While going to the dentist used to be a chore to be avoided at all costs, the dental experience has gotten much less painful over the years. One of the reasons for the increased ease of a dental visit is the regularity in which people get a dental check-up. Because many people see the dentist regularly, their teeth and gums are healthier, meaning they don't get as many cavities or other more painful oral ailments. Even when someone gets a cavity, it is usually caught at an early stage, so the filling process is less painful. Another reason why the dental experience has improved is because training has improved for dental hygienists. Dental hygienists are now often responsible for many of the duties involved in a regular check-up, including teeth cleaning, flossing, and taking X-rays. These days, there are many institutions where one can find proper training on how to become a dental hygienist. These schools teach the hygienists how to minimize the pain for the patient. Because hygienists are becoming more and more responsible for certain aspects of a check-up, they become specialized in those skills, offering expert care that is often even more comfortable than the trained dentist. Hygienists also are trained to look for ways to ease a patient's discomfort while a dentist is performing a procedure on them. This often means clearing the mouth of excess water, and making sure the mouth is clean at all times. Becoming a hygienist is a good way to earn money while working in a clean environment.