Are you getting all of the benefits you should be as a dental hygienist? Do you feel as though your pay is competitive? Do you have a flexible work schedule?

Well, we go over everything you should be receiving as a dental hygienist.

Or.....

If you’re considering becoming a dental hygienist, then you are probably already interested in the dental field.
 
Even if you’re not necessarily interested in the dental field, but in health in general, becoming a dental hygienist might be for you.
 
How do you know if it would be though…?
 
Well, we go over some of the perks of the position, and if they sound great to you, then it’s something you should seriously consider.
 

Competitive Pay

Although pay can vary depending on your geographic location, the average for being a dental hygienist pays fairly well.
 
The average yearly salary for a dental hygienist is around $70,000. Of course, this being the average means that they were going to be some states that will pay significantly more, while others pay significantly less. 
 
You can refer back to one of our samples here
 
However, being able to find a consistently well-paying position anywhere in the continental United States is a very strong benefit. It should be taken into consideration that there are jobs for dental hygienists across the United States, and there are expected to be more every year.
 

An Always Needed Field

Oral health care will always be a needed field. By always needed, we mean it will always be needed on a global level.
 
Just as we need doctors and primary care physicians to take care of other aspects of our bodies, and specialists for more specific treatments, we need dental hygienists and the dental industry to help maintain our oral health care.
 
If you have ever attempted to ask a general practitioner about dental issues, you have probably been greeted by a referral to a dental office.
 
Becoming a dental hygienist teaches you specific, and specialized skills in order to be able to recognize, and remedy issues that other individuals in the health industry will not be able to.
 
For all of these reasons, this is a field that will always be needed.
 

Employment Growth Rate Increasing

One of the most important things to consider when going into any field, or career, is whether or not you will actually be able to find a job in the position you want. 
 
Passions are great, but being able to actually get the position may be more important when considering a career.
 
Luckily though, The United States Bureau Of Labor Statistics projects that the employment of dental hygienists will grow around 20% by the year 2026.
 
So even if you begin from the beginning of a program now, which usually takes around two years, you will still be going into a market that will have available and open positions.
 

Helping Someone Everyday

This is typically one of the largest motivating factors when it comes to reasons to go into the dental field. Most hygienists when asked will say that they went into becoming a dental hygienist so that they could help people every day.
 
This is a true benefit of working as a dental hygienist. You are going to be working in a very people-oriented field where you were building relationships with these patients. Over time you will learn the patients that you really like to talk to, and you look forward to it when you see them on your schedule.
 
You’ll be able to track the improvement of patients over time, and this will be due to your guidance. 
 
You have the opportunity for every patient, and every visit, to be able to help someone improve their oral health and hygiene.
 
You have the opportunity to help better someone’s life every day through pleasant interaction, and positive reinforcement when you see that they have been doing an awesome job.
 
Becoming a dental hygienist allows you to be able to help others.
 

Work Schedules To Fit Your Life

Becoming a dental hygienist allows you to work around whatever schedule works for you. There are plenty of practices that will allow you to work only weekends if you want, or never work weekends if that works better for your schedule.
 
Becoming a dental hygienist lets you work full-time for a dental practice, or part-time at a couple of dental practices if that’s what you prefer.
 
You also have the ability to work as a temp on your typical days off if you’re looking to get some extra money. 
 
The possibilities and flexibility are limitless depending on what you want.
 

Next Steps

So now that you may be interested in becoming a dental hygienist, you can check out some more of our information regarding the position.
Maybe you already are a dental hygienist, and you were reading these to see if you were getting these benefits from your current employer? Well, read up on some of our further tips!

Chris Lewandowski

Published April 26, 2021

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