Are hygienist job opportunities growing or declining?

Are jobs in this industry on the rise? Are there any sub-sectors that are growing?

Where are the jobs? Which places have the most hygienist opportunities?

Host said: Are jobs in this industry on the rise? Are there any sub-sectors that are growing?

Where are the jobs? Which places have the most hygienist opportunities?

Hygiene positions are NOT there!!! Best to spend your hard earned money , parent's$$, loans, etc... on another field of interest. In 2-4 yrs. when you graduate, I feel there will still be MANY OTHERS applying for the 1 or 2 jobs advertised!
If you want a job in healthcare REALLY!!!!!research it; don't go by what you read on the web, or from recruiters, or from a
dental office you've been to UNLESS they have offered and are
keeping that job for you when you've graduated in 2-4yrs.
Try to REALLY KNOW what area you want to work in for 30yrs. It's a hard decision and you have to factor in the economy now and 10plus years beyond! Good luck!!!!

I agree with you. I drive 75 miles one way to have a job as a hygienist and I am lucky to have it. Too many new grads that will work for half of my wages. The market also is flooded with dr.'s that pay no benefits or holidays. No appreciation for our license. At 52 I am contemplating going back to school as I don't see a future in hygiene. I am trying to find out where jobs are so please let me know of any. Thanks

I completely agree as well...graduated with my BS in hygiene in 2008 following advice from another RDH and looking at current job opportunities. With the economy and tons of new hygiene schools pumping out folks, there is a scarcity of jobs, even if the job articles still state hygiene is a "happening" career. I am also looking at going back to school so I can feed myself...I've spent half my time since graduation being unemployed, and it's not fun.
By the way, this is a problem for the whole U.S. and isn't just in small pockets here and there. Research well....and probably avoid this field like the plague.

Following my comment above of 15 months ago, I was on unemployment for 11 months and now drive 112 miles one way, stay in a hotel 5 nights a week and go home on weekends. It costs me a minimum of $300 a week for expenses and some days I've been sent back to the hotel because the schedule fell apart and not gotten paid anything even though I'm full-time and agreed to give them a 39 hour a week commitment. Hygiene is so very difficult in Indiana. I'm just ready to give up. I know many others feel the same.

I currently have a job that I would like to leave and there are absolutely NO JOBS as a Dental Hygienist here in Wisconsin. NONE. NOTHING. If you are looking for a career in health care be a NURSE!

Hi Suzanne...don't wait too long to go back to school...I am older than you and hopefully will be in class in September this year. I'll be the grandma of the class!! I'll bring my knitting for when I am bored!! Kidding...I am terrified..don't know if my brain works like it used to. Will I retain anything..how will I do on exams...clinical???

Don't wait..do it really soon. Time passes and before you know it, you're my age and still in the same crappy situation for work.

Me again..sounds like I am going into hygiene...NOOOOOO. I am a hygienist and getting OUT!!!!

waterbug100 in Nanaimo, British Columbia said: Hi Suzanne...don't wait too long to go back to school...I am older than you and hopefully will be in class in September this year. I'll be the grandma of the class!! I'll bring my knitting for when I am bored!! Kidding...I am terrified..don't know if my brain works like it used to. Will I retain anything..how will I do on exams...clinical???

Don't wait..do it really soon. Time passes and before you know it, you're my age and still in the same crappy situation for work.

I know you're right! I was enrolled and had everything going then got the job offer I am at right now and I should have passed and gone on to school. I was trying to get out of it for all the reasons you stated. LOL. Some days I can't remember the smallest of things. Heck, this morning I put the sprayer in to fill the ultrasonic basket and the phone rang and don't you know it ran over! Forgot I even had it on. :). Oh well, it was Monday. I cleaned it up and laughed. The rest of the staff talked about it all day, so guess I'm still good for something.

find another career this is a dead end job

waterbug100 in Nanaimo, British Columbia said: Me again..sounds like I am going into hygiene...NOOOOOO. I am a hygienist and getting OUT!!!!

Been reading everyone's comment and didn't realize so many Hygienist feel the same way as I do. I love dentistry and hope to continue in Dentistry but Dental Hygiene, the field itself has definitely been devalued due to over saturation and other factors as well. I've been a Hygienist for ten years, and still have the same gross salary as when I started. I've been taking evening classes at the the moment and am looking into other alternatives. I am fortunate to have a job currently eventhough I've been cut by 15 hours from my normal work week. Best of luck to those who are searching and are considering entering into the program.

So many feel this way because it's true. Less opportunity, less hourly pay, no benefits or else very rare, what's to hang on for? A weekly paycheck subject to the dr's discression of whether he wants to work that week or not? Or his wife's decision they need a new hygienist based on no education in the dental realm? I've seen it happen time and again. I love hygiene too but the reality is if I want to work until age 66 or longer I have to retrain for another career or just accept a minimum wage job as a cashier for the next 12 years! I met a woman a few months ago who's been a hygienist 30 years. She's sharp, very attractive, stays current and she's been degraded and humiliated by so many dds to the point she just quit and is living off her savings and working in the kitchen at a nursing home. She said she's happier than she's been in years, not having to worry about the schedule, the dr, the production goals. Hygiene is a tough job, mentally and physically.

I agree with you whole-heartedly. All that you can expect from this associate degree is a paycheck, and with the economy so bad I've had to "wait" to cash my check because the Dr. didn't have enough money in his account, or take turns cashing my check with other office personnel. I also love hygiene, but I am going to persue a higher degree at the age of 49 because I don't want to be the cook at a nursing home. (no offense). I've been doing hyg. since 1994 and it has been a nightmare occupation. I would never recommend this job to anyone. WE NEED A UNION. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO PRACTICE INDEPENDENTLY. ADHA IS NOT DOING ENOUGH, UNION,UNION, UNION.

THERE ARE NO JOBS IN CINCINNATI BECAUSE A LOCAL COLLEGE IS CHURNING HYG OUT EVERY YEAR. IT'S A 2 HOUR DRIVE TO WORK, CURRENTLY I AM ON UNEMPLOYMENT. I DREAD THE DRIVE ESP IN THE WINTER, YOU GOTTA WEIGH THINGS OUT-IS IT BETTER TO TAKE A ANY OLD JOB CLOSER TO HOME, OR TRAVEL WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING TO STAY IN A HOTEL, IT KINDA SUCKS, DOESN'T IT????

teresa d in Cincinnati, Ohio said: THERE ARE NO JOBS IN CINCINNATI BECAUSE A LOCAL COLLEGE IS CHURNING HYG OUT EVERY YEAR. IT'S A 2 HOUR DRIVE TO WORK, CURRENTLY I AM ON UNEMPLOYMENT. I DREAD THE DRIVE ESP IN THE WINTER, YOU GOTTA WEIGH THINGS OUT-IS IT BETTER TO TAKE A ANY OLD JOB CLOSER TO HOME, OR TRAVEL WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING TO STAY IN A HOTEL, IT KINDA SUCKS, DOESN'T IT????

You state my current situation to a T! I interviewed in Madison, IN and was offered 4 days a week at $34/hour. It is 198 miles from home and the roads are not drivable on ice. 2 lane and right next to the river with nothing for an hour. The dr told me I'd better plan on hybernating and going home in the spring! Well no thank-you. I have a home that's paid for and a grandson I don't want to be away from 6 months at a time. I've been living in a hotel for the past 7 months during the week and I am over that for sure. Plus you spend what you make trying to commute. I have put 30K miles on my car too. So when you figure in all your expenses I'd have been money ahead to take a lesser paying job at home and forget hygiene. I am setting in the WorkOne office now appealing my claim. The office hired me FT but then cut me to 1 day. Lack of work but they say I'm not eligible. We'll see. They expect me to drive 5 hours Friday to work 4, if that. This is too much for me. I start pre-reqs over in a week and a half. A&P 1 again! I can't believe it. Such is the world of hygienists.

PS Been there too on waiting to cash the paycheck. One dr told me he couldn't pay me until after his vacation because he didn't know how much his wife would lose in Vegas! This was a week before they were even supposed to leave. I moved on but how in the world do they think this is ok? The dr's know they have us over a barrel and are using it to their advantage for sure. Good luck to you! :)

Thanks, I need all the luck I can get. Glad to hear you got away from Dr. Vegas. He sounds like par for the course to me.

Oh Suzanne,
You really have been put thru the wringer haven't you? I am sorry life is so hard for you. Like I said before it's par for the course when it comes to dental hygienie. What are you planning to take for a major this time? I'm leaning towards a bach in science in administration with a concentration in healthcare, but I'm not set in stone yet. Since I have been out of school 16 years I probably have to start from day one same as you. I could kill the damn community college that keeps putting new hyg. out. How can they keep doing it when there are no jobs, I don't know. I feel for you. Stay in touch.

Host said: Are jobs in this industry on the rise? Are there any sub-sectors that are growing?

Where are the jobs? Which places have the most hygienist opportunities?

There has been a severe decline in the Pacific Northwest in the past 5 to 10 years due to the opening of many new dental hygiene programs. I have been looking for full-time in WA state or northern Oregon for 6 months and find 1 0r 2 full time openings per month within a 200 mile radius of my home, none in central WA.

In california, Hygienist positions are rare. The ones available aren't where you would want to work. Since I graduated, in 1998, two local schools churn out hygienists like never seen in the past.
When I graduated there were jobs aplenty. Now the job market is flooded and still they keep telling students that the jobs will come back. Sure, when those of us already in the field retire or die off. I went back to school and got my RDHAP license. Now I work for myself in SNFs and residences of People with Special Needs. I don't miss working for dentists who nickle and dime a Hygienist because they know the Hygiene Field is flooded. Parents warn your children to not go into this occupation. Become nurses if they want to care for people. There are always positions available for nurses. If I were younger I'd go back to school for nursing.