Dental hygienists-how are you living?
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As a dental hygienist of 15 years I can say I definately wouldn't choose to change my career. The pay is great, but that isn't really the best part of what I do. What I really enjoy the most is being respected medical professional that has the opportunity to make a genuine impact in my patient's lives. You can educate a person so that they can take better care of themself, or save them from a problem that is already present (like oral cancer). You might get to see a family grow (or grow up) if you are in a practice for a long enough time and may become the reason why the come to the office even though they are fearful. You might be part of a team that you look forward to working with. The opportunities to go out and help in the community (like talking with a group of girl scouts or at a school fair) are endless. You can furthur your education (from an associate's degree to a bachelor's) and teach at the college level, work as a sales rep or be involved in research. My flexibility with my schedule at work has allowed me to raise a family and go to school for a bachelor's degree. My employer helps pay for uniforms and continuing education along with retirement and vacation benefits. I could go on and on, but if you think this may be the career for you it might be a good time to ask your dentist if you could spend some time at the office and see what it is like. I currently have a high school junior shadowing me on Fridays...
Hope that helps!
JAMRDH - a dental hygienist
My mom's best friend is a dental hygienist. At first when she was in school, she had some money issues, but now she is preatty much swimming in cash. But I don't know the exact numbers, sorry.
Hygienist typically make 35-45 dollars an hour, based on experience and where you work(which state, your employer...)
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