A dental hygienist is a licensed preventive oral health professional who has graduated from accredited dental hygiene programmes in institutions of higher vocational education (tertiary education) at Vyšší odborná škola (VOŠ) or uiversity. Dental hygienist provides education, clinical services, and consultation to clients of all ages. Nowadays, dental hygienist possesses a range of knowledge and skills. These are not only professional removal of calculus, plaque, and other exogenous accretions from the tooth surface, but it also covers the roles of researcher, educator, administrator, and clinician. In all these roles the public oral health should be improved.

The role of the dental hygiene clinician includes assessing, diagnosing, planning, implementing, evaluating, and documenting treatment for prevention, and oral diseases control. This work is supervised by dentist. A dental hygienist must effectively communicate with clients and dentists as well.

Dental hygienists can develop oral health educational materials, or she should have an overview of the products that help with education, e. g. fluoride rinse programmes for children in kindergartens or children in the elementary schools, or special programmes for handicapped people. They can create dental atlases, posters, and leaflets.

A dental hygienist should cooperate with companies that support the oral health and healthcare industry through the sale of products and services. The industry values the experience, knowledge and understanding of oral healthcare delivery.

Dental hygienists must educate themselves all the time of their professional career. The entry level information that students receive at school is not enough for lifelong career because methods, approaches, and technology are evolving. Some of dental hygienists can become a researcher. It supposed to have a graduate degree in dental hygiene or a related field. They can work as educators at colleges and higher education institutions offering different degree. They apply the educational theory and methodology to practical lessons, where they design and produce instructional materials and media, and use their own experience.

In various clinics where dental hygiene care is provided, the dental hygienist acts as a manager or administrator (a person whose official position is to guide and direct the work of others). It can include planning, assessing, decision making, organizing, staffing, and directing. This dental hygienist must know the organizational structure and goals, and responsibilities of co-workers. She/ he must be able to communicate, must have organizational skills, and can value human resources.

Dental hygienist must pass a special higher vocational school, Vyšší odborná škola, provided a degree DiS., or bachelor programme at university, provided a Bachelor´s degree (Bc). The length of study is 3 years. The amount of theoretical lesson is 1100. Practical instruction is in the amount of 2144 lessons. The study is completed after passing expert subjects examination, absolutorium.

(Preventive stomatology, Periodontology, Psychology and Communication), foreign language (English or German) examination and defence of Final Paper.

The study curriculum contains many subjects, which prepare students to their future job. They have to pass e. g.

Another compulsory objects are: Ethics in Health Care, Medical Law Basics, Chemistry, Methodology of Scientific Research, Pathology, Microbiology and epidemiology, Dermatology, General dentistry, Operation of dental hygienist clinic, Oral hygiene, etc.