Dental Hygienist
What do they do?
- Remove tartar, stains, and plaque from teeth
- Apply sealants and fluorides to help protect teeth
- Take and develop dental x-rays
- Teach good oral hygiene
What are the working conditions?
- Most work in dental offices
- Work with a team of others
- They are clean and well lit offices
- Wear safety glasses, surgical masks, and gloves to protect themselves and patients from diseases
- May spend long periods of time bending over to work on patients
What are some physical demands?
- Have stamina of bending over for long periods of time
- Have interpersonal skills
- Be good with hands
- Be very detail oriented
- Have good technical skills
What are they required to know and do?
- Understand how to operate complex machinery, like x-ray machines and instruments
How do they prepare for this occupation?
- Must graduate from high school and get a diploma, or GED
- Go to college for further schooling
What kind of licensing or certification is required?
- Associates Degree
- Bachelors Degree
How much money do people in this occupation earn?
- Median annual wage -$68,250 $32.81/hour
- Lowest 10%-$15,000
- Highest 10%- $93,820
How many people are employed in this occupation in Minnesota and nationally?
- 190,000 employed nationally
- 2930-4810 employed in Minnesota
Advantages/disadvantages
- Advantages:
- You work nice hours. Usually 8am-5pm
- The demand is great
- You get to help people
- Disadvantages
- May get sore from bending over a lot
- It's harder to pick up extra hours/shifts
- Don't get as good of benefits as other careers might