What does hygienist mean?
Word: Hygienist
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Hygienist means a person trained to clean people's teeth and show them how to keep their teeth and gums healthy, usually working with a dentist.
How do you spell hygienist?
Syllables: hy - gien - ist
Tricky part: The opening sounds like high, but it is spelt h-y. Pupils who follow the sound write higienist or highgienist.
Watch out for: higienist, hyjienist
Memory tip: A y can say its long i sound straight after an h, as it does in hydrant and hyena; the same h-y pair opens this word.
Hygienist in a sentence
Example 1: The hygienist showed Tara how to brush along the gum line in small circles.
Example 2: Every six months Papa sees the hygienist for a clean before his dental check-up.
Example 3: A hygienist visited our school and gave each Class 2 child a tiny timer for brushing.
Fun Fact
The first course for dental hygienists is usually credited to Alfred Fones, an American dentist, who began training them in Connecticut in 1913.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
hygi_n_st
a) a, e
b) e, i
c) a, i
d) e, e
Show answer
b) e, i. Think of the ist ending of dentist, and of the word for keeping things clean that sits in front of it.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
hyggienist
a) g
b) y
c) n
d) s
Show answer
a) g. The j sound here comes from a single g, as it does in giant and magic.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
sytniegih
a) hypnotist
b) hobbyist
c) hygienist
d) herbalist
Show answer
c) hygienist. Spot the g in the jumble: none of the other three words has one.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) hygienist
b) orthodontist
c) appointment
d) recepsionist
Show answer
d) recepsionist. Receptionist comes from reception, so it keeps the t of tion.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. After a visit to the hygienist, your teeth are most likely to feel ____.
a) longer and sharper
b) softer and bendier
c) smooth and polished
d) heavier and thicker
Show answer
c) smooth and polished
2. Which of these would a hygienist most likely use at work?
a) a small angled mirror
b) a long steel ruler
c) a wooden rolling pin
d) a sturdy garden trowel
Show answer
a) a small angled mirror
