Oral hygienists promote and maintain the oral hygiene of people of different ages and cultural backgrounds, assessing the level of oral hygiene, preventing and treating oral infections and carrying out clinical and rehabilitative oral hygiene work. Oral hygienists are also familiar with first-line management, entrepreneurship and both national and international cooperation.
Oral hygienist training is based on the theoretical and applied information of health sciences, dental medicine and other fields of science that support them. The core of the training is having close ties to working life. Our degree programme is in daily cooperation with the University of Helsinki Institute of Dentistry and the oral hygiene units of Helsinki health centres.
Training
Before students can work with real patients, they practice in a simulated learning environment in a learning studio with plastic sculls.
During clinical training, oral hygienist and dentistry students have an opportunity to train in oral health care work both independently and in teams at Metropolia's oral hygiene teaching clinic where they treat patients referred to them from Helsinki health centre dentists.
Oral hygienists in working life
Oral hygienists have good job opportunities. They will be able to contribute to the development of health promotion as professionals in clinical and rehabilitative oral healthcare. Oral hygienists find work in, for example, health centres working with patients, as entrepreneurs in their own clinic, or supervisors or entrepreneurs at their own reception.
Contact information
Riikka Jokimäki
Head of Degree Programme
tel. 040 630 0722
riikka.jokimaki [at] metropolia.fi (riikka[dot]jokimaki[at]metropolia[dot]fi)