Petersons - Master the Dental Hygienist Exam

OVERVIEW

Dental hygienist is a good career choice for individuals who enjoy working with people and have an interest in proper dental care. Dental hygienists enjoy benefits such as job security, flexible schedules, and competitive salaries. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the number of dental hygienist jobs is expected to grow 36 percent through 2018.

Those interested in becoming a dental hygienist must complete a 2-year associate degree or certificate program in dental hygiene accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), pass the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE), pass a clinical exam, and apply for a license in their state. The American Dental Associations Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE) administers the NBDHE. State and regional testing agencies administer the clinical exam.

This book was carefully researched and written to help you prepare for the NBDHE. The chapters in this book explain what it is like to work as a dental hygienist and review important material that is likely to appear on the NBDHE. Completing the many practice exercises and practice tests in this book will help you pass this exam.

To get the most out of this book, take the time to read each section carefully and thoroughly.

Part I provides an overview of a dental hygienists job responsibilities and the places where dental hygienists work. It offers information about the education you need to become a dental hygienist and the subjects assessed on the NBDHE. Part I also outlines the steps you need to take to become a dental hygienist, including preparing and applying to take the NBDHE and how to become licensed.

Part II is a preview of the written examination. This section introduces you to the kinds of questions you will see on the NBDHE, including questions about anatomy, histology and embryology, physiology, biochemistry and nutrition, microbiology and immunology, pathology and pharmacology, assessing patient characteristics, obtaining and interpreting radiographs, planning and managing dental hygiene care, performing periodontal procedures, using preventive agents, providing supportive treatment services, professional responsibility, promoting health and preventing disease within groups, participating in community programs, analyzing scientific literature, understanding statistical concepts, and applying research results.

Part III is a comprehensive overview of the types of questions you will see on the NBHDE. A chapter is devoted to each subject area, or domain, on the test. Each chapter begins with a review of the subject matter to refresh your memory as to what you learned in school. At the end of each chapter are practice exercises. The multiple-choice questions in the practice exercises are just like those on the actual test. Complete the questions and study the answer explanations. You can learn a great deal from these explanations. Even if you answered the questions correctly, you may discover a new tip in the explanation that will help you answer other questions.

When you feel that you are well prepared, move on to Part IV the practice tests. These practice examinations contain new questions modeled after the samples provided in the NBDHE Guide , published by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE), the agency responsible for the development and administration of the National Board Dental Examinations. The questions on the practice tests in this book are not the actual questions that you will see on the exam. If possible, try to work through an entire exam in one sitting. On the actual test, you have 3.5 hours to complete the discipline-based items, and 4 hours to complete the patient-case items; there is a scheduled 1-hour break between the two sessions. Do not look at the correct answer until you have completed the exam. Remember, these tests are for practice and will not be scored. Take the time to learn from any mistakes you may make.

The Appendixes section offers a list of abbreviations used on the NBDHE and a list of references recommended by the JCNDE. Study the abbreviations until you are sure that you know them. Consult the references if you are having trouble remembering information in a particular subject area.

Master the Dental Hygienist Exam is designed to be as user-friendly as it is complete. To this end, it includes several features to make your preparation more efficient.

Overview

Each chapter begins with a bulleted overview listing the topics covered in the chapter. This allows you to target the areas in which you are most interested.

Summing It Up

Each chapter ends with a point-by-point summary that reviews the most important items in the chapter. The summaries offer a convenient way to review key points.

Notes

Notes highlight need-to-know information about the NBDHE, whether it is details about scoring or the structure of a question type.

Tips

Tips provide valuable strategies and insider information to help you score your best on the NBDHE.