What One Needs To Know About The Dental Hygienist Salary
The dental hygienist salary has been a matter of debate in recent times. In dentistry, there is no shortage of lucrative job opportunities to qualified people. Jobs for oral hygienists are among the most lucrative. A dental hygienist is also known as an oral hygienist and he works primarily in preventive oral health. A dental hygienist functions as a dentist's assistant, providing treatment to patients. He or she also gives patients advice on proper oral hygiene practices. Oral hygienists have limited duties and responsibilities. However, their role is crucial when it comes to providing patients with rudimentary dental treatment.
Their jobs primarily involve dental cleaning to patients, including prophylaxis, scaling, and root planning. Their work profile is strictly defined and doesn't actually involve any major operating procedures which only a qualified dentist is allowed to perform. Until now, the hygienists were supposed to work under dentists alone. New laws, however, now allow them to be medical professionals working independently. If a hygienist completes advanced hygienist training and is licensed to administer anesthesia, his or her dental hygienist salary goes up significantly.
A wide gamut of preventative oral health is being taken care of by the oral hygienists. A dental hygienist is tasked to review the medical history of a patient. He or she is also the first one to evaluate a patient's condition. Oral hygienists note down the x-rays that patients should have, as well as any tests the patients need to undergo. In order to do so, they have to check the patients' gums and teeth first. After a hygienist cleans a patient's teeth, he or she gives the patient advice on the steps to properly maintain oral health. During this whole process, the oral hygienist works in a highly safe and clean environment and uses various devices like gloves, surgical masks, and glasses to ensure their patient's safety and their own.
Major dental procedures are performed by a dentist, while the minor ones are performed by an oral hygienist. Hygienist help patients understand the importance of proper brushing, as well as advise them on how to floss safely and what kind of toothbrush is best. An oral hygienist keeps tabs on the patient's diagnosis and makes necessary changes as and when necessary. It is the oral hygienist alone who carries out the task of evaluating the oral health condition of patients. This is the reason the dental hygienist salary tends to be a lot higher than the salaries of other dental-related jobs. There are times when a dentist doesn't need to have a hygienist around to provide services in the dentist's office every day. In such cases, a hygienist is free to work in other dental care units on a part-time or full-time basis and this in turn will assure them steady pay.
The dental hygienist salary is commensurate with the sort of job this dental professional does, although the salary range may vary a little in different states. Typically, the pay is dependent on the job location and the hygienist's work experience. The level of professional training an oral hygienist has undergone greatly influences the salary he or she receives. Some states pay oral hygienists a higher income than other states do.
Owing to the fact that the dental hygienist salary is high, many people are showing interest to enter this field. It should be noted, though, that a dental hygienist doesn't simply teach patients good dental habits. An oral hygienist also makes sure that patients get the right treatment for their dental condition and evaluates how the patients are doing during treatment.
Information on The Dental Hygienist Salary
Oral hygienists draw a higher dental hygienist salary. In addition, their work schedules tend to be easy and flexible. People who have paid a visit to the dentist's office would know how important the dental hygienist is. Let us find out what catches people's fancy when they are contemplating making their entry into the profession of an oral hygienist. Is it because of how lucrative a job it is or is there something more to it? The answer to these questions lies in examining closely the current state of the field of dental health, as well as emerging trends and the impact of these trends on the job market.
Strengthening oral health care across the country is the focus of the health reforms being made today. Thus, oral hygienists, the profession, and the dental hygienist salary have the policy makers' undivided attention. The dentistry profession has been undergoing many changes in the recent times and the same can be said about their salary. Several new hygienist programs are being introduced with the blessings of Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) to meet the new challenges faced by the profession of dentistry.
Dentistry is slowly undergoing changes. Today, dentistry looks at becoming an oral hygienist as a step up to becoming a dental therapist, a more advanced profession that is predicted to be where the future of dentistry lies. Oral hygienists today are working to adapt to the changes. It is also likely that employment opportunities for these professionals will become more diverse and that the dental hygienist salary will be higher.
Efforts are also being made to broaden the framework of an oral hygienist by introducing them into community level offices for an added advantage rather than restricting them to the dentist's office alone. In terms of the employment of hygienists, there is a trend that's emerging. While these professionals are not certified dentists, they are able to do restorative work on patients. As this trend is becoming popular in dental offices, it's very possible that these professionals will soon be able to perform advanced clinical procedures that up until now have been restricted only to dentists. The more their horizon of work broadens, the more they can make a difference in the profession of oral health care, leading to an overall higher income.
Undeniably, oral hygienist profession is one of the best jobs that you have in the field of dentistry today and more hygienist schools are being established every year to churn out more dental professionals to meet the popular demand. Many people are deciding to become oral hygienists because of the many advantages that come with the profession. The training programs are not expensive and the work schedules are flexible. In addition, they work in clean and secure work environments and enjoy many benefits. And lastly, the dental hygienist salary continues to go up.
For better opportunities and a higher dental hygienist salary, individuals with adequate training from dental schools should seek opportunities in the corporate sector. Professionals who come from hygienist schools will also find great job opportunities in public health. People who are looking for alternative careers should try teaching jobs in these hygienist schools or working in social service jobs as it also ensures good pay with added prestige. In addition to having the formal education, oral hygienists must have the social skills needed to help them work with dentists, other oral hygienists, and patients.
Dental Hygienist Salary: What's the Reason It's High?
Entry-level hygienists earn a considerably higher dental hygienist salary than entry-level medical professionals in other fields. Thousands of people decide to undergo the required training for professional hygienists annually. In some states, the concentration of oral hygienists is noticeable.
So what job responsibilities does an oral hygienist have? Knowing this will give an idea as to why the dental hygienist salary is high. An oral hygienist is responsible for checking thoroughly the gums and teeth of a patient, finding abnormalities, infections, or any diseases in them. For this task, an oral hygienist uses rotary devices, ultrasonic devices, and other related devices. To have a better understanding of a patient's oral condition, an oral hygienist uses an x-ray machine for taking photos of the patient's mouth. If a patient has periodontal disease, the oral hygienist plans and scales the treatment.
Oral hygienists perform a number of duties. They undergo formal training and have to pass exams, which can vary from one state to the next. Bigger tasks can be carried out by oral hygienists in some states. For instance, they can administer anesthesia, do dressings for periodontal patients, and create filling materials. In some states, oral hygienists are not allowed to do these things. Thus, the tasks they are allowed to do and are not allowed to do vary from state to state depending on the laws of the state oral hygienists they are in.
The oral hygienist should take proper safety precautions while treating their patients, such as using safeguards to prevent spreading of the infections. Also, it's the oral hygienist's responsibility to provide patients information on oral health care, specifically its importance and how it impacts overall health. They should explain at length what measures people can take to ensure that their teeth and gums remain in proper condition. The correlation between diet and the oral health of the patient should be explained explicitly as a part of the preventative oral health care campaign they undertake.
One perk of working as an oral hygienist is the flexible work hours. Plus, they earn a high dental hygienist salary. Oral hygienists can actually work part-time for several dentists. They don't have to work long hours at just one hospital or place alone. Some hygienists work independently if they are allowed by their state laws, while some work hourly and on commission. Oral hygienists who have supposedly undergone proper hygienist training are supposedly earning a median income of $68,000, a decent dental hygienist salary by all means.
These days, dentists aren't the only option for people who have dental problems. Many see oral hygienists for their preventive health care needs. This is the reason oral hygienists are increasing in number and why the dental hygienist salary is going up. Oral hygienists are now regarded as important professionals in the field of dentistry, and many are seeing them in a new light.
A hygienist's dental hygienist salary depends largely on his education and training received. A person can't expect to be a successful oral hygienist unless his degree is from an accredited institute and he has completed proper hygienist training. There is fierce competition among oral hygienists today, with more and more people choosing a career as an oral hygienist. Every year, education programs and training facilities for hygienists are offered and made available.
The Dental Hygienist Salary Demystified
Those who think that dentistry-related jobs don't pay well (unless the job is as a dentist) will be surprised to learn about the steady increase in the dental hygienist salary. The recent trend in the job market is that not only are oral hygienist jobs one of the most sought after positions, they are also highly-paid ones provided you have the correct training of the advanced level. A few decades ago, an oral hygienists position was a relatively new profession and did not receive the status and privilege which they are finding today.
Today, oral hygienists play an important role in the field of oral health care. The demand for oral hygienists continues to rise annually. To keep up with this demand, hygienist training programs are constantly being developed and introduced. It has been reported that there are currently 150,000 people working as oral hygienists throughout United States. That's quite a big number for a profession that's been around for just a few decades.
However, the salary that hygienists earn is different from one state to the next. The dental hygienist salary depends on the nature of the work they perform. Also, the salary also depends on whether they work on a part-time or full-time basis. People who work full-time earn differently from those individuals who only work part-time. Often, people who work part-time work at different places in a single day and are likely to earn more than the full-time hygienists. There are hygienists who make money based on commission; their pay is based on the plans they sell or how many dental cleanings they've performed per day. Some dental clinics also pay bonuses to their oral hygienists depending on the money they make in a month. These bonuses are given to hygienists as a way to encourage them to work more.
A hygienist's dental hygienist salary per hour is approximately $30, resulting in $60,000 annually. This salary is pretty high in comparison with other entry-level medical jobs. The last several years have seen a steady climb in the dental hygienist salary, resulting in the steep rise in the number of people who are deciding to become oral hygienists annually. Job market experts predicts that the salary of these professionals will continue to go up for several more years.
It wasn't too long ago when dentists were exclusively performing every dental-related tasks, from assessing patient dental profiles to removing sutures. Many of these dentists were not forthcoming to employ oral hygienists to assist them in their work. Today, dental hygiene is a specialization, no longer a part of the normal dentistry field. There are special training programs available that were developed to train people in the field of dental hygiene. Oral hygienists don't perform the dental procedures that only dentists are allowed to perform. However, these professionals no longer simply hold mouth mirrors to patients; the scope of their work has broadened.
Apart from the regular dental hygienist salary, employees are also entitled to other emoluments like paid vacation, sick leave, reimbursement for those pursuing higher studies, health insurance (mostly for full-time professionals) and other incentives which are usually rewarded to medical professionals. The benefits offered to hygienists depend on the dentist's office that hire them. For example, an oral hygienist who works in a single dentist's office may be getting fewer benefits compared to a hygienist who works in a larger office.
In the last decade, there has been a steady increase in the dental hygienist salary. According to surveys, oral hygienist jobs are among those that can survive even in the midst of a recession. Even during tough times, oral hygienists who have completed advanced training are making money, suggesting that a career as an oral hygienist is a reliable one.