienists play a vital collaborative and auxiliary role in dentistry to ensure patients receive the highest and most comprehensive and efficient level of oral health care. They do this through the administration of preventative care such as prophylaxis (tooth cleaning), x-ray administration and interpretation, non-surgical periodontal therapy such as scaling and root planing, application of preventative materials (sealants and fluoride), and more. They serve as dentistry’s most important defensive guards by providing essential care and hygiene knowledge to set the patient up for long-term oral health—like this month’s focus on the dental hygiene daily four. They are also often the first person on the dental team to interface with and treat the patient.

At Ultradent, dental hygienists play an important role as well, as Ultradent employs a full-time in-house clinical dental hygienist, Carol Jent, and many other hygienists who work as representatives out in the field. “Carol Jent brings a fabulous dimension to the company. She’s one of the most caring hygienists out there—from her humanitarian work both locally and abroad to the passion and expertise she brings to her work, she is exemplary in every way.” He adds, “I always love bumping into the many hygienists that work as Ultradent reps. They have an unparalleled knowledge base that allows them to interact with clinicians and other hygienists on another level. They have unique insights that are wonderful for communicating how our products work, and for recommending the right products to offices for various situations.”

To all the hygienists out there, both in and outside Ultradent, we thank you for your knowledge, hard work, care, and most importantly, patience (especially when we don’t floss as much as you’d like us to!).

We celebrate you!