Callling all dental hygienists? do you like your job?

I'm thinking about going back to school to be a dental hygienist. I already have a bachelors degree in Education but I don't want to teach and I'm also in debt from that so if I go back to school I wanna make sure its what I want to do. I know dental hygienists get paid good but what are the pros and cons of the job? Is it gross to look at people's mouths all day? Was the school work hard? Anything anyone can tell me would be helpful, thanks

Callling all dental hygienists? do you like your job?
In the same boat as you. Started thinking about going back to school 2 years ago- but I had to retake all of my science classes since they were over 5 years old. Just going through the last round of transcript reviews. Once that is done I hope to be accepted and start in the summer.





I talked to 5 people who graduated from the local community college. They all have different types of job settings, but they all love what they are doing. I also was able to contact the school and talk with some of the current students- they all told me that if I was looking for something that was easy- Dental Hygiene was not the right choice. It was a hard program and needed me to be 100% devoted to it. As for the gross mouth thing- I was told that if I had a weak stomach- that I probably should look elsewhere.





Everyone of the people that I spoke with had a job lined up before graduation. They also stressed that the program was very compeititive and that I needed to be on top of my game. The instructors also recruited students that they felt would work well for additional projects. Those recommendations were priceless and to try for those.





As for the cost, check with your local school. They will usually post an estimate for how much this will cost that includes the books, uniforms and tools you will need. If you are serious, start before you need to retake classes. Depending on your states requirements, science classes will need to be repeated if they are over 5-7 years old. I had to retake my chemistry and biology classes in order to get into A%26amp;P I/II and microbiology. I was also told to go for the scholarships- they helped out a lot.





Pros and cons- In most cases, you get to decide when you want to work. You will be in demand and recruited if you live in an area that is looking. If you get in with a good dentist, you will be compenstated well and work to help others. On the downside, you might not find one office to work full-time in right away. Some offices do not offer you insurance (both professional and health) and might require you to travel if they have more than one office. Carpal tunnel is common for hygienists that have been working a long time in this career. Sometimes you hear of neck and back problems too.





Good Luck with your choice.