In the beginning, it is rather important to know as to what are the differences between a dentist and a dental hygienist, dental hygienists are primarily involved with the prevention and the treatment of oral diseases and there is also a difference between a dentist and dental hygienist salary. They help protect the teeth and the gums of the individual which in a way help to take care of the total health of the person. They are licensed oral health professionals who help the dentists and perform a variety of services for them. The extent of these services depends upon the State that dental hygienist is practicing in. Mostly, they are involved with teeth cleaning, and the removal of soft and hard deposit from the teeth.
The salary of a dental hygienist varies from region to region, depending upon the geographical location of the area. They also depend on employment setting and the years of experience. The salary for a dental hygienist can be paid in hourly, daily or monthly basis. The salary can also be paid as a part of the commission. In 2010 itself there were 177,520 dental hygienists in United States of America. The annual average salary for dental hygienist is $68,680 or $33.02 per hour according to the Occupation Employment Statistics report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However there are also people who earn something as low as $45,000 per year to a salary as high as $93,820 per year.
Al l over the world, there are many people who suffer from tooth related ailments on a regular basis. This has prompted in a rapid rise in the number of dental hygienists over the course of past few years. To be correct, job of a dental hygienist has already been compared to the most lucrative jobs in terms of the salary it offers. The rise in the salary of dental hygienist has been rapid over the last few years.
Dental Hygienist Salary
 Dental Hygienist Salary |
Dental Hygienist Salary:
Dental Hygienist Salary Data by BLS.gov(2008). |
Expenditure incurred during the course of becoming a dental hygienist is soaring day by day. However, as the education expense has gone upwards, so has the salary of a dental hygienist. The average salary of a dental hygienist is high enough to enroll in this course.
A figure of $62,000 has been quoted as the average salary of a dental hygienist in the US. A very reliable survey has found out that dental hygienists, who have a hefty experience can earn in the range of $100,000. Average salary for dental hygienist with a familiarity of 2 years is around $40,000, while that for having an experience of above 5 years is around $60,000 per year. Since the salary is dependent largely on the area where a dental hygienist prefers to work, it is important to know which states in the country offer the highest salary for a dental hygienist. Those dental hygienists who work in urban areas earn somewhere around $95,000 while those in the remote areas earn around $60,000.
The function, a dental hygienist performs is to provide the patients with proper information on oral hygiene, briefing a patient on why maintaining the oral hygiene is necessary, correct guidelines to maintain oral health care. Staying away from bad habits and vices, such as smoking and drinking is also advised by dental hygienist, as these are the preventive measures to maintain healthy oral health.
. They focus on the importance of a regular healthy balanced diet for the proper maintenance of the teeth. They are also required to keep a tab on the healthy condition of a patient’s teeth, jaws and gum area. These parts collectively are responsible for the overall hygiene of the mouth area of an individual. Apart from these some important dental procedures are also a part of the dental hygienist profession. Teeth polishing and administering of anesthesia are also an important part of a dental hygienists job. As already said, there is a shortage of quality dental hygienists today. And therefore all aspiring young men and women should look forward to it, considering the high salary of a dental hygienist.
Rapidly Increasing dental hygienist salary
Since the profession of dental hygienists is one of the fastest rising professions in current times, it is but obvious that it has a golden future at least for the next two and a half decades if not more. Tough competition is expected for the jobs of a dental hygienist in some of the areas, but overall job prospects will be in favor in most of the practitioners in most of the geographical locations of the country. The U.S Department of Labor’s Occupational Handbook refers to the issue of how much can a dental hygienist salary rise in the time to come. They predict that there will be a 36 % growth in the average salary for dental hygienist by the end of the year 2018. The increased demand in the profession of dental services will reach such a level that jobs which were originally reserved for dentists would be performed by dental hygienists. This therefore would demand more remuneration and hence there will obviously be a growth in the dental hygienist salary.
There is no doubt regarding the fact that people in all professions believe in making a lot of money. Many of us would actually try to know the amount of salary that we would get for particular kind of job. This would influence the career decisions of an individual. Dental hygienist is a good case in example. It has a very good growth potential in the next few years. The dental hygienist salary would be one of the best. Also with the increase in demand, and insufficiency of skilled personnel, the salary for dental hygienist is supposed to reach an exceedingly high level. So, if you have the patience and the determination to fight it out during you college education, then dental hygienist salary will be a high paying career you have been looking for.
