Dental Hygienist Working Conditions
Usually the first professional to perform work on your teeth in the dental office is the hygienist. A dental hygienist helps you develop and maintain oral health by conducting examinations, performing cleanings and educating you on products and methods to use at home. If you are considering a career as a dental hygienist, you should know the advantages and disadvantages of work conditions you may encounter.
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Environment
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As a dental hygienist, you will work in an area that is sterile and well-lit. Your environment will probably feature a well-decorated, attractive office, designed to make patients feel comfortable and relaxed when they enter. Many dental offices have soft music playing and aromatherapy scenting their air to make their patients' experiences enjoyable. If you choose work in a pediatric dental office, your surrounding will be designed to creative a positive, inviting environment for children. Your work area may have colorful walls and smaller-sized dental furniture. Either environment may be fast paced, as you will see several patients in each shift that you work.
Personal Traits
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Your personal traits will influence the work conditions you encounter on a daily basis. If you maintain a good relationship with dentists, front office staff and medical assistants, you can avoid creating tense working conditions. Patients will always expect that you are friendly and professional, even though they will sometimes be difficult and demanding. Your work may require you to communicate well with people from different economic, social and ethnic backgrounds.
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Physical Challenges
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You may find some of your work conditions physically demanding. You'll have to bend and twist your body while operating and reaching for equipment in a small workspace. You will need to have good dexterity to allow you spend much of your time peering into patients' mouths, inspecting and cleaning teeth and guns. You will have to make many precise and repetitive movements. This leaves some dental therapists to eventually burn out or develop carpal tunnel syndrome or musculoskeletal pain. Safety regulations will require you to wear protective gear such as masks, glasses and rubber gloves to protect yourself from the risk of acquiring disease and infection from clients.
Earnings
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If your area has an abundance of dental hygiene training programs, you may experience a lot of competition when pursing employment. In 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted employment of dental hygienist would grow much faster than average for all occupations. Many people are attracted to the career for the pay and flexible work hours. In 2008, the median annual wage for dental hygienists was more than $66,000; more than half of all hygienist worked part time.
Considerations
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You will spend the majority of your time with patients, rendering services and teaching techniques that impact their health and personal appearance. You may need to adjust to different work environments since some dental hygienist who may work two or three days a week for different dentists. Dental offices seldom work long hours and weekends, so you probably won't deal with mental strain brought on by the pressure of being away from home and your family extended periods of time.
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References
- Photo Credit dentist 07 image by Dragan Bombek from Fotolia.com
