Does your dentist do the work him/herself or does (s)he have a hygienist?

My dad is a dentist, and he’s retiring at the end of March. I went in for my last appointment with him today, and it finally really hit me that I’ll have to go to another dentist for the first time in my life. I’ve had braces, so I’ve been to an orthodontist, but I’ve never been to another dentist.

I also realized that many dentists these days employ hygienists, who do a lot of the work. My dad has an assistant, but not a hygienist, and I know I’ll feel a little weird about a “non-dentist” doing cleanings and things. I know that hygienists are trained and qualified, but it still seems a little weird to me.

Does your dentist have a hygienist? How much of the work does the hygienist do as opposed to the dentist him/herself?