I clean people's teeth as well as give oral exams, (to check for cancer, etc.), periodontal treatment and take x-rays.

EDUCATION | I have three A.S. degrees: Dental Hygiene, Health Science and Dental Assisting.

HOW TO GET STARTED | Decide where you want to apply (community college or four-year college) and find out what their prerequisites are. Each school is slightly different and some may require additional courses. GPA really matters when it comes to getting into a program. Some programs are based on a lottery system and some on a points system where, for example, you earn certain points for every "A", etc. The points you earn help determine when you will be eligible for the program. Work in a dental office before pursuing this field. Know how an office runs and if you are suited to working with patients. Also, be persistent in getting into the program. While in school you will take the written national boards. After that you will then take the clinical state boards. From there you're employable.

MUST HAVE TRAITS | You must work well with patients and have a good bedside manner. You will need to be gentle and able to comfort an anxious patient. Also, in this field you need to be the type of person who doesn't tire of repetition.

how I got started | I first became interested in becoming a dental hygienist when I was in high school. I worked part-time for my dentist, cleaning rooms and sterilizing instruments, mainly. One of the hygienists there who had cleaned my teeth since I was a child encouraged me to consider dental hygiene as a career. She told me that if I wanted to be a mom someday it would be an excellent job because the schedule can be so flexible. You can work one day a week or five days; you can work for one dentist or multiple dentists in different offices. So, right from high school I was geared toward being a hygienist, but because the program was so difficult to get into, I continued my education while trying to break in.

why this job?| I am newly married now and thinking of the future. I do want to have kids some day and it's important to me that I will be able to tweak my schedule to fit our family's needs.

why I love this job!| I love the relationship I have with my patients. I am a people person!

my typical day| I arrive at work by 7:30 a.m. in order to get ready for my first patient at 8:00 a.m. I set up the room and take a look at each chart for the day. I see eight patients daily, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. I take an hour for lunch. Besides working with patients, I also spend time ordering hygiene supplies for our office, sending insurance claims for my patients, taking payments and scheduling each patient's next appointment. I work four days a week, Monday through Thursday.

what they are | It is physically challenging to sit in the same position most of the day. It can be difficult to clean the teeth of someone who doesn't take care of them. Also, it's a challenge to make every patient comfortable - especially those who are anxious about having their teeth cleaned.

all about growth | Generally, jobs in this field are available whether you are just starting out or you are a veteran. As a dental hygienist, I am required to take 25 units of continuing education every two years.

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