Dental Hygiene no jobs

I'm taking this moment to vent my frustrations.
I have done everything to get through dental hygiene school and am very proud of the hard work I put into it but there are NO JOBS.
Now the teachers warned us of this. They acted all wise and said things like, "it's tough out there." But if it's so tough and there are no jobs then why are you accepting new students??? Why are you throwing people into a crumbling economy, training them for a field with no jobs???!

Education is a business and/or scam that is taking money, enabling student loans, and not delivering with a job.
Colleges are becoming more of a scam than anything else. They are not considering the job market realities and even in the medical profession it is crumbling.

I did do my research and the research is wrong.

First of all, I don't need you blaming me for this situation assuming I didn't research this career. I thought about this program for years and spoke to a number of people in addition to reading the misinformation out there.
It's not enough I worked hard to obtain this license and there IS misinformation out there about dental hygiene jobs and the expected growth. In case you didn't notice, EVERYONE is saying it's tough out there so you have to put it into perspective when you hear that coming from nearly every profession. I don't even know who you are and you're on your high horse blaming me for a bad economy. go figure!

You are lucky that your professors were honest with you! I graduated from DH school 3 years ago and the professors all made it sound like we could walk into any local office and say "Hey I want to work here" and they would hire us and be happy we came in. That wasn't true 3 years ago and isn't true today. I also am barely working as a RDH and only glad that I didn't go to a private college because I'd be in debt otherwise. I completely understand your struggle.

Ps I agree about the research. I did my research before applying and it was all wrong. The US government says hygienists are in demand and will be in demand into the future as well. I thought I knew what I was getting into.

Don't feel like this is your fault. In my home state MD they are opening hygiene programs all the time now. When I graduated 4 years ago, there were 3 in the state, now its doubled. MDHA and members have tried to write letters to our legislators to stop this, but they just think its okay because the govt. says hygienists are in demand. I wrote in my letter how irresponsible it is for these schools to accept students knowing jobs are tough to find and how its unfair to those of us already in practice. But if students are willing to spend money, then I guess they will be greedy and keep opening new programs, accepting poor students :(

We do get through to some, unfortunately, those who disregard what we are telling them....informing them of the situation now, because we are living it. I have contacted the BLS a few times and it's hard to get what we say to the right person , not just the person /receptionist answering the phones...very sad state of affairs in 2012. If those wanting to ONLY go into DH want to SEE and EXPERIENCE the dental field, I suggest becoming a DA so you learn the interactions of Dr.'s and staff, see what the real world is like and possibly get a better understanding of pay, hours, days , backstabbing( which seems to be more prevelant), benefits (ha...not happening...needle in a haystack on this one)....it isn't what the very few say....listen to the majority, for the knowledge and inside info. were are giving you. You will save yourself alot of money, time , stress that is reality of the snowjob presentation given by non dental personnel writing for the Govt/BLS , online articles and the schools that want to keep THEIR jobs...they don't care about you....but will take your money with a great big smile*.

MelMoo34 in new bedford, Massachusetts said: I'm taking this moment to vent my frustrations.
I have done everything to get through dental hygiene school and am very proud of the hard work I put into it but there are NO JOBS.
Now the teachers warned us of this. They acted all wise and said things like, "it's tough out there." But if it's so tough and there are no jobs then why are you accepting new students??? Why are you throwing people into a crumbling economy, training them for a field with no jobs???!

Education is a business and/or scam that is taking money, enabling student loans, and not delivering with a job.
Colleges are becoming more of a scam than anything else. They are not considering the job market realities and even in the medical profession it is crumbling.

at least your teachers warned you, i had done my "resarch" and it looked like it was goig to be all woderfull. I didnt find out until i started looking for a job. lol thats life

Hi Steph,

I read your forum comment regarding jobs in the hygiene field.
I was laid-off two years ago and cannot find a job. I temp. when an agency calls. Something of interest came into my e-mail box today, January 4, 2013. It was the e-mail version of the RDH Magazine E-Village, combination "RDH Focus Newsletter", then "Dentistry IQ".
However, scroll down below Dentistry IQ and find the subheading called HEADLINES. Read the article "Academy of General Dentistry responds to JADA review of mid-level providers." Very discouraging for hygienists. We could do so much good for people in nursing homes, etc. Also, the second article that I believe was overall misleading information, was titled, "Hygienists, dentists, among best jobs in America 2013". My mouth fell to the floor. There a surplus of hygienists in the USA and Canada with very few job openings. Also, in Illinois our state is allowing more dental hygiene school curriculums to open.
The staff at my school is not telling current students about the sad state of job opportunities in Illinois, the U.S., or Canada.
A year ago I called the the state hygiene headquarters in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, and Washington. Also, I called various hygiene schools in those states. Their reply ... "Don't bother coming out here. Our hygienists are having a hard time finding a job in our state!"
Steph, please go to RDH Magazine E-Village with a sub-heading of RDH Focus Newsletter, scroll down a bit under another sub-heading to Dentistry IQ, and under that are current topics under HEADLINES. You are welcome to write to me about your thoughts on these matters.

P.S. I couldn't get back to my "in box" to forward the link. I tried that ten minutes ago and I lost the words in my reply to you.

Chicago RDH,

I am speechless with all that is said about our professions "career opportunites"...they are few and far inbetween!!!! PPL should be accountable for what they write and educating students with few prospects of getting a job after graduation. I wonder who wrote that article? Probably some one with a job or not a hygienist.

It's getting better, but still tough to find a job in every profession. I think the best advice to any hygienist is to make yourself stand out in the crowd. There's lots of ways to do that in just the resume alone, but you have to market yourself.

Tracie Perry
gethiredrdh.wordpress.com
Landing a Great Dental Hygiene Job

Terrri in Berkeley, California said: If their are 100 Hygienist applying for one job-only one will get the job! It is going to get worse.

People-Go to the government website a fill out statistics questions-If enough of us do this -We may save ourselves.

RDHgirl in Utah said: Exactly! The one who stands out most, gets the job!
;-)

Tracie Perry
gethiredrdh.wordpress.com 
Landing a Great Dental Hygiene Job

RDHgirl....you got to be kidding!!!! NOt u again...lol Im a 20 plus year old vet...enthusiasm is good but not practical in this day and age...Hope you dont give any more cheerleader speeches. Hopefully your not using this to make money for yourself?!

still retired in Texas said: RDHgirl....you got to be kidding!!!! NOt u again...lol Im a 20 plus year old vet...enthusiasm is good but not practical in this day and age...Hope you dont give any more cheerleader speeches. Hopefully your not using this to make money for yourself?!

In FL there are NO jobs. I am sure the colleges are still reeling in students with the great hourly rate blah blah.. never telling students that you may work one day a month as a temp. I have been out of work since the end of July. The only jobs are maybe one day a week if that or horrible corporate places that use us up and throw us away. I am so sorry I went to school for this back breaking job for no benefits, stability, and never having time to use the bathroom when I do work. I cant believe I ever wanted to do this for a living. So unstable. I am sure the internet is full of sites claiming we are in demand. What a joke.

Terrri in Berkeley, California said: I am glad that someone else finds this RDHgirl very annoying. I get the feeling that you might be correct in saying -she might be making money off of this somehow. Why is there not something in place to prevent these schools opening and advertising that Hygiene jobs are easy to get-I just read some thing that said some schools charging up to 90,000.00 dollars-for a Degree that is almost unusable..Some of these Schools only have 15 months of study. They have to be leaving something out of the curriculum.

These schools SHOULD be some-what responisble for putting their students through false hopes...but i guess those instructors want to get paid(at any cost possibly) and hygienist are becoming more and more disposible to employers. Lets here it for our associations!!! lol :/

Accoding to her website, RDHgirl graduated in 2010 so she is a newbie and probably has only worked in Utah. Her husband is in marketing and together they wrote a book about how to find a good job as a dental hygienist so of course she is making money off her website. The book is in its 2nd edition already. Hopefully she has some good tips for those seeking positions. The truth is that dental hygiene is not a career I would advise any intelligent young person to go into these days. Sad, but true. I love what I do but one must give out practical advice and dental hygiene is no longer as wonderful as it used to be.

FlossBoss in Oceanside, California said: Accoding to her website, RDHgirl graduated in 2010 so she is a newbie and probably has only worked in Utah. Her husband is in marketing and together they wrote a book about how to find a good job as a dental hygienist so of course she is making money off her website. The book is in its 2nd edition already. Hopefully she has some good tips for those seeking positions. The truth is that dental hygiene is not a career I would advise any intelligent young person to go into these days. Sad, but true. I love what I do but one must give out practical advice and dental hygiene is no longer as wonderful as it used to be.

Thank you for mentioning our book. The fact is we haven't made any money on the website, in fact we've shelled out quite a bit and spent countless hours on it. But the reward has been the thousands we have helped. If not so, there would not have been a second edition.

There are most definitely lots of dental hygiene jobs. It's more competitive than it used to be, but still opportunities available if one wants it bad enough.

Tracie Perry
gethiredrdh.wordpress.com
Landing a Great Dental Hygiene Job

Anyone can go to the Umemployment office and get these tips on how to "search for a job." Its not rocket science. ALSO, Get free access to software for resume writing and coverletters... Supplies are FREE TOO!

Hey, whatever it takes to land a job. I will add though that we went that route and didn't have much luck. Most of the tips are from real life trial and error.

Tracie Perry
gethiredrdh.wordpress.com

Job search/obtaining usually is sucessful more likely word of mouth, not to exclude old fashion resume giving and keeping up with that employer. Most will agree. Its even tougher when you have to start all over in another state. In the state of Texas, we have more and more schools that have popped up in the recent years. If you do the math this is putting out more hygienist than ever, not to exclude our already private sector schools whom a few have up'd there enrollement load of students by double. Things have changed. People and perception have changed. Hygiene and other medical careers have become a salesmans paradise (possibly).

Time is already telling we are dire in some states....some ppl have to re-tool or/and already have an additional minimum wage job,or retiring there licenses because its not feasible to keep up with the requirements of their license. Im talking ppl with experience and education in hygiene. The trend Im seeing is that employeers will hire for short periods of time and to the lowest bidder. So reality of the streets is, IT IS WHAT IT IS and where u live. :/ We have definately felt it here and its gonna get worse.

RDHCJ in Connecticut said: You are lucky that your professors were honest with you! I graduated from DH school 3 years ago and the professors all made it sound like we could walk into any local office and say "Hey I want to work here" and they would hire us and be happy we came in. That wasn't true 3 years ago and isn't true today. I also am barely working as a RDH and only glad that I didn't go to a private college because I'd be in debt otherwise. I completely understand your struggle.

Hi there

MUST you have a CLEAN criminal record in order to become a dental hygienist?

MUST you have a CLEAN criminal record, in order to become a dental hygienist and be able to obtain a job?