Independent Dental Hygienist

Relatively recently, there has been a new development in dental hygienist employment--the independent dental hygienist who practices out from under the wing of a dentist.

As registered nurses go into homes as private duty nurses, so many hygienists wish to be legally permitted to provide care in their own office and treat those who are physically or financially unable to visit a dentist but nonetheless require regular teeth cleaning. Many state dental boards do not allow dental hygienists to practice independently, in one part for liability reasons.

However, ADHA does recognize 19 states, including Colorado and California, as having "varying forms of unsupervised practice or less restrictive supervision." Hygienist jobs of this nature open up the field to the public and the hygienists themselves.