MAIN CONS OF BEING A DENTAL HYGIENIST You'll need formal training to be a dental hygienist. You'll have to pay for your dental hygienist studies. You'll need a license to work. You'll find that there's very little reciprocity of your license between states.
You may have an unwanted schedule sometimes. While some degrees lend themselves to multiple professional careers, a job as a dental hygienist is pretty much the same no matter where you decide to live or work. This consistency can be great, especially if you love what you do, but if you're looking for more variety, dental hygiene may not be right for you. Since this career path has limited opportunities (as mentioned in the scam above), performing the same tasks every day can be repetitive.
And even though every day you'll see different patients and different teeth, you'll continue to perform the same exercises. You can expect an occasional, perhaps unpleasant encounter. Since work requires contact with a person's hygiene, you may run into a patient with bad breath, tooth decay, etc. You can also take your 2-year degree in dental hygiene and turn it into a 4-year degree in the field of dentistry while still earning a living doing something you like.
You can be an involved parent with this advantage if you have a family. It's rare for you to work on weekends, holidays, or even nights in most situations. The pros and cons of being a dental hygienist balance the desire to earn a fair and competitive salary in the health field and, at the same time, managing sometimes challenging situations. This type of work is not for everyone.
If you want to help people and don't mind having occasional patients with challenging physical or emotional needs, then the requirement of 2 years (or less) of training could help you start a new career in a very short time. Consider each key point carefully before making a decision. As baby boomers age and keep their teeth longer, their influence on the importance of regular dental care can help make everyone more aware of the need for dental services. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), more than 221,000 hygienists work in dental offices and clinics in the United States, the labor market is good for new hygienists.
It's always important to take care of the health of your spine and neck when it comes to being a dental hygienist. However, there isn't much room to fully advance to a position other than that of a leading dental hygienist or to gain more certifications to increase your credentials. Professional variety isn't something that many people associate with being a dental hygienist, and that's because there isn't much professional variety. While employment opportunities for dental hygienists are increasing, today's schools are graduating many people who are ready to start their professional careers.
But before considering a career as a dental hygienist, you should weigh some of the disadvantages against the advantages. Not everyone is like that when you start taking care of their needs, but if you're the type of person who can't stand bad breath or look at your teeth who could use a little help, then being a dental hygienist probably isn't the right choice for you. Some school districts are even hiring dental hygienists to provide services to their students in a way similar to that of a school nurse. This can be frustrating for dental hygienists, who must maintain a fast pace to treat all patients quickly.
While dental hygienists work better hours than nurses and other professionals, the amount of work they do each day can quickly lead to exhaustion. For most people, an associate degree in dental hygiene is all that is needed to qualify for employment in this field. Most dentists hire dental hygienists to help them with specific procedures, offering a competitive salary structure for their services. That means there is more competition for open positions in dental offices, as there are more people available than opportunities.
A large part of the variety will depend on the amount of technology your dental office implements, as it is more widespread. . .