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I am considering going to school to become a Dental Hygienist. The city I live in does NOT offer an Associate Degree program for Dental Hygiene. It's Bachelor's or nothing unless I wanted to commute to a nearby city... which is not happening (it'd be an hour and a half one way and I have kids)...
I have a lot of questions about the program. Just for starters:
How hard it is academically or otherwise?
What your thoughts are on someone being in their early 40's and just starting out in this career field (I'd be about 41 or 42 when finished with school)?
Did you work while going to school?
If not, how you survived without working (I've been told over and over that once you are in the actual program, those who work almost always flunk out)?
What do you do about the lack of benefits (I hear most dental offices do not offer medical benefits, or even dental!)?
Ideas as to what kinds of career options are available besides the obvious one of working in a dental office?
How difficult is acceptance into DH school?
What options does someone with a Bachelor's have if they get tired of doing actual DH work?
As well as any other things you think a prospective DH student should know..
I am considering this career for the flexibility. I met a woman today who is a DH and works with a mobile dental clinic. She visits local schools to talk with the administration to sign them up for the mobile dental services, then they return to do exams, cleaning, etc., for the kids at school. It seemed like an awesome job, always being in a different place, and working to make dental care a good experience for kids and lessen their fears and educate them.
I have some concerns about the science courses needed... I liked science in high school but I wasn't particularly good at it.
I also have a rather silly question or two that I must ask: What if your own teeth aren't in the best shape? Due to years of lack of health insurance my teeth could use some work. I *practice* good dental hygiene but the lack of dental visits is still apparent. Is this an issue when trying to become a dental hygienist?
Next odd question: is there any truth to the stereotypes about needing to be young and needing a "certain look" to get hired? I have noticed a large number of cute, blonde, young DH's in my experiences throughout life. I've seen some that were the opposite of course, but on t he other hand I have noticed the cute/blonde/young thing. What's up w/that?
(not that I'm not cute, and I am blonde.. lol.... but I will be far from "young" when I am entering the job market if I do this!)
My hygenist is a grandmother, probably early 50's, and although attractive, I wouldn't call her "cute".
The Bachelors is going to open more doors for you, and allow you to command a better salary, working environment and hours. You could ultimately teach with some experience and a BA/BS. Working the mobile lab sounds like fun~there are also hospital clinics, schools, opportunities to travel with mission trips (through Rotary or churches) to 3rd world countries. My hygenist works 3 days a week, because she wants to. She does all of her own scheduling, and it's getting so that she spends more time on my teeth and in my mouth than the dentist. He comes in, pulls at my tongue and says everything looks good. She does all the work. (Fortunately I have really good teeth).
I think the hygenist is very highly regarded, and with your age, degree and life experiences, I'm thinking you'd be the sr. hygenist in a short amount of time.
My hygenist is a grandmother, probably early 50's, and although attractive, I wouldn't call her "cute".
The Bachelors is going to open more doors for you, and allow you to command a better salary, working environment and hours. You could ultimately teach with some experience and a BA/BS. Working the mobile lab sounds like fun~there are also hospital clinics, schools, opportunities to travel with mission trips (through Rotary or churches) to 3rd world countries. My hygenist works 3 days a week, because she wants to. She does all of her own scheduling, and it's getting so that she spends more time on my teeth and in my mouth than the dentist. He comes in, pulls at my tongue and says everything looks good. She does all the work. (Fortunately I have really good teeth).
I think the hygenist is very highly regarded, and with your age, degree and life experiences, I'm thinking you'd be the sr. hygenist in a short amount of time.
Go for it and good luck.
Thanks so much for responding. I was thinking no one would!
This is all very encouraging. I would love to have the opportunity to help those who are less fortunate. Having been there myself, I know how often people must simply forgo dental care/cleaning/preventative, and I'd like to change some of that, even if I can't help EVERYONE.
My gut says go for the Bachelor's as well. I should have many credits that would apply towards other degrees if I decide to switch gears down the road.
Thanks for the encouragement! I visited my academic advisor the other day and picked up a degree plan for the eventual transfer to the school here that has the DH program. It doesn't look TOO daunting. Just a little scary.
I'm not a dental hygienst. I'm a dentist, but my wife is a dental hygienist. First, let me correct the previous poster's statement. A BS does NOT get you much, though there is no doubt there is value to the BS. Let me answer the questions.
1. How hard it is academically is a matter of personal perspective. Only you can determine that. The hardest part, in general, is clinical work. The time commitment is extensive and it requires development of interpersonal skills. It is also a 9-5 Mon-Fri commitment, so time is a limiting factor.
2. The oldest person in my wife's class was 45, and she's currently practising. The oldest person (two) in my dental school class was 42. You will probably be the oldest person in your class, but that's not a bad thing. Live your life with your own expectations in mind, not others.
3. In my wife's class, only 1 person worked, and that was during weekends. Seeing as you spend so much time during the week in class and clinic, there's not much time for you to work. Gotta prioritize time towards study and family first. If you're not working, you're going to have to take out student loans. Don't worry, you'll be able to repay them when you graduate.
4. Benefits depend on the office you're working at. In Las Vegas, it was not common to receive benefits, but here in Houston it seems to be more common. Regardless, if you do not receive benefits, your wage will probably be higher. You can get benefits on your own.
5. With an AS, dental hygienist is the most obvious. With a BS, your options are more open, as the previous poster pointed out. Teaching, public health, pharmaceutical rep, dental supply rep, etc.
6. I don't know how difficult it is to get in to school. My wife thinks the acceptance rate is about 20-30%. It would probably be best to call a dental hygiene school to ask about the statistics for the average accepted student. It goes without saying that it will be competitive though.
7. Options if you get tired of DH. That's a loaded question. First and foremost, dental hygiene is not something you can learn without liking, and get away with it. Keep in mind that you're sticking your fingers in other people's mouths. Most people find that disgusting. So if you're not ABSOLUTELY sure you're going to LOVE it, don't even bother. In my dental school class, there was a guy who took the first year of classes. In the second year, when we started entering clinic, he could not get himself to put his hands in anyone's mouth. He found it so disgusting that he quit. That's after $30k of student loans. Bottom line: make sure you know what you're getting into. Now, to answer your question. With a BS, you've got options in the DH field, but you can also use your degree as a stepping stone to jobs that require a bachelor's. You can also apply to Master's or Doctorate's that you otherwise would not be able to.
8. Any other things to know? Neck, back, and hand problems are common in dentistry and dental hygiene. First, let me make it clear that it's not inherent in dentistry. All of these problems occur because the profession as a whole really have poor posture. With proper training and commitment to ergonomics, you can practice for years and years without problems.
9. Mobile clinics are fun. New environments and new people every day. Keep in mind, however, that most hygienists do not work out of mobile clinics. They work in the same office, day in and day out. Now, that's not a bad thing. Personally, I love working in the same place because I get to customize it the way I want and it becomes "familiar". Kids are a unique group, and they do keep it interesting. However, you're just as likely to get grumpy old folks, screaming uncooperative kids, and high-maintenance people too. It's not all fun. But if you love people-interaction, dentistry is great for it.
10. Science... While dentistry is a science-driven profession, it's not the core of it. You need to have a basic understanding of the science, and the more of it you know the better, but to succeed in dentistry is about knowing what you love and applying it to clinical practice. It's not rocket science.
11. Bad teeth. OMG. You don't know how many people with bad teeth enter dentistry!!! If there's no interview, no one will know. If there is an interview, you'll probably want to have respectable teeth. They're not going to do an oral exam right then and there, so just take care of the obvious cavities (i.e. ones you can easily see). Then when you're in school, you can get them taken care of much cheaper!
12. Young and cute.... I won't lie, it certainly helps. But that's not limited to dental hygiene. It's a barrier to everyone at every step in life. Now, the truth of it is probably the demographic that dental hygiene attracts rather than outright discrimination. If you did a survey of neurosurgeons, what ages would you find? Probably around 40, because only the brightest get into neurosurgery, so they go straight from college to med school to neurosurgery residency. Thus, they're about the same age. Dental hygiene is considered a young person's vocation. Thus, you're going to see young 20's. So does that prevent you from getting in? Not at all. As I said earlier, there are many 40-somethings that get in to dental hygiene school, dental school, and many other schools. That should not be a limiting factor.
Bottom line: do your homework into dental hygiene. Make sure you're going to like it. If you like it, know that your income will be great and the hours and conditions will be great. Make yourself as competitive as possible. Apply. Honestly, it can't hurt. Worst that happens is the school says no.
Hello, I am a Dental Hygienist in NJ. I went to college many years ago and I was the only one in my class directly from high school. Most of the class were a few years older and there was one or two with grown children. One thing I would do is talk to the school because certain classes must be taken be taken prior to entering the program (chemistry is one). The other thing I would recommend is that if you are not excepted and probably not since the school year has started, I would sign up for some of the science classes and all you electives (math, English) and get them out of the way so that when you do get into a program you can lower the credits you will take per semester.
I will tell you I did an Associates degree only and I think its more than enough for this field, unless you want to teach. And these days you probably need a Masters on top of it to teach.
Now I am 41 and I have been home raising my children for 10 years. I am currently taking my continuing education to get my license active. My old employer from 20 years ago is begging me to come back to work. There are many jobs out there. I think that most Dentist do not advertise anymore because its expensive and they never really get many applicants. I think age really doesn't have much of a factor, personality and an easy going attitude will help. Also think about getting your teeth fixed, it will help. No one wants to hear that they need to lose 20 pounds from a 300lb doctor!
Also if you do not get into a program right away, I would say look into dental assisting. It is also a great field. You could easily go back to school just to get your license in x-rays and expanded functions. This is also required for hygiene so if you decide on hygiene down the road, it would mean less classes then.
Also I remember that almost everyone in my hygiene program had prior experience in the dental field, such as an assistant. I don't think they would ever except someone who hasn't.
Any dental hygienists out there? I am going to school for dental hygiene and the science courses are really difficult for me. I want to know the complete truth...Do dental hygienists really use Chemistry when working in the clinics? Do they really need to know full body anatomy? And do they really need to know physiology? I'm guessing head and neck anatomy will be important. Any honest dental hygienists or dentists, please let me know asap! Thanks!
Hello, I am a Dental Hygienist in NJ. I went to college many years ago and I was the only one in my class directly from high school. Most of the class were a few years older and there was one or two with grown children. One thing I would do is talk to the school because certain classes must be taken be taken prior to entering the program (chemistry is one). The other thing I would recommend is that if you are not excepted and probably not since the school year has started, I would sign up for some of the science classes and all you electives (math, English) and get them out of the way so that when you do get into a program you can lower the credits you will take per semester.
I will tell you I did an Associates degree only and I think its more than enough for this field, unless you want to teach. And these days you probably need a Masters on top of it to teach.
Now I am 41 and I have been home raising my children for 10 years. I am currently taking my continuing education to get my license active. My old employer from 20 years ago is begging me to come back to work. There are many jobs out there. I think that most Dentist do not advertise anymore because its expensive and they never really get many applicants. I think age really doesn't have much of a factor, personality and an easy going attitude will help. Also think about getting your teeth fixed, it will help. No one wants to hear that they need to lose 20 pounds from a 300lb doctor!
Also if you do not get into a program right away, I would say look into dental assisting. It is also a great field. You could easily go back to school just to get your license in x-rays and expanded functions. This is also required for hygiene so if you decide on hygiene down the road, it would mean less classes then.
Also I remember that almost everyone in my hygiene program had prior experience in the dental field, such as an assistant. I don't think they would ever except someone who hasn't.
Good luck, it is a great field.
Where did you graduate from and did they help you find a job? I will be applying to schools for the program soon.
(correction for the third question: Why are there...)
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I visited my academic advisor the other day and picked up a degree plan for the eventual transfer to the school here that has the DH program. It doesn't look TOO daunting. Just a little scary. 
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