Dental Hygienists paid more than Nurses?

Nurses General Nursing

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Can someone explain to me why Dental Hygienists get paid more than Nurses. Someone suggested that they are dealing with the dirtiest part of the human body all day - but excuse me - As a nurse I would be on my feet running from patient to patient (not sitting and doing a cleaning), I am exposed to every potential infectious disease, my liability is greater, I give meds and observe for side effects of those meds. I understand that their boards are much more difficult (8 hours I think), but what am I missing?

Lisa

who is wondering if I should have gone to DH school instead of nursing school

Specializes in Case management, UM, AL, psych, CD.

Another thing to consider, as I considered Dental Hygiene as a profession at one time, and I spoke to a lady who had worked in the Dental Hyg. field for years....... she made a good point... Yes she made great money per hour, and worked fewer days per week......

But Nursing is a profession where your job variety is ENDLESS! There are so many different types of nursing........ so as you grow, and change and age, you can change your job to fit your needs..... (me for instance, I just took a job where I can work from home!!! WOO WOO!!! and eventually will be able to travel, with my laptop, and work from any internet connection......) As a hygienist, her job was limited to just that.........dental Hygiene. Not alot of variety, and many of them have problems with their arms and back from standing with arms in strange positions for YEARS......

Just something to consider.... Talk to some of them! :) Maybe a GREAT choice for you. Maybe not. :)

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Dental Hygienists shouldnt be confused with a Dental Assistant. Dental Hygienists are licensed professionals just like RNs and they usually require a degree (AS). In some states they perform many of the same functions as the Dentis like fillings, administer medications etc. Most of the time, they also have their own patient load. In many functions its almost like a PA or ARNP working with a physician. As mentioned above they also work very part time which may explain the higher pay. I hate to minimize what they do, because they worked just as hard to get where they are as many Nurses out there.

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Specializes in Psychiatric.

My sister is a dental hygienist and she works her BUTT off for her money, and she works 2 part-time jobs...she sees 20+ patients a DAY in each office and is constantly running...she has to clean the room between patients, clean the equipment, set everything up and tear it down, and do a whole lot of stuff.

To me she deserves every bit of that money...plus she is exposed to just as many bugs because she is working in close proximity to someone's open mouth.

I became a nurse because I like psych patients...she became a dental hygienist because she likes teeth...the money is nice but we like what we do.:D

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Specializes in ICU.

in my area, at least according to information I have found, they don't make more hourly than RN's, at least, as far as new graduates go. And, supposively, we have one of the best dental hygene programs in the country.

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My sister is a dental hygienist and she works her BUTT off for her money, and she works 2 part-time jobs...she sees 20+ patients a DAY in each office and is constantly running...she has to clean the room between patients, clean the equipment, set everything up and tear it down, and do a whole lot of stuff.

To me she deserves every bit of that money...plus she is exposed to just as many bugs because she is working in close proximity to someone's open mouth.

I became a nurse because I like psych patients...she became a dental hygienist because she likes teeth...the money is nice but we like what we do.:D

As an RN, I also have to set-up, tear down and clean rooms.

I don't think RDHs are exposed to C-Diff, VRE, urine, BM, unwashed genitals, nasty feet, and not nearly as much blood as nurses are.

Plus, I do procedures on 30+ pts a day. I don't get them one at a time like an RDH does, either.

I have wondered, though, why it is that you very rarely see an older RDH. They are almost always really young.

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You'd have to pay me a MILLION dollars a year to go digging around in someone's mouth before it's been cleaned. Bad teeth gross me out!:barf01:

to each his/her own.

The ones with bad teeth probably avoid the dentist. :wink2: So you should be safe.

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My friend is trying to get accepted to Dental Hygienist school for quite a while now and she told me there are many more applicants than student openings. The number of Hygienist are definitly controlled.

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Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.

The school I attended has a Health Sciences Campus where there was a Dental Hygienist program in addition to the nursing program. We also had a full service dental facility where students could get services for free or at a very small price as long as you accepted that students would be providing the services (under the direction of licensed professionals).

A friend of mine was in the DH program and upon graduation/licensing she made a good $10 more an hour than I did as a new RN graduate.

I think a huge difference was that the dentists in my state fully supported the program.

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I am a Dental Hygienist who is wait listed for an RN program. I cant wait to get out of it. If a day falls apart, you get sent home and dont get paid for it. Ask for a raise, you could get canned.

There is usually no health insurance, no retirement and no variety. If the Dentist decides to close the office for whatever reason on "your" work day...you don't get paid. If a holiday falls on "your" day and the office is closed, you don't get paid. If he likes to travel a lot, and wont let you work in the office if he's not there, you don't get paid. It has only been a year since the Dental Hygienists have been able to have their own state board representation here in California and that is shaky due to the California legislative situation. There is no reason a Dental Hygienist with a BA/MA shouldn't be able to go to hospitals or residential care facilities, but the DDS have a fit and have fought it tooth and nail. We have NO comparative positions to Nurse Practitioners. As an RN how would you like to have MD's in charge of your work life?

The Dental Association like to say there is a perceived "shortage" of Dental Hygienists, that's not true, if they flood the market with RDH's the salaries go down as the supply goes up. I live in Southern California and it is expensive to live here.We may make close to $400/day in the area but generate $1,000's of dollars in billable procedures like: cleanings, bleach trays, root planing and curettage, etc, fluoride tx...

If a RDH works on a % of what she bills out, and the day falls apart it winds up being far less than what a salary would be.

I don't want to sound like a bellyacher, and moaner, there are a few good offices out there. The next time you go see your DDS, confirm this with the RDH.

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