dental hygienist schools and job outlook for future

Hey. im a male from the Bahamas who is interested in dental hygiene. i want to find a great DH school in either florida or Texas around the Houston area. and if the school is in florida, would they accept transfers from a texas school?

1stguy in Athens, Texas said: Hey. im a male from the Bahamas who is interested in dental hygiene. i want to find a great DH school in either florida or Texas around the Houston area. and if the school is in florida, would they accept transfers from a texas school?

go to the "looking for a job" dental hygiene forum and read some of the posts. Info on fl there.

thank you

great to see you are making progress
i hope both you and shay are doing well

I have been a hygienist 8 years and cannot find full time work or benefits. I was lied to by my school administrator about the job outlook and would love to meet him in a dark alley sometime. If you are at all good looking the dentist will be intimidated and the staff will all try to date you or have you make them your favorite. It is like survivor every day being a male in hygiene. You never know when someone is going to vote you off. Don't do it for god's sake. Pick something else.

lol thanks for the warning

No problem. Trying to save others the pain of what we have discovered.

Mike in Clinton Township, Michigan said: No problem. Trying to save others the pain of what we have discovered.

Yes, Mike I'm with you on that...no sugar coating. Tell it like it is.

1stguy in Athens, Texas said: Hey. im a male from the Bahamas who is interested in dental hygiene. i want to find a great DH school in either florida or Texas around the Houston area. and if the school is in florida, would they accept transfers from a texas school?

If you are planning to go back to the Bahamas, then , by all means, do dental hygiene. Because one of my friend just went back and she said the demand for d.h is very high over there. However, I can not say that here in America. Much luck and think twice before joining this field. I'm working two days , and it's not because I want to , it's because the dentists are just not hiring. I don't have benefits or insurance, thank God my parents let me stay with them or else I'll be on the street. I'm going back to school , but not sure exactly what I want t go into.

1stguy in Athens, Texas said: Hey. im a male from the Bahamas who is interested in dental hygiene. i want to find a great DH school in either florida or Texas around the Houston area. and if the school is in florida, would they accept transfers from a texas school?

Hey, I'm actually looking for a hygienist program in the bahamas preferrably near ross university on dominca because my spouse is going to school there. Do u know what the closest school is?

1stguy, job opportunities in Texas are hot for hygienists, the negative comments are coming from a state that has a bad job market for hygienists. Do it and good luck to you!!!

Mike in Clinton Township, Michigan said: I have been a hygienist 8 years and cannot find full time work or benefits. I was lied to by my school administrator about the job outlook and would love to meet him in a dark alley sometime. If you are at all good looking the dentist will be intimidated and the staff will all try to date you or have you make them your favorite. It is like survivor every day being a male in hygiene. You never know when someone is going to vote you off. Don't do it for god's sake. Pick something else.

How good looking are you? Hygiene is "overcrowded" and is likely to stay that way for the next 10 yrs.

To be perfectly honest, I don't see many practicing male hygienist at the conventions and I believe it is because for some odd reason hygienists have been a female gender role for yrs and its going to take a while for the public as well as the dentist to accept the change. Not that I undertand this, it is just the plain truth. Just like with nursing. Now its very normal to see a male nurse and that took a while for the public and doctors to accept.
Hang in there men! I do believe this field is wonderful, make sure to come to it from the heart and not for the money. I feel with the way the ecomnomy has been, many are going into the field just for the benifits and income. You got to really want to be there for your patients and to be of service to help achieve and maintain optimum oral health. The schools are very difficult and many smart people apply and make it through, but ask yourself are you really doing it because you want to help people achieve their dental goals? or if your desprate in making a good living. If you want both thats GREAT! The first part is very important or you will become a burned out hygienist after only 1-2 yrs practicing.
I hope this helps in your decisions on becomming a dental hygienist.

23 yr. exp. ...In BC at least, there are a lot of male RDH...I personally know of 5, and they have been around for a while. It's not an anomoly here, and most patients have no issue with it.

DH is still predominantly a female arena, but the males are slowly making headway.

BUT, I would not advise ANYONE at this time to become a DH...please read these forums and all the posts. It's a heavily saturated field, and will take years to correct itself..and DH will probably look a lot different then.

Please do your research very carefully before going into ANYTHING. Tuition fees are very expensive, and having student loan debt and no job are absolutely he*ll.

1stguy in Athens, Texas said: Hey. im a male from the Bahamas who is interested in dental hygiene. i want to find a great DH school in either florida or Texas around the Houston area. and if the school is in florida, would they accept transfers from a texas school?

The University of Texas, Dental Branch is the BEST dental hygiene school ever! You can not earn a BSDH anywhere in the state of FL.

hi, im 19 years and i was just accepted into a very good and accredited dental assisting program, indiana university-purdue university-fort wayne, which also offers ortho assisting classes that i am interested in. BUT i am worried that i too and going to hate my job and the pay will be horrible, i kind of want to forget the program and just go for hygiene BUT i still need to take chem, bio, AND micro bio and get good grades in them to even get into the hygiene progam, plus i am horrible in math and science, im not sure if i can even pass the classes. if i fail them i will have wasted a year of my life and deynied a great, resepected dental assisting school. who knows what i will do then!! is it to big of a risk? HELP!!! i only have a week untill i give the IPFW assisting program my awnser.

sara lynn in South Bend, Indiana said: hi, im 19 years and i was just accepted into a very good and accredited dental assisting program, indiana university-purdue university-fort wayne, which also offers ortho assisting classes that i am interested in. BUT i am worried that i too and going to hate my job and the pay will be horrible, i kind of want to forget the program and just go for hygiene BUT i still need to take chem, bio, AND micro bio and get good grades in them to even get into the hygiene progam, plus i am horrible in math and science, im not sure if i can even pass the classes. if i fail them i will have wasted a year of my life and deynied a great, resepected dental assisting school. who knows what i will do then!! is it to big of a risk? HELP!!! i only have a week untill i give the IPFW assisting program my awnser.

Hi, Great on your acceptance for DA school....it will more likely afford you work, and actual job when you get out and AND.....BENEFITS!!! DH is not the route if you want a career, it is going through and oversaturation that IMO won't absorb all the students training now, recent grads and those in the field now...P.S. The older DH's aren't leaving anytime soon either...so the jobs listed receive easily 100 resumes, so the Dr.'s can pick and choose, pay you what they decide on , and in many, actually most cases we don't recevie any benefits! You are on your own for your med./dent/401-K, etc....reality .....but I would rather you know this before pursuing it....If you decide you like being a DA after you've completed training, and the Dr. is willing to help out on the ridiculous cost of DH school, and offers you a position (in writing!), then go for DH, if not think ahead 30 years...save now, invest well now, you will need it...read further and you will see the recent grads and students now graduating finding it tough to payback loans and find ANY consistent work....not there, for many years...

so you dont think DA would be a bad decision and dead end career? so confused after reading all these people say they hate their jobs :(

sara lynn in South Bend, Indiana said: so you dont think DA would be a bad decision and dead end career? so confused after reading all these people say they hate their jobs :(

Hi Sara, If you want to be in the DENTAL field, DA's are more likely finding work as to the DH field which is overcrowded and no ben's or med/dent/cont. ed....for most of us we are on our own. With any job, there will be "those employers" that we try to avoid, but in any case...a DA has a more reg/set income since you are the Dr.'s chief cook , bottle washer AND....right hand to keep his schedule and cases going . DA, NOT RDH....if you are not sure, it's alot less costly to train in DA = 2,000-5,000 as compared to the licensing and training =2-4years, stress, cost!!!!20-40,000+++ depending where you live. If you read further on here you will see even alot of recent grads, and soon to be grads...having a tough time....many resumes for the Dr.'s to choose from, and you take the hours and pay THEY decide...not negotiable as it once was....as I've indicated in other info...DH in 10+ years??? Even then I don't personally feel the numbers in the field and graduating now will be absorbed....so the pay goes down, and you struggle and compete for the offices...DA , go for it = short training, and "BENEFITS"....you need to think about this when you are young, because it gets tougher down the road! GL

...to the dental hygienists out there who can't find work - i share your pain.
Not a single job since graduating...

Ron in Saint Catharines, Ontario said: ...to the dental hygienists out there who can't find work - i share your pain.
Not a single job since graduating...

Hi Ron,
When did you graduate...?

sara lynn in South Bend, Indiana said: so you dont think DA would be a bad decision and dead end career? so confused after reading all these people say they hate their jobs :(

Have you job shadowed an assistant? It might help you make up your mind. Keep in mind that dental offices are businesses whose main goal is to make a profit. There are very very few offices that care about people. This includes their staff. You will be pushed to the point you feel like you are working in a factory on an assembly line. One procedure after another and no matter how fast you are you'll be pushed for more. I am currently working with an asst who just came to us after completing her program at Ivy Tech. She had not done anything but as a student and her practical experience was very limited. Mostly watching the rest of us and learning what things are ect. Her second day on the job she was given 40 min to do 5 MOD restorations! When she told the OM there was a mistake on the schedule, her response was to get fast quick or get a new job. This field burns people out fast. Beware.

sara lynn in South Bend, Indiana said: so you dont think DA would be a bad decision and dead end career? so confused after reading all these people say they hate their jobs :(

Hi Sara Lynn:
Dental assisting isn't a career, it's a job. The same goes for dental hygiene. It's just a job. Suzanne's right; it's just like factory assembly-line work. Once you've finished one patient it's on to the next. The burn-out rate is high; you work until you can't take the stress any more--then you quit or look for ways to work less. It can be a very unsympathetic environment. Job shadow and ask a lot of questions. Be blunt and don't mince words--you need to know. Best of luck.

Ron in Saint Catharines, Ontario said: ...to the dental hygienists out there who can't find work - i share your pain.
Not a single job since graduating...

Hi Ron...
2010 graduate..but still trying to pass my state board (taking it in Oct). Anyways, my classmates who passed and have their licenses...those who knew people got jobs really fast (full time almost)...so it really comes down to who you know. And my friends from school who absolutely have no connections or friends from dental offices are having a really hard time looking for a job.

Have you tried going to a temp agency? But knowing people from dental offices or getting inside scoops from your instructors (since they should know people from dental offices) is your best bet!

Good luck job hunting ^_^

hey starlamteeth! I saw that you mentioned you went to cerritos for DH. I am just wondering, how many of the 20-24 DH students got jobs? For how many days? I heard the field is saturated/ flooded and I spoke with people and even the prof at cerritos..everyone is saying different things prof Nakino?? (not sure if i remember the name right...) said that the field will never be flooded...other offices i called are saying it is or isnt flooded....

Hi Jessica Love,

To be honest...I've only kept in touch with about half of the class..so lets just say 12 girls. Of that 12, a few (~3) are traveling and have not started their job hunt. 1 for sure will be working at 2 different offices (probably totaling 4-5 days)...another friend is temping for a few weeks, another got a 2 days/wk gig, and the rest are still looking...keep in mind there are still some students who have not passed their ethics or state (like me) so they are still waiting for their licenses. I do know of a few classmates who are having a hard time looking for a job. The ones that are having a hard time ABSOLUTELY have NO connections with any dental offices. Those who are working/found jobs made friends with DDS, dental staffs, guest speakers, ppl they met at conventions during the program...so it is important to always impress anyone because you never know who will put in a good word for you. It's all about who you know now-a-days.

Ah, yes, Prof Nino ^_^ Based on what I've read, heard, and seen...hygiene used to be a super in demand job than it is now. I still think there are a good amount of jobs out there...you just have to know where to look and who to talk to. I don't think everyone is posting job openings on craigslists/ online and such as much anymore.

People are always going to say one thing and you will hear different from another. Its like Nursing, Nursing is always an in demand profession right? Then why is my one friend who just graduated from nursing school with a RN degree and holds a BS is having such a hard time finding work. It's all about timing too...my boyfriend graduated from a DH program in 07 and he was flooded with offers, the 2009 grads- I've heard through the grapevine that some are lucky to have one day a week, but others got a full time gigs...so it's really about timing and where you look.

I know I don't have my license yet, but I'm not scared about finding a job (to be honest).

....Jessica Love...

Also, you never know...by the time you complete a hygiene program and get your license...things will pick back up and you will be flooded with offers and finding a job will be your last worries you know.

But then again, we should not put all of our eggs into one basket...which is why I say...if you have a choice to get your Bachelors (if you don't have one already), you should definitely get one. Being an RDH and having a bachelors can help you open more doors not just being a clinician. There is definitely more to hygiene than being a clinician...

So whatever you do, have a game plan all mapped out. Our bodies weren't made to last forever...especially with choosing the hygiene path...which is why I have a Bachelors' degree already and I plan to do more than just being a clinician...

Hello, starlamteeth! Do you wonder about what prof Nino said? I am just wondering why she would say the field would never get flooded and that it is in high demand when it obviously isnt (and she is aware the economy isnt good either!)...I do like dentistry/ DH but for 15k and no job after 2 yrs of intense schooling...it makes me worry! I cant go into this and not get anything out of it =/...my mom would kill me (she is helping me pay if I do DH)...I also spoke with an RDH to be at Loma Linda school and she said she wish she knew about the job saturation before she entered the program b/c it really is tough ... I know you usually dont get benefits/ paid vacation / 401k as a DH, which I guess I didnt mind much if I have a full time job as a DH. I read a lot about people on this forum from other states and some people in CA too that they are unemployed or at a DH they do not like ...but cannot leave b/c there are no other jobs. Have you tried looking for a job? I know you are still working on getting the license and I am sure you will..but have you tried looking or asking around yourself to find out about the job market etc? Thanks

Hi Jessica Love.

I know for the Cerritos DH program, a few months after their recent grads leave and begin working or whatever...the school usually sends a survey to the recent grads regarding job placement and such. So based on the conversation you had with prof Nino..she was probably basing it off that or to past students that she still keeps in touch with. After reading and browsing many forums regarding our profession...I think that Califorians have an advantage over other states as far as the job hunt (my opinion). I have seen recent job listings for hygiene jobs (even though the postings aren't as much as they used to be...but there is still some). But like I said before...you really need to make your connections NOW...whether its having friends who works at dental offices, relatives, or even random people you meet. It's all about who you know. So if you are really considering DH, then I suggest maybe working at a dental office while getting your prerequisites completed...because all my friends who are working RIGHT NOW got their jobs through someone they knew (word of mouth).

I know you are nervous and scared...who isn't...but you never know...if maybe by the time you graduate the economy will pick up. Or since you mentioned you like dentistry...why not be in Dentist? But if hygiene is truly what you want to do, then I know I would go for it. You can't be scared of the economy because it is going to SLOW YOU DOWN...because if you think about it, there are other professions where they are too having a hard time finding work (it's not just DH). Do what you love and love what you do...the money will come.

I look for jobs everyday...helping my friends out...and yeah, some of them are driving hours away from their hometown just to drop off resume...but those people have no connections or anything..so yah, it will be hard for them! And I do have a handful of classmates who are working right now or going in for interviews

^_^