Dental Profession: Dental Hygienist.

Is it
worth it?
Do you know, according to Christine Comizio, a journalist from the U.S. News, dental hygienists are
ranked #12 in the best health care support job, #91 in 100 Best Jobs. (Comizio, 2022) Knowing why
dental hygienists enjoy a demanding and fulfilling job inside a dental office might help you determine
whether this is the correct career choice for you. In this career profile, we will discuss why you should
consider becoming a dental hygienist, as well as the perks and drawbacks of working in this field.

What does a dental hygienist do?

When you go to the dentist for a cleaning, you normally visit the hygienist. Most people recognize
hygienists as the dental team member who cleans away tartar and plaque, then polish their teeth every
six months. To be more specific, dental hygienists are registered dental health professionals that provide
treatments including dental cleanings and periodontal soft tissue therapy. Oral cancer screenings, gum
disease screenings, dietary advice, medical evaluations, collecting radiographs, delivering local
anesthesia, and monitoring nitrous oxide sedation are all responsibilities of hygienists.

Daily, dental hygienists normally see one patient at a

time for 45-90 minutes. You will usually have a dental
assistant taking X-rays, seating patients, and setting
up the hygiene area for you. After you finish with one
patient, you clean everything and let your assistant
set up for the next patient. If you've ever been to the
dentist, you know how stressful sometimes it can be.
You come in and see the dental chair and all the
equipment, but the scent of the dentist's office alone
gives you a scary vibe. Don’t worry these are just
disinfectant smells because having a clean dental
office is crucial. For example, soap, alcohol, and
disinfection wipes are very common and will usually
be seen around the office. They are here to prevent Figure 1. Dental chair and its parts (dental light, water gargle,
suction tube...)
any infection.

I recently had an interview with Dental My Duong, a dental hygienist at Braces & More Dentistry and
Orthodontics in Florida, she said: “There are a lot of tasks to do which is the less enjoyable part because
it gets me tired since I have to triple-check everything, make sure that there is no mistake happening,
and stay on top of everything.” You can see from the figure above; that these parts all have to be
cleaned after a patient is done. I mean, all of it. After that, you have to record the session in your patient
file and transfer them to dentists or dental assistants. There are a lot of assignments to do but all have
to be done perfectly with minimal mistakes. Therefore, if you are a person who pays a lot of attention to
details, you can be perfect for the job.
How can this job be fulfilling?
No one wants to work in a bad working place where your co-workers are hateful and clients are bad for
a long period, 40 to 50 years. That’s why the working environment is an important angle to be able to
reach your satisfaction. The Carrington College website states that: “Dentists strive to create a calm and
inviting atmosphere for patients. These efforts typically also make dental offices a comfortable and
enjoyable place to work. As a dental hygienist working in this kind of environment, you’ll get to interact
with people of varying ages and backgrounds every day, help to ease any fears, and ensure their visits go
smoothly. Over time, you can even build relationships with your repeat patients.” (Carrington, 2019) We
can understand that the atmosphere around the dental clinic should always be fun, and everyone is
welcome. Being a dental hygienist, you are the one who determines the mood of the clinic. In the
interview I have with My Duong, she admitted: “It was the first time I have an appointment with my
dental hygienist after arriving in the United States. I was scared but then I realized everyone is so calm,
friendly and seem to enjoy their job a lot. It made me less scared and wanted to be like them. I’ve
always wanted to become a dental hygienist since then.” Dental practitioners seem to enjoy their work;
they created a very pleasant atmosphere. Some patients can be very scared when they first come to the
dental clinic, especially children, but dental hygienists make sure everyone is well taken care of. Over
time you will have your patients and you will have a good relationship with them. Even Dental Duong
was scared on her first visit to the clinic but it turned out that she loves the job. “I’ve always wanted to
become a dental hygienist since then”- she said. You get up early and go to work every day. At work,
everyone is happy, sociable, and loves their work. that makes you feel that today is going to be a great
day. And by finding joy in the working environment, you have found your satisfaction.

Working in an easy-to-get infected

environment is equal to getting a better
salary. Some find that very satisfying.
According to a study by Canadian
Baccalaureate Dental Hygienists, “For
those UBC [University of British Colombia]
BDSc graduates who received an hourly
wage, 66% earned at least $40 per hour,
and 16% earned at least $50 per hour. Of
full-time BDSc graduates, 47% earned
an annual income of at least $80,000.” Figure 2. Annual self-reported full-time income of University of British Columbia
(UBC) BDSc respondents (N=116) compared to Canadian Dental Hygienists
(Kanji et al., 2018, p. 809-18). From the Association (CDHA) 2015 survey respondents (N=5,500), by the percentage of
statistic, we know that dental hygienist respondents in each survey
earns more than other average jobs ($40-$50/hour compared to $30/hour). The huge number after
adding up those numbers from hour to year. That is a very good salary where you make around $80,000
a year, a very competitive one. Therefore, a lot of people have chosen this career path. Although not
everything is about money, still there are things that only money can give us. It pays our mortgage, gives
us safe and reliable cars, buys us delicious food, gives our children great futures, a peace of mind where
we do not have to worry about anything. That is one of many reasons why a lot of people find
satisfaction, feel fulfilled, and enjoy being dental hygienists. Salary has never been my problem, but it is
hard to turn down any offer like that.
In addition to making money and the demands of oral health, working as a dental hygienist gives you a
sense of purpose, where you get to do hands-on work and help to improve others' health. In a study
about students' motivating
influences for selecting dental
hygiene, Katyal et al. stated that
"The primary reasons for
choosing dental hygiene as a
profession included personal
desire (65%) which involved
students' desire to help others,
as well as experience (32%)
relating to personal, goal or
external experiences." (Katyal et
Figure 3. Graph corresponding to why respondents chose the dental hygiene profession al., 2021, 114) The dental
hygienist is an in-demand job, and it is growing fast. As the world is getting more and more modernized
and people retain more than the past generations, dental care becomes essential and is needed. The
value of going to the dental clinic goes far beyond a nice smile, poor oral health can lead to many serious
diseases which might get worse and affect your patient body. It is a part of the job of dental hygienists
to ensure that not only do your patients feel better with their health, and their smile but they also get
educated about their oral health and have a healthier life. More than that, instead of working at a desk
in an office for several hours a day, dental hygienists get to do more than that. They always move
around the office, interact with co-workers and patients, and do hands-on work. Cleaning teeth is like
coloring color books, you get a sense of satisfaction by using both your hands and your head. A dental
hygienist is an underrated job where people don't find that this is important to keep their oral hygiene.
However, it does play a very important part in modern society. This is the kind of job where I find my
fulfillment, a purpose to be a part of something, to improve and educate everyone about oral health.

Difficulties in this job

First, Dental hygiene is ranked high in exposure to infectious diseases. That is true, as a dental hygienist,
you will be exposed to saliva, blood, and other
fluids. Some of you think that it is very dangerous
when working in that environment. Don’t worry,
that’s why all dental hygienists have their
protective gear: gloves, face masks, scrubs.
However, gears can fail at any time, hygienists
always put their health on the line. Everything
should be done with safety precautions. Secondly,
working for many hours with patients and a lot of
Figure 4. A dental hygienist with her protective gears tasks, many dental hygienists experienced bodily
injuries like neck pain, back pain, and wrist, and shoulder pain. These body injuries come from long bad
postures after a while. You can avoid this by good postures and stretching those muscles after work.
Lastly, any dental care profession has a heavy workload. There are tons of small assignments that a
dental hygienist has to do a day. This means that there will be less time for a break, for yourself, and
even minimal sleep for days. If you cannot finish the tasks, the dentist whom you work with will find
someone else who is capable of doing it.

How to become a dental hygienist for UNM

students
I understand that many of you just cannot wait to graduate to
become dental hygienists, and so do I. However, this is a
professional career that we have to get trained in. Therefore, we
cannot take this lightly. To begin a hygienist career, you need to
complete 2 or 4 years of education about dental hygiene. It is very
competitive and extremely hard to get into. Here at the University
of New Mexico, you have to go through 4 years of study to earn a
degree. Dental Duong once said in the interview: “There will be a
lot of papers and homework after your sophomore year if you still
pursue this career, but you will sort things out.” I believe that
these are just challenges that we have to get through to archive
the ultimate goal. There are harder steps, for example, you have
to pass national and state hygiene boards to get your license, and
Figure 5. Dental hygiene curriculum at UNM.
after that still have to maintain annual continuing education hours
to be able to practice on the patients.

Works Cited
College, C. (2019, 7 15). 12 Reasons A Career as A Dental Hygienist Could Be Right for You. Retrieved
from Carrington.edu: https://carrington.edu/blog/12-reasons-a-career-as-a-dental-hygienist-
could-be-right-for-you/
Comizio, C. (2022, 3 31). Best Jobs. Retrieved from Money U.S. news:
https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/dental-hygienist

contributor, W. (2022, 3 30). Dental Hygienist. Retrieved from Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_hygienist#:~:text=A%20dental%20hygienist%20or
%20oral,within%20their%20country%20of%20practice.

Kanji, Z. a. (2018). Career Outcomes of Dental Hygiene Baccalaureate Education: A Study of Graduates'
Professional Opportunities, Further Education, and job satisfaction. JOURNAL OF DENTAL
EDUCATION, 809-18.

Katyal, S. a. (2021). Students' Motivating Influences for Selecting Dental Hygiene and a 4-Year Degree: A
Retrospective Study. International journal of dental hygiene, 114.