Dental Assistants and Hygienists?

Question

What do you like and dislike about your careers?

Answer 1

Likes:

Good hours
Great pay
The chance to interact and help people
Being able to not only clean teeth, but give injections, take x-rays, educate people on their teeth and their health.
Being one on one with the patient without the doc hovering over me, except when he does an exam.
Looking forward to seeing all of my patients and seeing how they are doing in their life as well as their dental health.
Free dentistry
Dislikes:
People that just don't understand the importance of dental health.
Nasty mouths, people that don't brush their teeth and their breath stinks.
Nasty attitudes.
People that think that ALL dentists are just out for their money, and that they really don't need that treatment that the doc diagnoses.
People that have a whole meal left over in their mouth, when I can tell what they had for lunch or dinner. YUK!!
Parents that neglect their children's dental health. Oh well those baby teeth will just fall out anyway, why do they need a filling, crown, etc.

For the most part I love hygiene and would not do anything else.

Answer 2

I'm a hygienist, and I agree with everything perioligament said. I would like to add that it is very hectic. Of course it depends on what kind of office you work in. Somedays I feel like I'm doing all I can to keep my head above water. It's very busy, constantly running back and forth to the waiting room, the x-ray room, getting the dentist, trying to stay on schedule so the patients don't complain about being late. But the good thing is that when I go home, my job is over for the day. No work to take home. If today was a bad day, tomorrow may be better, or worse. But at the end of the day, it's all finished. Tomorrow will start a clean slate. I really enjoy getting to know all the patients and helping those that really care about their oral health.

Answer 3

I hated it because there is only part-time work available. Everyone knows that part-time work doesn't pay the bills.

I changed careers because it was impossible to support myself on part time hours. I decided to work contract work for many dentists in order to expand my options. I was looking for a full time job. I had plenty of job offers, but they all wanted to job share. I cannot make a living working from 2-5, 2-6, or 4-8. That's only 15-20hrs per week. It's not even guaranteed hours. If your first or last patient doesn't show up, you don't get paid. You either start your day later, or go home early and you don't get paid. As a contract worker, sometimes I was busy working, sometimes I wasn't. I was busy when the other hygienists were on maternity leave because I would take their place. It was frustrating driving around living off the scraps from others. One day, I worked for 3 different dentists!!!! You have to manage your time well in order to be on schedule for the patient who would be waiting for me in another office across town!! Sometimes I worked for 2 different dentists in 2 different cities, in one day!!! Sometimes there was arguments. It was frustrating when I would accept a job on the condition that I would be out at a certain time to go to my next job. They would try to schedule me later. That is not acceptable. I work on a first come, first serve basis and it is rude to show up to work late and will guarantee that I will never be called back. I got into a few nasty arguments with the dental receptionists who expected me to stay later. I never did, I always walked out so I wouldn't be late for my next job.

It is true that dentists have a fit if you don't come into work if you are sick. I was fired because I went to my relative's funeral. She was found dead in the woods due to foul play. I could have fought it and reported him, but it was only a temp job and he is obviously a jerk that I don't want to work for anyway. Meanwhile, if he feels like golfing or hunting that day, he expects you to take a day off work with no pay. They don't even give you notice most the time because they don't respect you. One time I showed up at one of the dental offices to work and she said, "Oh, he is not here, he decided to go to Florida this week instead of next week." I was so angry. They went out of their way to call me and ask me to fill in, but when the dentist changed his travel plans they couldn't be bothered to let me know. I actually turned down other jobs because I thought I was going to be working those days.

Sometimes dentists that lived an hour to an 1.5 hours away from me asked if I would work 2-5 or 2-6. That's crazy, especially considering the cost of fuel these days, not to mention the wear and tear on my vehicle. I would not work out of town unless it was for at least 8 hours to make it worth my while.

Sorry, but I don't think the money is good at all, unless you have a full time job with guaranteed hours, and that is extremely rare in that business.

I suggest you look for a job that has benefits and guaranteed hours. What about nursing or another more stable job in the health care field. All the dental hygienists I know wish they could change careers. I changed careers and I am glad to be out of it. I can finally afford my own house!! In fact, I made more money in my new job when I was working as a co-op student in college than I did as a dental hygienist, plus, I have FULL benefits and a pension. I highly recommend you find a job that offers you more than dental hygiene will.

Although things did not work out in the workforce, I value the education I received in dental hygiene school. I don't regret taking the program, I learned alot. Oral Pathology was my favourite subject and I love learning about health and diseases. I wish I didn't waste so much time looking for a full time job, which didn't exist in my area.