Monday, December 26, 2011

Understanding the Steady Increase in the Dental Hygienist Salary

By Sandra Palanchey


If you're one of those who think that dentistry jobs are low-paying jobs, think again. The dental hygienist salary is considerably high. The recent trend in the job market is that not only are oral hygienist jobs one of the most sought after positions, they are also highly-paid ones provided you have the correct training of the advanced level. Several decades ago, oral hygienists were a new breed in the field of dentistry. They didn't use to have the status nor the kind of salary that they are obviously enjoying now.

The wheels have turned for these professionals, and today, oral hygienists are regarded as an important player in the oral health care field. More and more select training programs are being formulated to meet the ever-increasing demand for oral hygienists. It has been reported that there are currently 150,000 people working as oral hygienists throughout United States. A large number for a profession that is just a few decades old.

Do not expect the hygienists throughout the country to earn same amount of pay collectively. The dental hygienist salary is dependent on the type of work performed. Also, the salary also depends on whether they work on a part-time or full-time basis. People who work full-time earn differently from those individuals who only work part-time. It's often the case that oral hygienists who work part-time at several different places on any given day make more money than oral hygienists who work full-time at one place. There are hygienists who make money based on commission; their pay is based on the plans they sell or how many dental cleanings they've performed per day. Some oral hygienists are paid bonuses by the dental clinics where they work. The bonuses vary and are based on how much money the clinics make on a given month. A certain percentage of the money earned within a month will be given away to the hygienists by way of bonuses to encourage them to perform more.

The dental hygienist salary per hour adds up to roughly $30 and will result in $60,000 each year, which is pretty decent when compared to other entry-level jobs in the medical field. In the last few years, the dental hygienist salary has been steadily climbing, which as caused an influx of hygienists entering the field on a yearly basis. Observers of the job market are apparently still anticipating an upward surge in this position's income in the years to come.

Previously, a dentist alone used to handle everything from reviewing patient's case studies to removing sutures. A lot of dentists weren't too keen on hiring oral hygienists to provide assistance to them. Dental hygiene has become a specialization, so much so that special training programs have been developed (and continue to be developed) for the purpose of training people as dental hygienists. Even though oral hygienists are not allowed to perform all the dental procedures that dentists are allowed to perform, they actually do more than just hold a mouth mirror to the patient.

Besides the rather high dental hygienist salary, oral hygienists enjoy other perks including sick leave, paid vacations, tuition reimbursement if they choose to pursue higher studies, health insurance, and even other incentives that are typically reserved to medical professionals. Aside from the decent dental hygienist salary, oral hygienists receive benefits such as paid vacations, health insurance, sick leave, tuition reimbursement if they decided to pursue higher or advanced studies in the field, and other incentives that are usually made available to people in the medical field. The benefits offered to hygienists depend on the dentist's office that hire them. For example, an oral hygienist who works in a single dentist's office may be getting fewer benefits compared to a hygienist who works in a larger office.

The dental hygienist salary has been steadily increasing throughout the past decade and surveys show that it is one of those rare professions where pangs of recession are not deeply felt. Despite the tough economic times, it appears that oral hygienists with proper training are earning good money. This suggests that a career in the dental hygiene field is well worth pursuing as it's a reliable career.




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