There are many practical reasons to pursue a Healthcare Profession such as job security, outstanding salaries, and tuition assistance, along with more exciting reasons such as challenging situations and the development of new skills and knowledge everyday. A Dental Hygienist is a licensed oral professional who specializes in scaling and polishing teeth. They work inside the dental office alongside the dentist.
Dental Hygienist have daily duties of applying preventative materials to the patients teeth, educating patients on proper oral hygiene practices, patient screenings, including oral health assessments, oral health history review, oral cancer screening, head and neck inspections, and taking of vital signs, and removing plaque from teeth. Dental Hygienist requires certain skills like working well with others, because they work closely with dentists and dental assistants and deal directly with patients, and steady hands is a must.
All states require Dental Hygienist to be licensed, however, specific requirements vary. The minimum level of education you need to earn your license in any state is an Associate’s Degree. In any degree, becoming a licensed hygienist requires attending a program that’s been approved by the Commision on Dental Accreditation (CODA), which serves the public and profession by developing and implementing accreditation standards that promote and monitor the continuous quality and improvement of dental education programs. Accredited dental hygiene programs have demonstrated that they meet the highest quality standards for education and therefore help ensure future patient safety. Associate’s Degree, asks for admission requirements that depend on the school. Most colleges require a minimum GPA of a 2.5. Colleges such as Bluegrass Community College (BCTC) in Lexington, KY, Academy of Dental Assisting College in Louisville, KY, and MedQuest College in Louisville, KY. BCTC requires upcoming Freshman to fill out an admission application, send High School or GED transcript, and ACT or SAT scores. At BCTC you can earn an associate degree in applied science in two years if you maintain full-time status. At the Academy of Dental Assisting College has minimum requirements for admission like applicants must be at least 18 years old, and prerequisites may apply by course. Check dental assisting course information for details. MedQuest requires admissions of all applicants to have earned and provide proof of High School Completion within 30 days of the program start date by submitting one of the following: a copy of a high school diploma recognized by the States’ Department of Education, a copy of a final, official high school transcript that shows the date when the diploma was awarded, a copy of a General Educational Development (GED) certificate or GED transcript that indicates the student passed the exam, or an academic transcript that indicates the student successfully completed at least a two year program that is acceptable for full credit. some classes provided by these colleges are chemistry, biology and microbiology.
There are many pros and cons in being a Dental Hygienist. Some pros include growing employment, good salary, minimal schooling, flexible schedule, and a people-oriented atmosphere. The field of dental hygiene is displaying a projection of rapid growth by 20% which allows for easier employment opportunities. Dental hygienists also are in demand and integral to every dentist office, and often earn a decent wage of approximately $35 an hour. Dental hygienist often have the option between full-time and part-time work along with being in a socially active atmosphere. Some cons of being a dental hygienist is the lack of variety, monotonous responsibilities, occasional unpleasant patients, heavy work loads, and lack of benefits. Everyday tasks are repetitive throughout the day. Dental hygienist occasionally encounter unpleasant contact with a person’s hygiene, such as bad breath, tooth decay, etc. Dental hygiene seems like a very low-stress field when it comes to manual labor, but the repetitive tasks and being slumped over patients all day with elbows up can really take a toll on your back, neck and shoulders.
Dental Hygienist make about the same annual salary in many states for example Alaska, Kentucky, Tennessee, Hawaii, North Dakota, Wyoming, Rhode Island, Ohio, Wisconsin, and North Carolina. In Alaska the hourly wage a dental hygienist makes is $36.42 which rounds up to $75,763 a year. In Kentucky the hourly wage is $33.86 which means the yearly salary is $70,435. Tennessee has an hourly wage of $34.20 an hour adding up to $71,130 a year. In Hawaii the hourly pay is $36.84 rounding to a yearly salary of $76,622. North Dakota pays an hourly wage of $36.42 meaning that the annual yearly salary is $75,763. In Wyoming the hourly wage is $36.42 and the yearly salary is $75,763. Rhode Island pays $34.30 an hour and $71,349 a year. Ohio pays $33.83 an hour and $70,371 yearly. In Wisconsin pays $33.27 an hour and $69,206 a year. Lastly, North Carolina has an hourly wage of $28.41 and $59,092 a year. Employment of dental hygienists is projected to grow 20 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations. The demand for dental services will increase as the population ages. As the large baby-boom population ages and people keep more of their original teeth than did previous generations, the need to maintain and treat teeth will continue to drive demand for dental care.
An article written October 1, 2019 written by Angela Grover called An Ode to Hygienist: I’m a Hygienist, Hear Me Roar! Was written in honor of National Dental Hygiene Month to honor all hygienist. The article looks like a repetitive poem that talks about the hard working responsibilities Dental Hygienist endure. This is interesting because it discusses cons of the job but in a prideful way.
In conclusion, throughout my research I’ve become really interested in pursuing this career. I believe I have the skills and characteristics needed to thrive in this career field. Not only is this career beneficial, but also appears to be enjoyable. Overall, in my opinion there are many more beneficial factors to this career than negative.
