im 37, been a dental assistant since 2007. just went back to adult school and got my high school diploma, now im gonna submit my application for my RDA, then i’m going to enroll in school and start the prereq and try to get into the hygiene program 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽
Congratulations on the career change and the time that you put in for your goals to make sure that they are met. How is everything going? That’s quite inspiring to me.
The worst problem is having the greedy doctor continually increase the volume and the difficulty of the workload, then pretend you don’t deserve even a minuscule raise. They’ll tell you you have “maxed out” but the office prices continually go up and the boss goes on island vacations, has multiple vehicles and his newly built 1.7 million dollar 15 acre property 10,000 sq foot mansion. And no I’m not kidding. And he has a lake house too.
@@KaleshaMonet we probably do. 99% of us have the same story sadly. The system is broken from the top down, And they have a vested interest in it staying that way. We’re not supposed to ask for raises because we’re women caregivers, we’re not supposed to care about money and notice rising inflation, and also we’re supposed to be smiling, compliant, and happy with our artificially manufactured- glass ceiling that makes them LOTS of money year after year. I’m about ready to walk out the door, into a different industry, and let them pay seven or eight dollars more per hour, to a new grad or someone who has just 3-4 years of experience. I am in my 29th year of dentistry and I’m in my 18th year of hygiene. They can hire a new grad who will ask for way more than I have ever asked for and that’s what they deserve. The new grad isn’t asking for an unrealistic price, it’s the doctors who have purposely not kept wages up with inflation. Dentists have also denied benefits wholesale for decades to hygienists, keeping you only at 2-3 days per week to avoid any kind of benefits. When I was first out subbing they all also tried to pass on their share of FICA taxes to me and made me do a 1099 which I know now was completely illegal. It’s all about what we’re willing to put up with. Once we as a group stop putting up with it, the game is up.
@@sunnysmiles8211 I completely agree. Not only that, I am sick and tired of working for a DDS who knows very little about perio that I am legally obligated to work under. I wanted my own practice 40 years ago. They are not going to let go of their Golden Goose. I bring money into the office and they won't let the laws change to relinquish control.
I’m not a dentist but my daughter is considered it. The cost to become a dentist is extreme. Some examples are cost of BS degree, $500 for DAT study program, $500 take exam, $100 to apply to dental school(recommended 15 schools) cost of going all over country interviewing, sometimes more than once to same school, cost of dental school $200,000-350,000, not including your cost of rent / living while in school for 4 yrs not being paid. Cost of specialization 1-2 years. Going to graduate with at least $500,000 of debt or more. Then if have own practice add another 5-10 million for land,building,equipment,insurance, ect.
@@Greeneggsandham123sorry to break it to you but that’s not the hygienist or the assistant problem. Hygienist give treatments that cost 150 to 300+ per patient while making 30to40/h
I would like to add here as someone in the dental field for 46 years as a hygienist turned dentist you will never find any field out their in this entire world that gives you the flexibility everyone wants. I could never go to a 9-5 job M-F.....If you want to raise a family, you can work 2 days a week or not at all, or anything you like. How many jobs can you do that in? Or if you wanted to take an extended vacation, you can discuss this with your boss and they either don't book you those days or maybe the office can get a temp in. Where in the corporate world can you do that. The flexibility in dentistry is THE biggest perk you can ever get but you people here forget that and just whine.
just to add on as well make sure you look at indeed or job search. you wanna make sure its on high demand in your area. I almost went for Cardiac Sonographer or Sonographer and there's no job openings. so thankful I found something I will love in RDH.
Im actually very interested in the repetition of this career. I have college paid for and thought I had everything figured out as far as what I wanted to go to school for (nursing). After taking some classes and working as a CNA I realized that I cant handle the high stress. If anyone here is a RDH or RN I would love to ask questions and get your experience! Thank you
The problem with hygiene is that hygiene pay plateaus very quickly. You start off higher than most jobs. Realistically, how much can you expect to be paid? No one is going to pay a hygienist $60-$100 an hour when PPO reimbursements if the office is in network are barely covering your salary. You can't expect a lot of raises in this field. That doesn't mean you aren't valued. And with covid causing havoc in offices for a year now, the trend is going to continue.....This is coming from a hygienist turned dentist who has a solo practice......If repetition is an issue, working in 2 offices or temping once in a while will keep the dynamics ever changing. You won't get bored, trust me.
Can you tell me how did you go from a dental hygenist to a dentist? How long did it take and was it hard since you had experience with dental hygienie? Thanks!
@@brandonalexander4729 Went to 2 year community college for dental hygiene right from high school with no previous college classes. Rarely do you see this any more. As soon as I graduated, I worked 2 PT jobs and continued my education taking classes at night & summers for 4 years to apply to dental school.I didn't have the financial luxury of going to school 4 years straight. I would advise anybody out there to be careful of huge amounts of student debt. You can get a good education in state/public community colleges as a start then go part time like I did. Nobody wants to do this any more and this is why people get in over their heads with debt. You don't need big name schools that are going to cost you big dollars to impress your friends who most likely won't be there 10 years later....Hygiene definitely helped me in dental school but dental school was still hell.....and once you are out in the real world, certain things get easier and other things get harder.
@@RG-hf4et Hi! Where did you go to dental hygiene school? I'm thinking about pursuing this career so I have some questions if you don't mind. Will I be able to work a part time job while studying? (This isn't an option, I have to work) Is it an expensive career? Even though i'm going to go to a community college i heard you have to buy tools and stuff. I'm just to doubtful about myself and I feel like i'm not smart enough but healthcare is the only thing I really want to pursue. Any advice is gold, thanks.
@@chanellequiteno6448 If you want to go to hygiene and want or need to work part time, the best thing, imho, is to find a dh school you want to go to. Find out the non dental courses and start taking those on your own & get them done as quickly as possible. Most schools will make you take similar basics like English 101 & 102, basic psychology, intro sociology, etc. You can work full time & go to night school or take 2-3-4 classes and work part time. These are general classes most college degrees want anyway so if you change your mind, they won't go to waste. The science classes are harder - microbiology, anatomy, etc.....If you really focus on taking courses and working, you will have fewer courses to take once the hygiene classes start which have to be taken in order - like DH I, then DH 2, DH 3 Clinical, etc....... I finished DH in 2 years with an Associates Degree & it was insane. Only 2 students in my class came into DH right out of high school and I was one of them. The rest of the class had one or 2 years of these college classes behind them. I applaud you for realizing you need to work but are striving higher. After DH was done, I began working full time with 2 part time hygiene jobs & planned for my wedding. Did this for 1.5 years. Decided to go for a BS and still worked full time and took 1-2 classes at night. I also went summers in the evening. After working full time for 4 years & taking college classes every semester, I went to dental school for 4 years full time......I think you will come out more rounded and have less debt than if you just took on a bunch of studentb loans and get in over your head. You should find a college counselor who might be able to guide you with the specific curriculum & also what the current the costs of buying instruments & books will be so you can save up for that, too. I have no idea what those costs would be these days. I hope this helps a little bit.
I have so much to say about why I would never choose hygiene again. Speaking on private vs corporate, I can point out two very big differences between corporate practices and private practices: Death and Retirement. I have had both of these circumstances happen to me. DDS went on a rafting vacation, had a heart attack and on that day, I didn't have a job. I have had more than one up and sell their practice and sometimes the new DDS will keep the staff familiar to the patients, but sometimes that only lasts for six months or a year and then if they had prior affiliations with RDA;s and RDH's, you may be out the door. Gently, of course. I don't want to forget the DDS I was working for one day a week. I came to work at 7:30am, only to find a notice on the door that the office was closed and his license suspended for patient abuse (for not using water with his high speed). I have more, so much more. Yes, I love it. I took to it like a duck to water, but it takes a lot of independent motivation to keep yourself employed 5 days a week. I was constantly on the hunt for more hours and more security. It is mostly one day in one office, two days a week in another and subbing now and then. Part time days = no benefits because you are not full time like the RDA's (who think we get paid too much). I can't leave this conversation without mentioning the thickest Glass Ceiling in the professional world. Oh yes, they pat our hands and say "yes dear, you are valuable, you can even get an extended functions license so you can pretend to actually have moved up in the DH world", but really, who are we kidding? Ourselves? We only have another Brownie patch we can put on our uniform and some extra alphabet behind our name. While you are jumping from patient to patient, finishing the DDS's restoration, the DDS is in the break room having a sparkling water with fruit infusion. It's like Tom Sawyer and the white picket fence. They get you to do their work, without any of the glory or pay. And when I say pay, I mean in the three figures, commensurate with skills. I graduated in the late 80's. In school, our beloved instructors talked endlessly about how RDH's had not been valued in the past and any day now we would be viewed as Periodontal Therapists and laws would change and we could open our own practices and work independently from a DDS who, by the way, knows next to nothing about perio. It has been nearly 40 years. Any day now. Yep. Any day now. We are their Golden Goose and there is no way they are going to give up control on a big revenue stream for the office. Yes, the money is good. It is a living wage, but do yourself a favor - have a Plan B. Support yourself with your part time DH income and further your education, but not in the dental world as the Glass Ceiling is in the way. The repetition can get to you very quickly and you are literally tied to that dental chair. You do not get to move around or change positions. I appreciate that DH supported me and my kids, but in private practice, your job is at the whim of the DDS. Try to do corporate part time and find something else you love to do. If I sound bitter, you are probably wondering if this is advice you can trust. From the bottom of my heart, I say this with the best of intentions. DH can be so rewarding, but it can also be unrealistically demanding and boring. If it looks like a glam job, it is not. In the beginning, I intended to mention private vs corporate only , but the rest of it poured out of me. I hope this helps someone. Please take good care.
Many jobs out there are demanding......that is why it is called work. If you want a nondemanding job, stay home. You don't think other jobs are boring & routine? Think about what a hospital radiologist does all day - gets the machine ready, calls in a patient, explains what has to be done, gets the patient in position, takes the scan, says goodbye, greets the next patient. HOW boring is that job? No windows, and the same thing over & over again. Same thing with any allied health - you don't get to call the shots.
Well I assume there's shortage because of what she literally just said ? I can't seem to understand why one can't simply share facts without it being viewed negatively, let's just appreciate the transparency we get for free bc if not then you'd be in the corner crying wishing someone told you so before wasting money. All she did was state the pros and cons from her personal experience take the info and go Have a great day!@@RG-hf4et
just wanted to mention there are multiple states in the past few decades that actually have adopted the “Dental Therapist” role! Where hygienists can practice independently like you mentioned. It’s happening right now, it just probably isn’t in your state yet. These hygienist have Bachelors and Masters degrees and are respected professionals. Back then, Physicians didn’t want Nurse Practitioners for the same reason but now that’s a respected position. Things like that take time and the demand has to be high enough (which the demand is growing rapidly). The field is much different now than it was in the 80s/90s. Seems (to me) like DH was not your passion and you did it for the money which is understable for the time you graduated. But that may have been a big contributor to your suffering. People, fortunately, have a lot more options now. Source for anyone interested: www.adha.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Dental_Therapy_Authorized_by_State_Law.pdf
I’m just about to finish dental assisting school and possibly thinking about hygiene or possibly nursing . I made a career change and was previously working with kids and so far I really enjoy dental assisting. I love the fact it is hands-on and working with the instruments . I find it fascinating how two people can work in a small area ( the mouth) a lot of what is said in the video I don’t mind. I actually like repetition. I currently work at a senior citizen home and it’s repetition and I think I’m all industries you will have people who are complaining or uncooperative. I love the idea of having the weekends off which I currently don’t get
The “make it quick” irks me! I worked as a teller and I asked the lady how she wanted her cash back (what denominations). She said “quickly” with a hair flip. Like okay ma’am.
Thanks for your knowledgeable advice, another important reason is all the cleaning with toxic disinfectant wipes your inhaling all day. These wipes will cause health issues over the years.
I graduated from dental hygiene school back in 2019 here in Jamaica, and the issue a lot of newly graduated dental hygienists have is the fact that these dentists don't want to pay us what we deserve but expect so much from us. These dentists rather pay us a flat salary than giving us a percentage of our production and I know a lot of hygienists who aren't even making JMD100,000 for the month, which is equivalent to about USD675.
You are right! Am a witness. And some dentist are not satisfied for your imput. Thank God i found out early being in Dental field for 8 months before i left. Dental community doesn't care about locations & its distance & will not give you mileage promised initially, as well as cutting hours & told to go home earlier than closing hrs or have a long time lunch. That is nonsense!
Been in hygiene for 3 years now. Almost out doing engineering. Do not do hygiene for the money. In my opinion dont even do hygiene at all. The amount of work is not equal to the pay. Your body will suffer over the long term, people will say "Just have good ergonomics". That s*** isnt in your mind when you work in the dental world since majority of offices are fast paced. Heck, parts of my body I didnt even think of, are hurting i.e. my eyes. You come home with peoples saliva on parts of ur face that isnt covered by loupes and a mask. You will treat patients who have diseases such as Hep C and have to be careful because u might poke ur self. You will get difficult patients who waste ur time and cause u to get behind. U May have to deal with BS drama (I personally dont like drama). Your head will spin at the end of some days from how much thinking and talking your doing. People will have expectations of you, goals, not to poke them, doing their cleaning a certain way, sitting them up right, I DONT KNOW WHY people said hygiene is a great field. Its NOT. It one of the worst fields out there. If you read this, do not do hygiene. Go for tech or something else medical that wont strain your body and that doesnt have a salary cap. I wish someone had told me not to do hygiene. I wasted 4 years of my life for a stupid career that just makes me regret the last 4 years of my life. I dont care if theres people who like hygiene the cold hard fact is: most hygienists dont like hygiene and do it just for the money. Cause they were told it was a good job that has little schooling and makes good money. tldr: Dont become a hygienist. Please.
I can definitely deal with difficult dental patients when I was in retail I may have been a little bit too immature to deal with angry customers, but for some reason once I got to the Dental field difficult, patient became easier to deal with for me. I would quickly say, or do something to make them crack, a smile, or feel more comfortable in the dental chair.
I’m currently a pharmacy technician in CA however I’ve been wanting to get into a dental hygiene program for some time now. It seems that I always get negative feedback though. Some counselors have told me they’ve spoken with people who have previously been hygienists & end up going back to school because of the lack of variety in the profession. Also I’ve heard depending on the state you’ve graduated from, not all states will except your license.. Is this true?? After watching this video it also seems like most hygienists aren’t getting paid enough?? Part of me still feels I want to be a hygienist but not if I can’t work internationally or at least in all of the US ..
You are VERY limited in your career as a hygienist. I love my profession but burnout comes on QUICK and there’s not much to do other than going back to school for something else! Everything you stated is true!
Go for something else. You will be qualified to do nothing else after all the grueling schoolwork and getting your license and you'll be stuck when you have hand, neck and back issues like me now at 46. There is nothing I can do with only an associates. I need to go back to school. It's hard with a mortgage and kids etc. I regret every day my decision to be a hygienist. You are a money maker for the dr and they push and push until YOU burnout. Also, ZERO growth. I make $10 more an hour than I did out of school 21 years later. You'll have to quit your job to get an increase and even then it will be a few dollars more. Please do yourself a favor and research other career paths.
I’m in the same situation. I’m a pharmacy technician and wanted to do dental hygienist. I was wondering what kinda of pay do you start off at. I live in ca
Yes that is true about the license!!! It is just another way they (DDS's) exert control over us. We have little flexibility in where we can move to, unless we want to go to another board. Nurses can just go and show their license and get it active in whatever state they want to go to - at least that is my understanding from a cousin who was smarter than me and is an RN. But I thought DH was so glamorous. I didn't want to clean up poop. Believe me, I would rather do that than kiss it the way I have to keep a job. At least I could save someone's life if I were a nurse and I could go in many different directions as a nurse - ortho, pedo, labor and delivery and the list goes on and on.
I love what I do but in my experience, a career in nursing might offer more career opportunities. Get a degree that allows you to grow if one career path closes.
All the cons you mentioned in yhis video are way worse in construction with lesser pay and you roast in the sun. My only doubt is if I will be discriminated for being a man doing this job.
Love your channel!!❤️ What is the difference between working for a corporate dental practice vs a private practice? I thought all dentists were private practices... except for those on a military base.
Private practice dentists can die, they can retire and you are out of a job. It has happened to me. You are also at the whim of the solo DDS. If he doesn't like your hair, you can be replaced. In general, they are little Napoleon's with huge ego's. They are "Dr.'s", without the extensive practice and residencies of medical doctors. A Bachelor's plus 3 or 4 years is all.
im 37, been a dental assistant since 2007. just went back to adult school and got my high school diploma, now im gonna submit my application for my RDA, then i’m going to enroll in school and start the prereq and try to get into the hygiene program 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽
Congratulations on the career change and the time that you put in for your goals to make sure that they are met. How is everything going? That’s quite inspiring to me.
I like the repetition I do not like having to add new and different tasks on some list of things I’ve already learned and been doing for months
The worst problem is having the greedy doctor continually increase the volume and the difficulty of the workload, then pretend you don’t deserve even a minuscule raise. They’ll tell you you have “maxed out” but the office prices continually go up and the boss goes on island vacations, has multiple vehicles and his newly built 1.7 million dollar 15 acre property 10,000 sq foot mansion. And no I’m not kidding. And he has a lake house too.
Do we work for the same employer?? LOL! I feel you!
@@KaleshaMonet we probably do. 99% of us have the same story sadly. The system is broken from the top down, And they have a vested interest in it staying that way. We’re not supposed to ask for raises because we’re women caregivers, we’re not supposed to care about money and notice rising inflation, and also we’re supposed to be smiling, compliant, and happy with our artificially manufactured- glass ceiling that makes them LOTS of money year after year. I’m about ready to walk out the door, into a different industry, and let them pay seven or eight dollars more per hour, to a new grad or someone who has just 3-4 years of experience. I am in my 29th year of dentistry and I’m in my 18th year of hygiene. They can hire a new grad who will ask for way more than I have ever asked for and that’s what they deserve. The new grad isn’t asking for an unrealistic price, it’s the doctors who have purposely not kept wages up with inflation. Dentists have also denied benefits wholesale for decades to hygienists, keeping you only at 2-3 days per week to avoid any kind of benefits. When I was first out subbing they all also tried to pass on their share of FICA taxes to me and made me do a 1099 which I know now was completely illegal. It’s all about what we’re willing to put up with. Once we as a group stop putting up with it, the game is up.
@@sunnysmiles8211 I completely agree. Not only that, I am sick and tired of working for a DDS who knows very little about perio that I am legally obligated to work under. I wanted my own practice 40 years ago. They are not going to let go of their Golden Goose. I bring money into the office and they won't let the laws change to relinquish control.
I’m not a dentist but my daughter is considered it. The cost to become a dentist is extreme. Some examples are cost of BS degree, $500 for DAT study program, $500 take exam, $100 to apply to dental school(recommended 15 schools) cost of going all over country interviewing, sometimes more than once to same school, cost of dental school $200,000-350,000, not including your cost of rent / living while in school for 4 yrs not being paid. Cost of specialization 1-2 years. Going to graduate with at least $500,000 of debt or more. Then if have own practice add another 5-10 million for land,building,equipment,insurance, ect.
@@Greeneggsandham123sorry to break it to you but that’s not the hygienist or the assistant problem. Hygienist give treatments that cost 150 to 300+ per patient while making 30to40/h
I would like to add here as someone in the dental field for 46 years as a hygienist turned dentist you will never find any field out their in this entire world that gives you the flexibility everyone wants. I could never go to a 9-5 job M-F.....If you want to raise a family, you can work 2 days a week or not at all, or anything you like. How many jobs can you do that in? Or if you wanted to take an extended vacation, you can discuss this with your boss and they either don't book you those days or maybe the office can get a temp in. Where in the corporate world can you do that. The flexibility in dentistry is THE biggest perk you can ever get but you people here forget that and just whine.
just to add on as well make sure you look at indeed or job search. you wanna make sure its on high demand in your area. I almost went for Cardiac Sonographer or Sonographer and there's no job openings. so thankful I found something I will love in RDH.
Great tip!
Same!
Im actually very interested in the repetition of this career. I have college paid for and thought I had everything figured out as far as what I wanted to go to school for (nursing). After taking some classes and working as a CNA I realized that I cant handle the high stress. If anyone here is a RDH or RN I would love to ask questions and get your experience! Thank you
Hey, be sure to check out my “Inside the Op” & “Dental Hygienius” playlist!
The problem with hygiene is that hygiene pay plateaus very quickly. You start off higher than most jobs. Realistically, how much can you expect to be paid? No one is going to pay a hygienist $60-$100 an hour when PPO reimbursements if the office is in network are barely covering your salary. You can't expect a lot of raises in this field. That doesn't mean you aren't valued. And with covid causing havoc in offices for a year now, the trend is going to continue.....This is coming from a hygienist turned dentist who has a solo practice......If repetition is an issue, working in 2 offices or temping once in a while will keep the dynamics ever changing. You won't get bored, trust me.
Can you tell me how did you go from a dental hygenist to a dentist? How long did it take and was it hard since you had experience with dental hygienie? Thanks!
@@brandonalexander4729 Went to 2 year community college for dental hygiene right from high school with no previous college classes. Rarely do you see this any more. As soon as I graduated, I worked 2 PT jobs and continued my education taking classes at night & summers for 4 years to apply to dental school.I didn't have the financial luxury of going to school 4 years straight. I would advise anybody out there to be careful of huge amounts of student debt. You can get a good education in state/public community colleges as a start then go part time like I did. Nobody wants to do this any more and this is why people get in over their heads with debt. You don't need big name schools that are going to cost you big dollars to impress your friends who most likely won't be there 10 years later....Hygiene definitely helped me in dental school but dental school was still hell.....and once you are out in the real world, certain things get easier and other things get harder.
@@RG-hf4et Hi! Where did you go to dental hygiene school? I'm thinking about pursuing this career so I have some questions if you don't mind.
Will I be able to work a part time job while studying? (This isn't an option, I have to work)
Is it an expensive career? Even though i'm going to go to a community college i heard you have to buy tools and stuff.
I'm just to doubtful about myself and I feel like i'm not smart enough but healthcare is the only thing I really want to pursue.
Any advice is gold, thanks.
@@chanellequiteno6448 If you want to go to hygiene and want or need to work part time, the best thing, imho, is to find a dh school you want to go to. Find out the non dental courses and start taking those on your own & get them done as quickly as possible. Most schools will make you take similar basics like English 101 & 102, basic psychology, intro sociology, etc. You can work full time & go to night school or take 2-3-4 classes and work part time. These are general classes most college degrees want anyway so if you change your mind, they won't go to waste. The science classes are harder - microbiology, anatomy, etc.....If you really focus on taking courses and working, you will have fewer courses to take once the hygiene classes start which have to be taken in order - like DH I, then DH 2, DH 3 Clinical, etc....... I finished DH in 2 years with an Associates Degree & it was insane. Only 2 students in my class came into DH right out of high school and I was one of them. The rest of the class had one or 2 years of these college classes behind them. I applaud you for realizing you need to work but are striving higher. After DH was done, I began working full time with 2 part time hygiene jobs & planned for my wedding. Did this for 1.5 years. Decided to go for a BS and still worked full time and took 1-2 classes at night. I also went summers in the evening. After working full time for 4 years & taking college classes every semester, I went to dental school for 4 years full time......I think you will come out more rounded and have less debt than if you just took on a bunch of studentb loans and get in over your head. You should find a college counselor who might be able to guide you with the specific curriculum & also what the current the costs of buying instruments & books will be so you can save up for that, too. I have no idea what those costs would be these days. I hope this helps a little bit.
@@RG-hf4et thank you so much for replying with such detail! It means alot. I'm very nervous and scared I won't be able to succeed
I think most of these cons also come with other medical jobs. I use to work at an animal hospital & it had similar if not the same cons.
I have so much to say about why I would never choose hygiene again. Speaking on private vs corporate, I can point out two very big differences between corporate practices and private practices: Death and Retirement. I have had both of these circumstances happen to me.
DDS went on a rafting vacation, had a heart attack and on that day, I didn't have a job. I have had more than one up and sell their practice and sometimes the new DDS will keep the staff familiar to the patients, but sometimes that only lasts for six months or a year and then if they had prior affiliations with RDA;s and RDH's, you may be out the door. Gently, of course. I don't want to forget the DDS I was working for one day a week. I came to work at 7:30am, only to find a notice on the door that the office was closed and his license suspended for patient abuse (for not using water with his high speed).
I have more, so much more. Yes, I love it. I took to it like a duck to water, but it takes a lot of independent motivation to keep yourself employed 5 days a week. I was constantly on the hunt for more hours and more security. It is mostly one day in one office, two days a week in another and subbing now and then. Part time days = no benefits because you are not full time like the RDA's (who think we get paid too much).
I can't leave this conversation without mentioning the thickest Glass Ceiling in the professional world. Oh yes, they pat our hands and say "yes dear, you are valuable, you can even get an extended functions license so you can pretend to actually have moved up in the DH world", but really, who are we kidding? Ourselves? We only have another Brownie patch we can put on our uniform and some extra alphabet behind our name. While you are jumping from patient to patient, finishing the DDS's restoration, the DDS is in the break room having a sparkling water with fruit infusion. It's like Tom Sawyer and the white picket fence. They get you to do their work, without any of the glory or pay. And when I say pay, I mean in the three figures, commensurate with skills.
I graduated in the late 80's. In school, our beloved instructors talked endlessly about how RDH's had not been valued in the past and any day now we would be viewed as Periodontal Therapists and laws would change and we could open our own practices and work independently from a DDS who, by the way, knows next to nothing about perio. It has been nearly 40 years. Any day now. Yep. Any day now. We are their Golden Goose and there is no way they are going to give up control on a big revenue stream for the office.
Yes, the money is good. It is a living wage, but do yourself a favor - have a Plan B. Support yourself with your part time DH income and further your education, but not in the dental world as the Glass Ceiling is in the way. The repetition can get to you very quickly and you are literally tied to that dental chair. You do not get to move around or change positions.
I appreciate that DH supported me and my kids, but in private practice, your job is at the whim of the DDS. Try to do corporate part time and find something else you love to do. If I sound bitter, you are probably wondering if this is advice you can trust. From the bottom of my heart, I say this with the best of intentions. DH can be so rewarding, but it can also be unrealistically demanding and boring. If it looks like a glam job, it is not.
In the beginning, I intended to mention private vs corporate only , but the rest of it poured out of me. I hope this helps someone. Please take good care.
Thank you so much
Many jobs out there are demanding......that is why it is called work. If you want a nondemanding job, stay home. You don't think other jobs are boring & routine? Think about what a hospital radiologist does all day - gets the machine ready, calls in a patient, explains what has to be done, gets the patient in position, takes the scan, says goodbye, greets the next patient. HOW boring is that job? No windows, and the same thing over & over again. Same thing with any allied health - you don't get to call the shots.
There is a shortage of hygienists right now. I can't understand why you hare having trouble finding work. Maybe it's your attitude.......
Well I assume there's shortage because of what she literally just said ? I can't seem to understand why one can't simply share facts without it being viewed negatively, let's just appreciate the transparency we get for free bc if not then you'd be in the corner crying wishing someone told you so before wasting money. All she did was state the pros and cons from her personal experience take the info and go Have a great day!@@RG-hf4et
just wanted to mention there are multiple states in the past few decades that actually have adopted the “Dental Therapist” role! Where hygienists can practice independently like you mentioned. It’s happening right now, it just probably isn’t in your state yet. These hygienist have Bachelors and Masters degrees and are respected professionals. Back then, Physicians didn’t want Nurse Practitioners for the same reason but now that’s a respected position. Things like that take time and the demand has to be high enough (which the demand is growing rapidly). The field is much different now than it was in the 80s/90s. Seems (to me) like DH was not your passion and you did it for the money which is understable for the time you graduated. But that may have been a big contributor to your suffering. People, fortunately, have a lot more options now.
Source for anyone interested:
www.adha.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Dental_Therapy_Authorized_by_State_Law.pdf
I’m just about to finish dental assisting school and possibly thinking about hygiene or possibly nursing . I made a career change and was previously working with kids and so far I really enjoy dental assisting. I love the fact it is hands-on and working with the instruments . I find it fascinating how two people can work in a small area ( the mouth) a lot of what is said in the video I don’t mind. I actually like repetition. I currently work at a senior citizen home and it’s repetition and I think I’m all industries you will have people who are complaining or uncooperative. I love the idea of having the weekends off which I currently don’t get
The “make it quick” irks me! I worked as a teller and I asked the lady how she wanted her cash back (what denominations). She said “quickly” with a hair flip. Like okay ma’am.
OK I'm probably the only one who likes repetition😂
Thanks for your knowledgeable advice, another important reason is all the cleaning with toxic disinfectant wipes
your inhaling all day. These wipes will cause health issues over the years.
I graduated from dental hygiene school back in 2019 here in Jamaica, and the issue a lot of newly graduated dental hygienists have is the fact that these dentists don't want to pay us what we deserve but expect so much from us. These dentists rather pay us a flat salary than giving us a percentage of our production and I know a lot of hygienists who aren't even making JMD100,000 for the month, which is equivalent to about USD675.
Wow! That is so unfortunate.
You are right! Am a witness. And some dentist are not satisfied for your imput. Thank God i found out early being in Dental field for 8 months before i left. Dental community doesn't care about locations & its distance & will not give you mileage promised initially, as well as cutting hours & told to go home earlier than closing hrs or have a long time lunch. That is nonsense!
That’s fir any occupation such as hair stylist
I've been really considering this career or obgyn/ultrasound technician. I'm trying to decide between the two. I'm okay with repetition.
That sounds cool. Do tons of research!
Me currently. I originally was RDH gang but switched over to RDMS gang, but it’s like not I’m reconsidering again!😭😭
If anything do both! They both require lil school! And also, most credits will transfer because they take similar courses!
@@nynyjohnson1 What is RDMS?
@@RG-hf4et registered diagnostic medical sonographer
Been in hygiene for 3 years now. Almost out doing engineering. Do not do hygiene for the money. In my opinion dont even do hygiene at all. The amount of work is not equal to the pay. Your body will suffer over the long term, people will say "Just have good ergonomics". That s*** isnt in your mind when you work in the dental world since majority of offices are fast paced. Heck, parts of my body I didnt even think of, are hurting i.e. my eyes. You come home with peoples saliva on parts of ur face that isnt covered by loupes and a mask. You will treat patients who have diseases such as Hep C and have to be careful because u might poke ur self. You will get difficult patients who waste ur time and cause u to get behind. U May have to deal with BS drama (I personally dont like drama). Your head will spin at the end of some days from how much thinking and talking your doing. People will have expectations of you, goals, not to poke them, doing their cleaning a certain way, sitting them up right, I DONT KNOW WHY people said hygiene is a great field. Its NOT. It one of the worst fields out there. If you read this, do not do hygiene. Go for tech or something else medical that wont strain your body and that doesnt have a salary cap. I wish someone had told me not to do hygiene. I wasted 4 years of my life for a stupid career that just makes me regret the last 4 years of my life. I dont care if theres people who like hygiene the cold hard fact is: most hygienists dont like hygiene and do it just for the money. Cause they were told it was a good job that has little schooling and makes good money. tldr: Dont become a hygienist. Please.
What state do you practice in?
I can definitely deal with difficult dental patients when I was in retail I may have been a little bit too immature to deal with angry customers, but for some reason once I got to the Dental field difficult, patient became easier to deal with for me. I would quickly say, or do something to make them crack, a smile, or feel more comfortable in the dental chair.
She’s 100% correct. Wish I would’ve never gone into dental hygiene.
I’m currently a pharmacy technician in CA however I’ve been wanting to get into a dental hygiene program for some time now. It seems that I always get negative feedback though. Some counselors have told me they’ve spoken with people who have previously been hygienists & end up going back to school because of the lack of variety in the profession. Also I’ve heard depending on the state you’ve graduated from, not all states will except your license.. Is this true?? After watching this video it also seems like most hygienists aren’t getting paid enough?? Part of me still feels I want to be a hygienist but not if I can’t work internationally or at least in all of the US ..
You are VERY limited in your career as a hygienist. I love my profession but burnout comes on QUICK and there’s not much to do other than going back to school for something else! Everything you stated is true!
Go for something else. You will be qualified to do nothing else after all the grueling schoolwork and getting your license and you'll be stuck when you have hand, neck and back issues like me now at 46. There is nothing I can do with only an associates. I need to go back to school. It's hard with a mortgage and kids etc. I regret every day my decision to be a hygienist. You are a money maker for the dr and they push and push until YOU burnout.
Also, ZERO growth. I make $10 more an hour than I did out of school 21 years later. You'll have to quit your job to get an increase and even then it will be a few dollars more. Please do yourself a favor and research other career paths.
I’m in the same situation. I’m a pharmacy technician and wanted to do dental hygienist. I was wondering what kinda of pay do you start off at. I live in ca
@@stephosuns9930 I am in CA Los Angeles area. I am 27 years in and make $52 hr.
Yes that is true about the license!!! It is just another way they (DDS's) exert control over us. We have little flexibility in where we can move to, unless we want to go to another board. Nurses can just go and show their license and get it active in whatever state they want to go to - at least that is my understanding from a cousin who was smarter than me and is an RN. But I thought DH was so glamorous. I didn't want to clean up poop. Believe me, I would rather do that than kiss it the way I have to keep a job. At least I could save someone's life if I were a nurse and I could go in many different directions as a nurse - ortho, pedo, labor and delivery and the list goes on and on.
Great Video!!!!! Valid Points 😂😂😂
I love what I do but in my experience, a career in nursing might offer more career opportunities. Get a degree that allows you to grow if one career path closes.
All the cons you mentioned in yhis video are way worse in construction with lesser pay and you roast in the sun.
My only doubt is if I will be discriminated for being a man doing this job.
Love your channel!!❤️ What is the difference between working for a corporate dental practice vs a private practice? I thought all dentists were private practices... except for those on a military base.
Check out this video ruclips.net/video/HrrKPZ4evf0/видео.html
I go into detail about each and my experience in both!
@@KaleshaMonet Thank you...I will be sure to check that video out! God bless!😊🙏🏾
Private practice dentists can die, they can retire and you are out of a job. It has happened to me. You are also at the whim of the solo DDS. If he doesn't like your hair, you can be replaced. In general, they are little Napoleon's with huge ego's. They are "Dr.'s", without the extensive practice and residencies of medical doctors. A Bachelor's plus 3 or 4 years is all.
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