Are you a Dental Hygienist??? Please respond.....?

Hi, Im in my mid-40s and am contemplating a career in dental hygiene. Since I dont have the luxury of time, I am looking for a shorter term educational program as well as a lucrative career. Being a single mom, I need a job that will pay off as well as being able to find a job in that field. I currently live in a small rural area 90 miles outside of Chicago. I would like to hear your comments and experiences with this job and any advice you would have for me, like, am I too old to start in this field......etc.......Thankyou to all that respond! I appreciate it.

Are you a Dental Hygienist??? Please respond.....?
While I'm not sure where the other person lives that responded, in the Chicagoland area the average wage is about 62,000 per year. Just checked. I am in my upper 30's and considering the same path as you. Having relatives in the Chicago area got me into looking at what is out there; here is what I found:





Dental Hygiene programs are a two year full-time program. Very limited enrollment and very few schools offer the program. In a community college setting the state of Illinois has about 12 if my memory serves me. 12 would seem like a high number until you factor in the each of these schools is working with 5-6 cooperative schools; so the applications increase. Get ALL of your prerequisits completed and keep up your GPA. Check you chosen schools web site for the particulars on their program- for the most part they require the same things but there are some subtle differences.





While they list Microbiology and A%26amp;P 1/2 as part of the program; you need these prior to entering. They use these as part of the criteria to rank for admissions. A good counselor can tell you the in's and out's as well. I took these classes on a part-time basis while preparing to apply. This way it was easier for me to concentrate on each class and keep up my GPA. Also- if you have taken any of your science classes make sure that they are not older than 7 years. Illinois requires that all students have current science classes prior to applying for the program. I had to retake some of mine. Most states have this same requirement anywhere from 5-7 years is the norm.





Seek out current and former students in the program- I found out some great information from them that I would not have gotten from speaking with a counselor. They can help you- use this to your advantage.





Verify when your schools application dealine is- once it is closed they will not accept any new ones until the next year opens. We just went through that here I had to have all college and high school transcripts submitted and reviewed by 2/15/08 in order to be considered for the classes starting in May 2008.





Depending on where you live, (south or west of Chicago) the number of schools that offer this program decreases- so you might have to travel. I have listed a site for you to check for a local school in your area. Remember to verify if your school does not offer Dental Hygiene as a program, ask them which school you can attend under the reciprical/cooperative agreement. This is important as it will allow you to go to a school that offers Dental Hygiene and you can pay the in district rates.





Sorry this was long, but I am where you were sitting two years ago- and I was clueless at that time.





Good Luck and Great Choice.
Reply:My mother is a hygienist. She's been doing it for 23 years, and doesn't enjoy it. It pays, and the hours are nice, however you aren't likely to find an office that will employ you full time. Most offices try to get you to work 3 days a week or so, so they don't have to pay you full time benefits. YOu'll have to work at 2 offices part time most likely. Her main complaint is working with people who haven't cleaned their teeth in years and working in the mouths of people with HIV/AIDS. She describes it as "picking gunk off people's teeth while their spit flies in your hair"





you aren't too old to start, however many dentists will hire younger just because the young don't expect a high pay rate. if you're willing to work at an introductory rate, (say, $19 as opposed to the $26 that an experienced hygienist makes) you will get a job