If you've ever considered a career as a health professional, a dental hygiene career might be right for you. Dental hygienists are important members of the health care dental team, working with dentists in providing dental care to patients. A good Hygienist has the knowledge and clinical skills to offer patients excellent dental care. These dental professionals know how to help people, enjoy working with their hands, and are interested in helping to prevent diseases. A dental professional offers women and men of all ages and very solid career opportunities.



Hygienists are an integral part of a dental practice. They do technical tasks, in addition to teaching patients proper techniques of oral hygiene. They offer to teach patients about good nutrition and its impact on your oral health. The career path of dental hygiene is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2014. They also are among the fastest job growth in response to growing demand for dental care and an increase in the use of a dental hygienist to perform services that previously had been done by dentists. The growth of the population and greater retention of natural teeth are also reasons for jobs in place by dental hygienists.

In 2004 the Commission on Accreditation of Dentistry accredited 266 programs in dental hygiene. A high school diploma and college test scores for admission are generally required for admission to a program of dental hygiene. A minimum of two years of college education that combines classroom and clinical courses. The majority of dental hygiene programs grant an associates degree, while others offer a certificate, a bachelor's degree or a master's degree. An associates degree or a certificate of dental hygiene is usually required to work in a private dental office. For undergraduate or master's degree is required for research, teaching, clinical practice or in public schools or health programs.

The dental hygiene field held about 158,000 jobs last year. Despite this high number of employee hygiene professionals created, the number of jobs available over states qualified candidates available to cover them. The average hourly earnings of dental hygiene was at $ 28.05. These revenues vary slightly by geographic location, and experience.

If you are in the position that you are needing to decide what to do and how to get a solid career going, you may want to consider the field of dental hygiene. With so many opportunities, and all of the demand, in addition to adding value to people's lives, you can make an nice living.