donderdag 22 december 2011

Demystifying the Dental Hygienist Salary

By Sandra Palanchey


The dental hygienist salary is a revelation to those who assume that dentistry jobs don't pay well. Oral hygienists jobs are highly sought after. They're also among the lucrative jobs around, especially if you have undergone advanced level hygienist training. A few decades ago, an oral hygienists position was a relatively new profession and did not receive the status and privilege which they are finding today.

The wheels have turned for these professionals, and today, oral hygienists are regarded as an important player in the oral health care field. The demand for oral hygienists continues to rise annually. To keep up with this demand, hygienist training programs are constantly being developed and introduced. Reports say that in the United States, approximately 150,000 people work as oral hygienists. For a profession that's only been around for a few decades, the number is rather large.

Take note, however, that the pay for hygienists varies from state to state. The dental hygienist salary depends on the nature of the work they perform. 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. Usually, the part-time oral hygienists who work at several places per day make more than full-time oral hygienists. 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. There are dental clinics that pay oral hygienists bonuses based on how much the clinics make on a particular 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. Over the past several years there has been a considerable increase in the dental hygienist salary which in turn has led to a steep rise in the number of hygienists entering the field annually. Job market experts predicts that the salary of these professionals will continue to go up for several more years.

Previously, a dentist alone used to handle everything from reviewing patient's case studies to removing sutures. In fact, very few dentists welcomed having oral hygienists in their offices and helping them in carrying out their work. Today, dental hygiene is a specialization, no longer a part of the normal dentistry field. There are special training programs available that were developed to train people in the field of dental hygiene. Although an oral hygienist cannot perform all the procedures that a dentist is entitled to perform, they do enjoy leeway in today's medical scenarios and do more than holding a mouth mirror to the patient.

Apart from the regular dental hygienist salary, employees are also entitled to other emoluments like paid vacation, sick leave, reimbursement for those pursuing higher studies, health insurance (mostly for full-time professionals) and other incentives which are usually rewarded to medical professionals. The benefits that an oral hygienist receives depends on the dentist's office that employs him. For instance, hygienists employed in a small or single dentist's office may just get the basic benefits, while those employed in larger offices may get more benefits.

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.




About the Author:



Geen opmerkingen:

Een reactie posten