(Submitted by CHS Senior, Mackenzie Scoggan)
On March 27th the Anatomy and Physiology class took a trip down to Main Street Dental. There we met with Kiya Stack. She talked to us about the occupation, the education needed, along with a tour of the office. She also showed us machinery that is used that helps detect any problems a patient may have.
On March 27th the Anatomy and Physiology class took a trip down to Main Street Dental. There we met with Kiya Stack. She talked to us about the occupation, the education needed, along with a tour of the office. She also showed us machinery that is used that helps detect any problems a patient may have.
Kiya explained the occupation very well. She described that any and all dental work is interesting and
always entertaining. Dental hygienists use many types of tools to do their job. They clean and polish
teeth with hand, power, and ultrasonic tools. Hygienists remove stains with an air-polishing device. They
polish teeth with a powered tool that works like an automatic toothbrush. Hygienists use x-ray machines
to take pictures to check for tooth or jaw problems. Some states allow hygienists with additional training,
sometimes called dental therapists, to work with an expanded scope of practice. Dental hygienists help
patients develop and maintain good oral health. For example, they may explain the relationship between
diet and oral health. They may also give advice to patients on how to select toothbrushes and other oral
care devices. The tasks hygienists may perform, and the extent to which they must be supervised by a
dentist, vary by state and by the setting in which the dental works.
Kiya was very open about what she did and loved talking about the occupation she was entering. She gave us many tips of how to get through college and he successful. Kiya loves that she given the opportunity to come back to Chadron to gain more experience in the field and was excited she was able to talk to all of us.
