Tight schedules, patients arriving late, or difficult cases are some of the many things that dental hygienists experience in the workplace. The repetitive nature of our jobs can sometimes make you feel like a robot, and this can cause stress, anxiety or make you angry. Most of what patients pay for dental cleanings and other hygienist jobs goes to the doctor who runs the dental office, and some dentists demand high production levels, which is correlated with maximum profitability. This can be frustrating for dental hygienists, who must maintain a fast pace to treat all patients quickly.
If you have to work long hours as a dental hygienist and need to work at a fast pace, this can cause physical exhaustion and stress, warns UEI College.
dental hygiene
is a field that can sometimes be very stressful. You must focus on the needs of your patients while balancing a busy schedule and coping with the physical demands of work. According to an RDH eVillage survey, more than 50% of dental hygienists feel stressed about their work on a daily or weekly basis.Sherwin Shinn, a dentist based in Seattle for 31 years, says he was particularly struck by the number of hygienists seeking more happiness and less anxiety. He and Pennie Morehead teach a course for dental hygienists entitled Happiness, Hope and Harmony for Hygienists. A Texas hygienist added: “It's too stressful, and if you're not dedicated to clinical hygiene, you just won't understand it. Hygienists also deal with saliva, which can get on clothes if a person coughs, sneezes, or is nauseous, and blood, which can transmit diseases.
But before considering a career as a dental hygienist, you should weigh some of the disadvantages against the advantages. Unless you have a medical condition that prevents you from lying down and sleeping upright, for the health of your dental hygienist and for the best treatment, lie down. A good night's sleep should help renew your body so that you're fully prepared for the next day of dental hygiene work. While cleaning and examining your teeth may seem like a desirable career option and can generate a good salary, the disadvantages of being a dental hygienist include the repetitiveness, physical demands and discomfort that this position entails.
Despite any pain or worry about being a dental hygienist, most seem to leave stress at work. Because of this, many hygienists must go to chiropractic, massage therapy, and sometimes physical therapy on a regular basis to work. Hygienists understand that; patients have valid fears, previous bad experiences, and patients can feel uncomfortable and vulnerable when someone exercises their mouths. There are countless articles that state that dental hygienists only have two years of college education because several dental hygiene programs grant an associate degree.
A dental hygienist from Washington State said: “If I didn't exercise almost daily and get massages twice a month, I couldn't be a hygienist. The hygienists know what they signed up for, but honestly, they didn't give you the infection in your mouth and, in fact, they're trying to help you. Some enter a dental hygiene program with an associate's degree or an associate's degree because of all the prerequisites.