INDIANAPOLIS – A report released Friday has found that someone, somewhere is actively taking steps to realize a lifelong dream of becoming a dental hygienist.

General Dentist

No, this isn’t the name of an old WWII general who served in the Paficic, but the dentist that most people are familiar with. General dentists are going to be in control over the majority of your oral health care. It’s where you’ll go for checkups, x-rays and reminding you how often you should be flossing or ways to take care of your teeth.

Most people see their general dentist twice a year, about once every six months for a cleaning and general checkup. You can even get your teeth straightened with some braces and you can get veneers as well with the right professionals.

Periodontist

Even though the majority of dental work, and general dentistry knowledge, is about the teeth , your gums also play an important role. Gingivitis is an all too common gum disease that affects most people at least once in their lives.

Besides gingivitis, there are other serious gum issues. That’s where periodontists come in. They are the ones to advise and treat any gum diseases or issues also for dental implant specialists. If the gums have been damaged by disease or physical injury, they are the ones that will help repair your gums.

Recent research indicates that your teeth and gums can be an indicator of your general health and help to flag potential problems. With this in mind, it’s easy to see why regular dental checks and oral hygiene are important.

About 44 per cent of adults have an annual dental check, but more than 40 per cent of Australian households earning less than $30,000 a year avoid or delay a visit to the dentist because of cost, according to the 2015 Oral health and dental care in Australia report issued by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Dental checks can detect possible signs of cancer. Each year slightly more than 3,000 Australians are diagnosed with head and neck cancers, including cancers of the tongue, gums, mouth, salivary glands and tonsils.

Even though the position would require a wide level of seemingly demeaning duties, such as cleaning people’s gums and treating others for gingivitis, the report found that an individual – possibly more than one – is presently enrolling in a 2-year associates degree program at a dental hygienist school, with the intention of actually turning it into a career.

“Past records indicate that there are live human beings who willingly overlook all other job choices in favor of dental hygiene,” read the report, “a job that requires one human being to delve intimately into the often-odorous oral space of another.”

“Wow,” continued the report.

Despite a host of other thankless duties involved – such as removing horrifying cavities and advising perfectly innocent strangers on how to maintain a fresh breath – it is estimated that, at some point, someone with an unfathomable passion for the practice will actually enter into a 4-year bachelor’s degree in order to gain further certification from the American Dental Association (ADA).

Meanwhile, further findings in the report indicate that this someone – whoever he or she might be, and wherever he or she may reside – could be aware of the position’s average start-out salary of $63,000.