Dental Hygienist...What are 5 great perks for becoming one?

[.:abc's:.]

also, what is a starting pay range. thanks!

[lordpil]

1) Insert fingers into mouths of patients that didn't bother to brush their teeth before coming
2) Get spit on when you unexpectedly gag the patient
3) Get accidentally bitten and infected with various diseases
4) Lead conversation wherever you want by pretending not to understand the muffled response of the patient
5) Be made fun of by the 'real' dentists

[nancy s]

1. Work basically solo on a patient providing your own input and opinions as to how they can have a healthy mouth.
2. Work the days you want to work....either part time or full time. Some offices are flexible with the hours of the day you will work also.
3. Good - Great pay-scale depending on where you live. I would say starting out these days at $225-250 a day in some areas. More in bigger cities and if you work salary/commission.
4. Well educated individual with hopefully at least a Bachelors Degree.
5. Provide a health service to those that don't know how or who can't create a healthy mouth on their own. If you are a nurturing person, this will be what motivates you the most.

There are good and bad points to every job or career. There are good and bad dentists to work for. The biggest perk for me is being able to work my own schedule of patients and basically feeling like an associate to the dentist rather than just a helper in the office.
A Hygienist is not a Dentist..........but we can work solo a whole lot better than a dentist can.

[scooter]

Perks:
1. You can pretty much pick your own hours and work as many or as few days as you want.
2. Good pay and benefits
3. You get to know your patients and look forward to seeing them every six months (well, some of them....)
4. Scrubs are comfortable
5. You are a dental professional but only had to go to school for 4 years and you don't have the responsibility of a dentist.

I work 2 days a week as a hygienist in VA and it's not too bad, better than full time like I used to do. Hygiene is a little hard on your back. It can be pretty monotonous but the pay and benefits make it alright. Starting pay will range, but in my area it's about $30-35/hr, and if you're full time you will probably get your scrubs, continuing ed, two weeks of vacation and some kind of retirement plan too!