Are you thinking about making a career change? There are many career options out there, and finding the perfect career for you can be challenging. One career you should consider is dental hygiene. Working in dental hygiene can be incredibly rewarding. Here are five reasons why your new career in dental hygiene will have you smiling.
1. Good Job Security
Dental hygiene is a secure career. People in this field enjoy a lower-than-average unemployment rate. If you’ve suffered through periods of unemployment before, knowing that you’re working in a secure field will leave you smiling.
The Canadian Dental Hygiene Association conducts regular surveys of its members. In the 2015 survey (the most recent available), the unemployment rate for dental hygienists was only 2.1 percent. This is much lower than the unemployment rate for people in other fields. The Canada-wide unemployment rate, as of April 2017, was 6.5 percent.
2. High Compensation
Do you feel underpaid in your current job? It’s not a nice feeling, and it may be a big part of why you’re looking for a new career. You’ll be happy to learn that people working in dental hygiene receive high compensation for their work.
The median salary for dental hygienists in Canada is a whopping $70,647 per year. Dental hygienists earn an average hourly rate of $40.18. Of course, more experienced workers can earn even more than that. This is why dental hygiene is ranked one of the best jobs in Canada.
Many dental hygienists get employee benefits, too. In fact, 79 percent receive benefits from their employers, according to CDHA data. If you don’t get any benefits from your current job, the idea of getting employee benefits can be very attractive.
3. Flexible Work Hours
Many people have family obligations or personal interests that need to be met outside of work hours. If your schedule is very rigid, it can be hard to meet your obligations. If you have a poor work-life balance in your current career, you may be looking to change that.
When you work in dental hygiene, you can enjoy flexible work hours. You can work either full time or part time, depending on your needs. Dental offices are open days, evenings, and even weekends, so you can find work that suits your scheduling needs.
4. Being Self-Employed
As a dental hygienist, you’ll have the option to become self-employed. Some people will be employed by dentists, while others will operate their own businesses. When you’re self-employed, you can split your time between more than one dental office. You can also operate a mobile dental hygiene clinic and see patients in residential care facilities, community health centres, or other locations around your community.
There are many benefits of being self-employed. As a small business owner, you’ll have full control over the hours you work and when you work. You can choose who you want to work for. Self-employed hygienists also have the potential to make more money than employees.
5. Exciting Work
Some people think that dental hygiene is just cleaning people’s teeth. While cleaning teeth is certainly an important part of the job, it’s only one part. Dental hygienists perform a wide variety of duties. Every patient is different and needs different treatments, so your work won’t get boring.
For example, dental hygienists handle tasks like assessing gum disease, checking for oral cancer, and applying fluoride. They help dentists with medical and dental emergencies, which can be unpredictable. Other tasks may include counselling patients about oral hygiene practices or post-operative practices. Since some patients are scared of dentists, you may also soothe and comfort your patients to make appointments go smoothly.