These are all critical questions that must be addressed. A disability has an impact on the lifestyle you’ve worked so hard to achieve, as well as your future aspirations.
What is the hardest part of being a dental hygienist?
2. Dental hygiene is a physically demanding task.
Although dental hygienists do not run marathons on a daily basis, our necks, backs, arms, and hands do.
We employ highly precise movement, so it doesn’t appear to be physically hard, but the repetitive motion does have an effect. Not to mention the strain on your back from constantly looking down to observe what’s going on inside your mouth and getting into position to acquire a correct instrument blade angle to fully clean your teeth. As a result, many hygienists require regular chiropractic, massage, and occasionally physical therapy in order to function. Many dental hygienists’ professional careers are cut short due to injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome and burst discs in the spine, among other things.
This physical toll is why we put our patients in such a sedentary position. It’s all in the name of not only injuring ourselves, but also putting you in the greatest possible position for us to do our jobs. Unless you have a medical problem that prevents you from lying back and you sleep sitting up, please lay back for the sake of your dental hygienist’s health and to obtain the best treatment. It’s only an hour, yet it takes a toll on our bodies for a lifetime for a dental hygienist. Assist a dental hygienist!
Are dental hygienists respected?
Dental hygiene was ranked seventeenth on US News and Report’s 2018 list of the 100 Best Jobs. It received a 7.4/10 overall rating and was ranked #1 among the Best Health Care Support Jobs of 2018. The occupation scored well in several categories, including salary, low stress, and work-life balance.
Is dental hygiene, however, all it’s cracked up to be? I’ve worked in this field for ten years and have seen my fair share of ups and downs. And many have had downs when confronted with the harsh reality.
A vibrant young lady graduates from university with a pointless humanities degree, but she can’t seem to shake the overwhelming desire to work in healthcare. This woman is persuaded to pursue a lucrative job as a dental hygienist after conducting extensive research and reading information about the best professions.
To be a successful dental hygienist, you need a deep-seated enthusiasm (and perhaps a dash of subconscious self-destruction). I had both of them. On top of that, the world was tossing jobs at me like I was practicing for the World Series in a batting cage.
I (apparently) made the perfect professional choice, and I couldn’t be happier. My customers were important to me, and I cared about them passionately, empathetically, and sincerely. (I continue to do so!) Strangers I’d never met before were entrusting me with their oral and overall health. With a bib as my cape and a scaler as my weapon of choice, I felt like a dental hero.
Let’s fast forward ten years of oral hygiene. My cape is ripped and covered with prophy paste, and I can’t find the daisy chain that formerly held it together. Plus, my scaler is as blunt as a bat. So, what went wrong? How did such a lovely job become so difficult?
Employers can be abrasive, like a 9-mm pocket that hasn’t visited a dentist in 20 years. Despite the fact that hygienists now have the flexibility to practice independently (thank you, “self-initiation”), we still work as employees for dentists for the most part.
Many dental practices are operated by dentists, forcing them to wear a variety of hats, just like we Canadians do in the cold. A dentist is a business entrepreneur as well as a healthcare professional. Dentists want to build and maintain a thriving dental practice with a good reputation.
It can be difficult to strike a balance between being a human being, a doctor, and a business owner. This tension can sometimes result in poor and harmful communication with employees.
Throughout my career, I’ve faced unattainable high demands to be perfect in every way (and do it in 45 minutes or less); pressure to bill more (in less time); and unreasonable expectations for continued sacrifice to personal/family life (no, you don’t need to socialize or be there for your family, and yes, you do need to work evenings and weekends for the rest of your life).
You may find yourself powerless to defend yourself because this person is your boss and controls your money. This results in a tight working environment, mental and emotional tiredness, and a complete lack of drive to go to work, similar to forgetting your helmet and getting hit in the head with a baseball every morning, then being expected to hit a home run.
Many visitors to the dental hygienist are grateful for everything we do for them, from debriding calculus to being an empathic listener and protecting against bacterial endocarditis (and awkward elevator conversations with close-talkers).
But, let’s be honest, it’s not going to happen. “It’s simply a cleaning,” in general, reflects the low regard in which our job is held. For a dental hygiene superhero, this can be extremely tiring. It rips us to shreds like floss on a dangling restoration. We aspire to be greater! However, we are frequently undervalued. At the baseball game, we will not be serving hotdogs. We’re “inflicting suffering” and then claiming remuneration for it. There’s also the issue of self-destruction.
We are the stars of Dental Cirque du Soleil as dental hygienists. We bend our bodies into incomprehensible positions in the hopes of removing that pesky bit of tartar or stubborn stain. Being a hygienist is exhausting! The head, shoulders, knees, and toesas well as the neck, wrists, fingers, and backare all affected.
It is physically demanding in ways that I had never considered before pursuing a professional career in dentistry. We’re also exposed to plaque, blood, microbiological aerosols, and chemicals used to clean and sterilize our operating rooms and tools. The bodies of dental hygienists are riddled with aches and work hazards, putting us at risk for a variety of physical disorders and diseases.
So, what are the answers for making this occupation a top-rated career? There are a few. Be completely informed and aware that, contrary to popular belief, dental hygiene is not always glamorous and appreciated (just kidding). The truth is that it is a difficult profession that can sap both the spirit and the body at times.
Self-respect and open communication are two characteristics of a successful and happy dental hygienist. If we are to be considered as the professionals that we are, we must hold ourselves in higher regard. We need to have an open and honest conversation with our bosses about respect and trust. We’re here to help our coworkers, clients, and employers.
The best approach to accomplish these goals is to form a close bond with your dentist. Set the same objectives. Compromise. Listen. Clients will see us as more than just tooth-scrapers if we have the appropriate connection with the right dentist. Educating our clients on the oral-systemic connection on a regular (and consistent) basis will help them recognize us as healthcare providers. I admire what you do. Never accept anything less than the best. (I owe these lessons to the wonderful employers who have taught me these lessons throughout the years.)
And be sure to stretch. Make the most of every opportunity that your workplace presents. At home, stretch. Get a massage or a chiropractic adjustment. (Thank you to the licensed massage therapists, chiropractors, and osteopaths who help us!) Protect yourself from occupational dangers by wearing personal protective equipment and taking conventional measures. And never cut corners because how can you hit a home run if your rotator cuff won’t let you swing the bat?
What major is best for dental hygienist?
A bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene usually takes four years to complete. A bachelor’s degree program, like an associate degree, is designed to emphasize both general education and dental hygiene courses.
A high school diploma or equivalent is necessary for entry into a bachelor’s degree program. Many dental hygienists with an associate degree or certificate, on the other hand, enroll in bachelor’s degree programs in order to extend their clinical competence and advance their careers. A dental hygienist with a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene may be able to work as a health educator or in health care administration. A growing number of dental hygienists are opting for online bachelor’s degree completion programs developed for associate degree holders who have previously completed their clinical prerequisites.
During a bachelor’s degree program in dental hygiene, you should anticipate to take the following courses:
Is dental hygiene hard on your body?
Neck pain is reported by more than two-thirds of hygienists as the most common source of discomfort, followed by shoulder issues. Basically, most dental hygienists are like slow-motion train wrecks, with bodies that are ready to derail at any moment.
What is physical disability?
A physical disability is a condition that severely restricts one or more of life’s basic physical tasks (i.e. walking, climbing stairs, reaching, carrying, or lifting). These constraints make it difficult for the person to carry out regular chores. Physical limitations are quite unique to each person.
Veterans dental care is limited to those who fall into one of the following groups:
- Anyone with a service-connected compensable dental handicap or condition is eligible for any dental care they require.
- POWs and those whose service-connected disabilities have been evaluated at 100 percent or who are receiving the 100 percent rate due to individual unemployability are eligible for any dental care they require.
- Participants in a VA vocational rehabilitation program under 38 U.S.C. chapter 31 are eligible for dental care that is required to: enter a rehabilitation program, achieve the goals of the Veteran’s vocational rehabilitation program; or prevent interruption of a rehabilitation program; or hasten the return to a rehabilitation program of a veteran in interrupted or leave status; or hasten the return to a rehabilitation program of a Veteran placed in discontinous status.
- Recently discharged Veterans with a service-connected noncompensable dental condition or disability who served on active duty for 90 days or more and apply for Veterans dental care within 180 days of separation from active duty may receive one-time treatment for dental conditions if the dental condition was shown to exist at the time of discharge or release and the veteran’s certificate of discharge does not indicate that the Veteran re-enlisted. Veterans who reentered active military, naval, or air duty within 90 days of a prior discharge, as well as veterans whose disqualifying discharge or release has been remedied by competent authority, fall into this category.
- Those who have a service-connected noncompensable dental condition or disability as a result of war wounds or military trauma are eligible for follow-up care for that condition (s).
- Those who have a dental condition that VA has clinically concluded is exacerbating a service-connected medical condition are eligible for dental treatment to correct the problem.
- Those with non-service-connected dental diseases or disabilities for whose treatment began while the veteran was an inpatient at a VA medical center and is clinically determined to be required to complete on an outpatient basis.
- If the dental issue is clinically confirmed to be complicating a medical condition already under treatment, those getting outpatient care or planned for inpatient therapy may be eligible for Veterans dental care.
- Certain medically essential outpatient dental care may be provided to Veterans who have been enrolled in a VA Homeless Program for 60 days or more.
Why do dental hygienists make so much?
So you’ve heard that dental hygienists are well compensated. You’re considering becoming one, but you’re not sure if it’s a career worth putting in the effort in college and, eventually, in a dentist practice.
Dental hygienists are highly compensated because they are licensed experts in the dental field. Oral health is crucial, because neglecting teeth and gums can lead to not only dental problems but also other major health issues including diabetes and heart disease.
Continue reading to learn why taking care of other people’s smiles as a job may leave you gleaming!