Dental Hygene

[seansk]

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Does anyone know how it takes to be a dental hygenist. I have heard it is 2 years. and I have also heard you could make some of the classes you took count towards dental school, if you decide on applying for dentistry later. Any info on this??? thanks

 

[45540]

I'm pretty sure you have to take the courses anyways even if you'v had them in hygiene school.

Our school has a 2 year, 70 hour course load to become a hygienist.

 

[ItsGavinC]

No hygiene courses count towards dental school. They aren't equivalent at all.

 

[USAF_Dentman]

No hygiene courses count towards dental school. They aren't equivalent at all.

Yeah they are much easier, it doesnt take much to be a hygenist.

 

[crazy_sherm]

Yeah they are much easier, it doesnt take much to be a hygenist.

I don't know if the classes are that much easier, but I wouldn't say it doesn't take much to be a hygenist. It's just a different approach to dentistry. I like to compare it to becoming a nurse vs a doctor. Yes, there's less schooling, but the approach is much more holistic.

I went to an alumni session at UCSF last month and heard periodontists talking about how much they have to rely on hygenists to form a good team in treating patients. A good hygenist will be able to detect and diagnose perio disease better than the average dentist.

 

[J2AZ]

Yeah they are much easier, it doesnt take much to be a hygenist.

Wow! Doesnt take much to be a hygenist? How wrong you are. I am not a hygenist but I know many and believe me it is not a cake walk. Hygiene school has a completely different focus than dental school. You do not learn about restorations or how to do a root canal or prep a crown. It focuses on gum disease and prevention. Many hygenists know more about diagnosing gum disease and than the dentist they work for. While the dentist is looking at the tooth all day the hygenist is looking at the gums.

In regard to the schooling. You can go to a 4 year university and get your B.S. or you can go to a 2 year institutuion such as a C.C. However, do not be fooled. A 2 year degree really is not 2 years b/c you have about 1.5 years of prereq's to take. You need chemistry and biology and english a speech and a whole list of other classes. Eventhough you graduate with an associate degree you are not far from a B.S. Many hygenists go back and get their B.S.

If you are interested you should contact your local C.C. or university. If you choose to pursue this degree you will soon find it is not a cake walk. It would probably be easier to get a 4 year degree in an area of your choice and then apply to dental school b/c by the time you finish hygiene school you will probably be burnt out and ready to get out an make some money (60 to 90K).

And to all you future dentists (me included) hygenists will be the back bone of your practice. They deserve your respect and always remember they are NOT over paid. Just as you did, they worked damn hard to get where they are.

 

[drtoothfairy]

Yeah they are much easier, it doesnt take much to be a hygenist.

Are you a hygienist? Because if you are not you have no foundation to what you say. Hygiene school does involve schooling, you are not automatically granted a license, you must also take hygiene boards and jurisprudence examinations. So please think before you speak!!

 

[wimmcs]

One aspect I found interesting at least in my state (AZ):

It is SUPER competitive to get in to a hygiene program. They only take very few students and most if not all of them have a 4.0 GPA with AT LEAST 2 years of dental assisting experience (most have more than 3 yrs). For example if I wanted to pursue this avenue: (AGAIN, THIS IS ONLY FOR ME) I would have to work as a dental assistant for AT LEAST 2 years (perhaps while taking pre-requisites), then do the dental hygiene degree (2 years) and at the end of 4-5 years, I could become a dental hyginest.... or. how about taking the dental school pre-reqs (~1-1.5 yrs) then going to dental school for another 4 years. Almost the same investment in time... Again, for me I had a degree and I would venture to say most people going into hygiene school don't have a 4 yr. degree, but I have no clue, I may be wrong.

I know of a couple of people in my state that left the state to go to hygiene school out-of-state and came back to AZ after they were done. So, in short, it is very competitive.. at least in my state.

 

[c132]

Tell ya the truth, scaling and root planing are probably the most tedious part of dentistry. I hate it and thank god daily that hygiene will be there to do that for me. If it wasn't for them, dentistry couldn't be what it is today...

 

[Dr.Smiley-OR]

I agree that we should appreciate dental hygienists more!!! We need them!

 

[datguy2004]

why sean are you thinking about going into dental hygiene?

Does anyone know how it takes to be a dental hygenist. I have heard it is 2 years. and I have also heard you could make some of the classes you took count towards dental school, if you decide on applying for dentistry later. Any info on this??? thanks

 

[Darksunshine]

I don't know if the classes are that much easier, but I wouldn't say it doesn't take much to be a hygenist. It's just a different approach to dentistry. I like to compare it to becoming a nurse vs a doctor. Yes, there's less schooling, but the approach is much more holistic.

I went to an alumni session at UCSF last month and heard periodontists talking about how much they have to rely on hygenists to form a good team in treating patients. A good hygenist will be able to detect and diagnose perio disease better than the average dentist.

Sherman: I appreciate your honesty in the last paragraph. Hygienist's are an INTEGRAL part of the dental team. They do a HUGE majority of the fact finding in an exam (periodontal charting, x-rays, head and neck exam, etc) and make a hygiene diagnosis's on periodontal disease all the time. The dentist's and periodontist's they work for do respect their opinion and almost always agree with their hygienist's in this arena. Comparsion to RN is a good analogy. Hygienists and Dentists have different focuses. Both are an important part of a the dental team.

Well, being a hygienist, I am laughing at those of you who think you know what you are talking about when you say "It doesn't take much to be a hygienist", but yet, Have you ever tried the program out? I have BS in dental hygiene. There were 400 applicants to our program of which they let 29 in. We take classes with the IDEP students who transfer from ISU to Creighton (and those classes count as D1 classes). Classes like tooth morphology, head and neck anatomy, histology, pharmacology, and local anesthesia. So for those of you who don't know what is takes and scoff is proof of your naivet?. 😡

But to answer the OP: Most hygiene classes won't transfer, but are you going to know more about certain things, you bet. I am not sure what classes Creighton would accept from me, were I to get in there, since my hygiene school work was over 5 years ago. But these were DENT classes for those IDEP students.

And to J2AZ:

I agree with you completely.

 

[tavloolove]

Most hygiene programs at JC's are 2 years. University of the Pacific has a new hygiene program that allows you to become a hygienist and also receive your Bachelor's in 3 years. The facilities are brand new. I know that the hygiene students take their classes with students from UOP dent school via video conferencing. Hope this helps. GOODLUCK!! 👍

 

[TaliaTN]

I am a hygienist too. I applied to dental school this year. My hygiene degree took me 3 years to complete from start to finish and I earned 91 credit hours. Hygiene school was easy in a way. I graduated with a 4.0, and my GPA after taking all sciene pre-reqs is 3.7, so similar. Hygiene school requires a lot of time. We went 8 am to 5 pm almost every day for 5 semesters. We had to recruit and seduce our own patients into the clinic to meet our requirements... this was the stressful part. I even paid people to come get their teeth cleaned!! The material itself was not hard, I mean I enjoyed most of it, it's just a lot of memorization. What a hygienist learns after she enters private practice is imperative. Like most Docs say about dental school, they teach you enough not to kill or seriously harm anyone... it's after you get out in the real world that your learning truly begins.

I love hygiene. If I don't get into dental school I will stay in hygiene. It is a very rewarding career... you get out of it what you put into it. Just like anything else, to be good at it, you have to love it. Lots of flexibility and the money isn't too bad for an associates degree either.

Talia

 

[aphistis]

We had to...seduce our own patients into the clinic to meet our requirements... this was the stressful part.

😀 😛 😉

 

[UMDeeMan]

ready to get out an make some money (60 to 90K).

what are you smoking, 60-90K? i dont think so. that is an obvious mistake.

 

[Dr.SpongeBobDDS]

what are you smoking, 60-90K? i dont think so. that is an obvious mistake.

Nope, no mistake.

$35/hr * 40hrs/wk * 50 weeks = $70,000 plus benefits

Not too shabby considering many dentists won't make that kind of money their first year out. 😱 Many hygienists make more than that depending on location.

 

[crazy_sherm]

what are you smoking, 60-90K? i dont think so. that is an obvious mistake.

In the Bay Area, the going rate for a decent hygenist is $450 - 500/day, so you're looking at around ~$120k per year if you work full time. Since the market is so saturated out here for dentists, a lot of people coming out of school have difficulty securing an associateship and will temp as a hygenist to try and get by.

 

[UMDeeMan]

i don't believe it. so is there a difference between a dental assistant and a dental hygenist? i find it very difficult to accept that someone with a 2-year dental hygiene degree can make that amount of money. i'm from the midwest and i've never heard of a hyiegene career paying that. maybe i've just been misinformed. please clarify for me though between a RDA and DH. you learn something new everyday i guess. 60k though?? damn, PA's start at that and they go for basically 1 year of med school and do 1 year rotations. also, i assume this is a female dominated field?

 

[eric275]

Well where to start...First of all you can not attain a dental hygiene degree in two years. First you have to complete ~1.5 years of pre-req's, apply to hygiene school, then depending on the program spend 2-3 years in hygiene school. Some hygiene schools offer a certificate and some offer a B.S. degree which dictates how long the program is.

To put it plainly, an assistant (RDA, EFDA, etc) is the person who "assists" the dentist. You know, the person you see handing him instuments, taking impressions, etc....

A hygienist (RDH) is the person you typically see when you go in to get your 6 month cleaning. They work in their own little room, can give anesthesia, provide treatment for perio patients, pass state boards and juris prudence (sp?) exams, ......

While the majority of the hygienist I have seen are female, I do know of male hygienist also.

About the whole income thing, believe it. My wife is a dental hygienist. Last year working 3 days a week with bonuses, and occationally temping here and there, she grossed ~55K.

A good friend of ours is a PA and has been working in this area for about 6 years. She told me the max income for PA's in this area is ~60K.

So,what did we learn from all of this?

If you have to choose between being a PA or a hygienist...go with hygienist! 😀

But honestly I hope that helps calrify some of your questions. Believe me I had a hard time swallowing how much they made at first also. It use to burn my arse when I was working as an electrician 5 days a week, sweating my butt off in the summer and freezing in the winter and my wife was working at that time 4 days a week bringing home more than I was. Then she would tell how tired she was, blah, blah, blah...and I told her to save it! I went on to tell her how all she does is sit around in her air conditioned/heated office, listening to the radio picking teeth all day. I was just giving her a hard time, but as you can imagine it went over well 😳 . So as the old saying goes, if you can't beat' em, goin' em! 😀

 

[UMDeeMan]

Eric275, what field is your PA friend in? i'm guessing just plain old fp. ortho pa's do very well.

i still can't grasp this as reality. my dentist doesn't have any RDH's to my knowledge. he is the one always doing the cleaning and such. I'm in a decent size population too (130k +). All the ads i see in the paper too are for dental assistants, so how is the demand for RDH's?

 

[UMDeeMan]

http://www.amyrdh.com/pay.html

good site with feedback from RDH's about salary. it does seem that the bay area is the place for the salary. people must be really concerned about appearnence out there.

 

[Dr.SpongeBobDDS]

Hygienists are very much in demand. The hygienists are very careful to keep the supply of graduates below what is needed to ensure that incredible pay. Many dentists either can't find a hygienist to hire or have decided that they simply can't afford to pay somebody $90,000/yr to clean teeth. These dentists have two options. They can do the scaling themselves along with the exam and let an assistant do the polishing and oral hygiene instruction. Or they can hire an associate ----who, in a perversion of all that is good and just will probably cost the doctor less than a hygienist--- and let the associate do all the hygiene while picking up some of the dentistry the owner doesn't want to do.

 

[dr_benj]

what are you smoking, 60-90K? i dont think so. that is an obvious mistake.

In the twin cities the average wage for RDH is around $32/hr. (We just learned this last week so its fresh in my head). Thats around $65,000 per year. They are also in super high demand just about everywhere in the country including the midwest.

 

[crazy_sherm]

http://www.amyrdh.com/pay.html

good site with feedback from RDH's about salary. it does seem that the bay area is the place for the salary. people must be really concerned about appearnence out there.

People here probably aren't as concerned about appearance as say LA or something. I think its just because the cost of living here is so high, so all salaries in general are pretty up there. The average cost of a house in the bay area is around $450,000 and that really won't get you all that much.

 

[UMDeeMan]

the arguement about PA vs RDH.....PA's make more and have a higher max salary potential. check this out..........

PA
PA Salary

RDH
RDH salary

****this is for Duluth, Minnesota, the area I'm from.****

 

[Darksunshine]

i don't believe it. so is there a difference between a dental assistant and a dental hygenist? i find it very difficult to accept that someone with a 2-year dental hygiene degree can make that amount of money. i'm from the midwest and i've never heard of a hyiegene career paying that. maybe i've just been misinformed. please clarify for me though between a RDA and DH. you learn something new everyday i guess. 60k though?? damn, PA's start at that and they go for basically 1 year of med school and do 1 year rotations. also, i assume this is a female dominated field?

You are obviously miss informed dude. I made 55k my 3rd year out only working 3-4 days a week. THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DENTAL ASSISTANT AND HYGIENIST. You are like comparing receptionist to and RN with a 4 year bachelor degree here buddy. (This is an analogy, not a literal translation) At my last job (I have been a hygienist for over 5 years) my yearly income for 4-5 days a week was over 70 k (not including Bonuses and beney's).

 

[USAF_Dentman]

Wow! Doesnt take much to be a hygenist? How wrong you are. I am not a hygenist but I know many and believe me it is not a cake walk. Hygiene school has a completely different focus than dental school. You do not learn about restorations or how to do a root canal or prep a crown. It focuses on gum disease and prevention. Many hygenists know more about diagnosing gum disease and than the dentist they work for. While the dentist is looking at the tooth all day the hygenist is looking at the gums.

In regard to the schooling. You can go to a 4 year university and get your B.S. or you can go to a 2 year institutuion such as a C.C. However, do not be fooled. A 2 year degree really is not 2 years b/c you have about 1.5 years of prereq's to take. You need chemistry and biology and english a speech and a whole list of other classes. Eventhough you graduate with an associate degree you are not far from a B.S. Many hygenists go back and get their B.S.

If you are interested you should contact your local C.C. or university. If you choose to pursue this degree you will soon find it is not a cake walk. It would probably be easier to get a 4 year degree in an area of your choice and then apply to dental school b/c by the time you finish hygiene school you will probably be burnt out and ready to get out an make some money (60 to 90K).

And to all you future dentists (me included) hygenists will be the back bone of your practice. They deserve your respect and always remember they are NOT over paid. Just as you did, they worked damn hard to get where they are.

First of all, i should have said "it doesnt take much SCHOOLING to be a hygenist". I didnt mean complete idiots can be hygenists. Sorry if you took it that way.

I wouldnt say the classes are hard though, but dont get me wrong dent school classes arent all that hard either.

 

[Darksunshine]

Hygienists are very much in demand. The hygienists are very careful to keep the supply of graduates below what is needed to ensure that incredible pay. Many dentists either can't find a hygienist to hire or have decided that they simply can't afford to pay somebody $90,000/yr to clean teeth. These dentists have two options. They can do the scaling themselves along with the exam and let an assistant do the polishing and oral hygiene instruction. Or they can hire an associate ----who, in a perversion of all that is good and just will probably cost the doctor less than a hygienist--- and let the associate do all the hygiene while picking up some of the dentistry the owner doesn't want to do.

I would also like to add to this that hygienist make the doctors they work for LOTS of money, but they have to have an established patient load. I made the guy I worked for (I was paid commision so I know exact $$) over 250k in 10 months. I already stated in an earlier post my wage for that 10 months was 70k. So I know you guys in here are pretty good at crunching numbers, you can obviously see that he (even with overhead supplies, rent, ect) he made some money off of the hygiene department and it was NOT a money drainer that they try to preach to young dentist's coming out of school. A successfull hygienist can be a huge income booster to the doctor because instead of him doing a $80 prophy or $200 a quad RPC he can be doing the crowns, rct, and fillings that are obviously a higher billable rate. It is such a myth that the hygiene department is there for the patience convience. Maybe if the dentist doesn't do a good job about stressing the importance of oral health would this ever be true or if he was just starting and didn't have the patient load. (BTW that is a common myth you will hear from some older dentists.) But all you need is a little math to see that is false.

 

[TaliaTN]

Who keeps the hygiene school graduate number low? The hygienists? It makes perfect sense to me that EVERY occupation, including dentists and dental hygienists want to maximize their pay for the least # of hours spent working. Everybody wants that, it's human nature.

Every hygiene school in tennessee is run by a dentist, so maybe it's not the hygienists being greedy. After all, dental school enrollment numbers were reduced as well in the past in order to avoid oversaturating the counrty with dentists.

BTW, in my area, most dentists only work 4 days per week, so full time is really about 32-35 hrs/wk. Avg. pay $35,000 - $50,000 I would guess.

 

[UMDeeMan]

You are obviously miss informed dude. I made 55k my 3rd year out only working 3-4 days a week. THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DENTAL ASSISTANT AND HYGIENIST. You are like comparing receptionist to and RN with a 4 year bachelor degree here buddy. (This is an analogy, not a literal translation) At my last job (I have been a hygienist for over 5 years) my yearly income for 4-5 days a week was over 70 k (not including Bonuses and beney's).

first of all, i asked for clarification between a dental assistant and a dental hygienest. i never said they were the same. i was comparing dental hygienests to PA's (PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS). so no, it's not like comparing a receptionist to a 4 year BS. PA's do more schooling then RDH's

PA : BS + 2 year master program, BS PA programs will soon not be enough
RDH : 20-30 cr of pre-reqs, then 50+ credit core program, unless you get a BS then you are 120 credits and done. still not as much as PA school.

 

[J2AZ]

In AZ most Hygienists make over 30 an hour. In Tucson you are looking at closer to 30 and in Phoenix closer to 40. Some offices offer great bonus programs. This often increases the hygienists production by giving them a reason to work hard and be vigilant in the evaluation of and care for the patients oral health. The dentist can reward hygienists that make more money for the office. For example, at the office I work for the dentist crunched all the overhead for the hygienists and he came up with a number. This is the minimum the hygienist should produce per hour or patient. At the end of the month he takes that amount and multiplies it by the hours worked and subtracts it from the hygienists production. From that the hygienist gets a bounus. I think about 35%. If the hygienist makes less she just gets her hourly salary ($30+ hr). At this office the hygienist will make about 60k plus the dentist provides them with health benefits and matches a portion of their 401K. The hygienist makes about 70K if you include benefits.

Last years production numbers showed the full time hygienists billing for about 130K. After subtracting the 70K and costs there is no doubt the the dentist saw some profit.

The way I look at it, and correct me if I am wrong. Hygienists bring in patients and their profit has the potential to pay a great deal of the office overhead.
-

 

[USAF_Dentman]

first of all, i asked for clarification between a dental assistant and a dental hygienest. i never said they were the same. i was comparing dental hygienests to PA's (PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS). so no, it's not like comparing a receptionist to a 4 year BS. PA's do more schooling then RDH's

PA : BS + 2 year master program, BS PA programs will soon not be enough
RDH : 20-30 cr of pre-reqs, then 50+ credit core program, unless you get a BS then you are 120 credits and done. still not as much as PA school.

Oh a hygenist does the teeth cleaning? **** i thought they were the ones who help with the paper work and helping the dentist...Again i apologize for the confusion, didnt mean to upset people..

 

[UMDeeMan]

Oh a hygenist does the teeth cleaning? **** i thought they were the ones who help with the paper work and helping the dentist...Again i apologize for the confusion, didnt mean to upset people..

haha, nice sarcasim.

 

[joooj86]

One aspect I found interesting at least in my state (AZ):

It is SUPER competitive to get in to a hygiene program. They only take very few students and most if not all of them have a 4.0 GPA with AT LEAST 2 years of dental assisting experience (most have more than 3 yrs).

4.0 gpa ha?? if an average gpa for dentistry was a 3.5, a hygiene program is a lot more compeptive than dental school...hmm interesting!

 

[UMDeeMan]

4.0 gpa ha?? if an average gpa for dentistry was a 3.5, a hygiene program is a lot more compeptive than dental school...hmm interesting!

the pre-req classes don't inlclude physics or organic chemistry. it's easy to see how the gpa's are so high.

 

[wimmcs]

the pre-req classes don't inlclude physics or organic chemistry. it's easy to see how the gpa's are so high.

Yes, that is true. The only science pre-reqs for the dentaly hygiene program in AZ included a microbiology class that is geared for allied health (much easier than the regular micro class I'm taking right now... and I know because I took them both). It also includes an intro class in Anat and Physio and a beginner Chemistry course and the lab. A total of 10 credit hours towards the science pre-requisites... so, yeah much easier than dental science pre-reqs.

 

[ItsGavinC]

The way I look at it, and correct me if I am wrong. Hygienists bring in patients and their profit has the potential to pay a great deal of the office overhead.
-

You are correct. From DentalTown I've learned that hygienists are money-making machines if they are efficient and do a good job. Dentists over there post that adding a single hygienist increases their productivity in $ 30-40%!

 

[Darksunshine]

the pre-req classes don't inlclude physics or organic chemistry. it's easy to see how the gpa's are so high.

My hygiene program required Anatomy and Phsy., Microbiology, Inorganic and Organic (1st year chemistry), not to mention Statistics, and other classes.

Most dental schools don't require you have A & P, or Micro, or Stat's.

Our class had an average GPA of 3.7 upon entering. The class after us had a 3.9 going in.

You can't compare hygiene school to dental school but you can compare a 4 or 2 year Hygiene program (since they usually have 2 years worth of pre-reqs to enter.) and hygiene degree to what most Pre-dental Bachelor's degree students have as being harder than the pre-requisites you must take to get into dental school. Considering you must take a National Board exam part 1, and clinical board exam, and you had to compete with a much smaller class size to even get in. Not mention as so many have said in this thread, most schools won't even take you unless you already have dental experience.

 

[Darksunshine]

Yes, that is true. The only science pre-reqs for the dentaly hygiene program in AZ included a microbiology class that is geared for allied health (much easier than the regular micro class I'm taking right now... and I know because I took them both). It also includes an intro class in Anat and Physio and a beginner Chemistry course and the lab. A total of 10 credit hours towards the science pre-requisites... so, yeah much easier than dental science pre-reqs.

All of my pre-req stuff counted. Maybe your school was different... because they make an eaiser version of the class.

We took micro, A & P, etc. with the pre-dental and pre-med students at my CC. These classes count toward the pre-dent and pre-med bachelor.

 

[UMDeeMan]

My hygiene program required Anatomy and Phsy., Microbiology, Inorganic and Organic (1st year chemistry), not to mention Statistics, and other classes.

what is your school that requires these classes? also don't play off inorganic/organic (1 semester chem class) as being tough. learning the periodic table for 3 weeks isn't tough. that chem class is just an aspects class. Micro is easy, so is stats. here is a link to Lake Superior College's dental hygiene pre-reqs. i'm sorry, not a hard pre-req load whatsoever.

http://www.lsc.cc.mn.us/programs/planners/0305_catalog/DentalHygiene.pdf

 

[Darksunshine]

what is your school that requires these classes? also don't play off inorganic/organic (1 semester chem class) as being tough. learning the periodic table for 3 weeks isn't tough. that chem class is just an aspects class. Micro is easy, so is stats. here is a link to Lake Superior College's dental hygiene pre-reqs. i'm sorry, not a hard pre-req load whatsoever.

http://www.lsc.cc.mn.us/programs/planners/0305_catalog/DentalHygiene.pdf

Whatever dude, all you have done is bash hygienist's abilities and education and income since the begginning of this thread.

Micro at my CC was not easy most people did not get an A in it. Including the pre-med/dent students. Neither was A & P. I didn't say In. O and O. Chem one semester was hard. Stats at my CC required at least one sememster of basic calculus to take it. So before you keep running your mouth, you might want to think that what you say doesn't apply to all.

Edit:

http://www.isu.edu/departments/dentalhy/pdf_files/app_info_2005.pdf

Over 54 credits to apply to this program, but most have more because you will be getting your A.S. or Associate of something which is usually about 60-70 semester credits. (BEFORE entering the program.)

Once in the program we take our first semester at 22 credits (at least for my class), then 21, 19, and finally 18. (I believe I got 75-80 credits from the DH part of my degree.)

Also, as I already stated. In my BS in DH we took classes with the "dental" students from Creighton. Those classes weren't that hard either, and it included histology, pharmacology, head & neck anat., tooth morphology, and local anesthesia. Although they didn't get to practice injections from what I remember. Those classes count as D1 classes at Creighton because they were taught be either a DDS or PH.D in that field.

 

[UMDeeMan]

Whatever dude, all you have done is bash hygienist's abilities and education and income since the begginning of this thread.

Micro at my CC was not easy most people did not get an A in it. Including the pre-med/dent students. Neither was A & P. I didn't say In. O and O. Chem one semester was hard. Stats at my CC required at least one sememster of basic calculus to take it. So before you keep running your mouth, you might want to think that what you say doesn't apply to all.

darky,

wow dude. first of all, if you could point out one statement where i "bashed" hygienests ability and income i would greatly appreciate it. i believe i was surprised by the salary they command, i never said they don't deserve it no state they should be paid any less. also the comparison of PA to RDH salary links was just to show that PA's do in fact command a higher income and the education comparison was to illustrate the FACT that it takes more schooling to become a PA. i apoloigize for simply underestimated their income (RDH).

second, you did imply that 1 semester of aspects may be difficult. you listed some courses (stats, a&p, micro, and 1 semester aspects of chem). you then went on to say they were no cake walk. well great, but throw Organic (2 semesters), Bio (2 semesters), Physics (2 semesters, yeah that's kinda a big one too) and lets not forget a psychology course (General + either developmental or abnormal) and the academic pre-reqs become much much more difficult. so there is a right "bash" as you put even though it is not my intention. i'm merely stating the facts. I hate to sound harsh and I apologize and hope GavinC doesn't ban me, but I feel I have the right to defend myself. please don't be such a liberal and try to put words into my mouth that were not stated. it's all good though darky, i aint mad at ya.

 

[aphistis]

don't be such a liberal

Way to derail an otherwise great response.

 

[Darksunshine]

darky,

wow dude. first of all, if you could point out one statement where i "bashed" hygienests ability and income i would greatly appreciate it. i believe i was surprised by the salary they command, i never said they don't deserve it no state they should be paid any less. also the comparison of PA to RDH salary links was just to show that PA's do in fact command a higher income and the education comparison was to illustrate the FACT that it takes more schooling to become a PA. i apoloigize for simply underestimated their income (RDH).

second, you did imply that 1 semester of aspects may be difficult. you listed some courses (stats, a&p, micro, and 1 semester aspects of chem). you then went on to say they were no cake walk. well great, but throw Organic (2 semesters), Bio (2 semesters), Physics (2 semesters, yeah that's kinda a big one too) and lets not forget a psychology course (General + either developmental or abnormal) and the academic pre-reqs become much much more difficult. so there is a right "bash" as you put even though it is not my intention. i'm merely stating the facts. I hate to sound harsh and I apologize and hope GavinC doesn't ban me, but I feel I have the right to defend myself. please don't be such a liberal and try to put words into my mouth that were not stated. it's all good though darky, i aint mad at ya.

Well, your post's sounded offensive to me. But hey, it is hard to get tone from the "net".

Either way, having done all of the things needed to apply to dental school I can tell you, only biochemistry and taking the DAT after being out of school for 5 years was tough in my mind. (I did fairly well on it too.)

Physics was very easy (imo), so was Inorganic and Organic (Yes, the two-semester kind.) So in my mind, I was over pre-pared to be taking these pre-reqs compared to what I already had taken in DH school.

Just my opinion.

 

[TucsonDDS]

I hate to say it but it definitely sounds like some on this thread are bashing RDHs which is a little disturbing. I have been a nurse for 9 years and I constantly hear doctors bashing nurses which is quite frankly bullsh*t. They may have more prestige in the community like dentists do but their jobs are completely different. Show me an average doctor that can start an IV as well as the average nurse and I will be very surprised. The two professions work hand in hand and are really complimentary to each other. Dentists and Hygenists have the same relationship and the Dentist that thinks that they are better, smarter, better looking or skinnier than their hygenist is going to be looking for help. Hygenists earn what they make because it is what they deserve. My experience with nursing has shown me that their are as many dumb ass doctors as there are any other people in the world, and I would bet that holds true for dentists as well. I know that when I am a dentist I will be treating my hygenists, assistants, housekeepers and office help with the respect that they deserve.

 

[UMDeeMan]

nobody is doubting your preparedness (is that even a word?) darky, the issue at hand is the pre-reqs of a hygiene program compared to dental school (and somehow PA school got involved by me). The bottom line is you had to take extra classes to meet the dental school requirments for application. physics and o-chem are easy for you, great. i failed o-chem and physics and got a 10 on my DAT, is that what you want to hear?

aphistis, sorry to drag politics into it. i'll make a note to keep them out, but i've been hannitized and the structure of the arguement just had that liberal tone to it. my bad.

 

[UMDeeMan]

I hate to say it but it definitely sounds like some on this thread are bashing RDHs which is a little disturbing.

again, please provide evidence of bashing. since when is pointing out the facts bashing. it's reality here people.

I have been a nurse for 9 years and I constantly hear doctors bashing nurses which is quite frankly bullsh*t.

this is wrong and i do not support arrogant MD's or DDS's.

They may have more prestige in the community like dentists do but their jobs are completely different. Show me an average doctor that can start an IV as well as the average nurse and I will be very surprised.

this is a horrible point. show me an average nurse that can perform a heart bypass operation. your arguement is so relative. but wouldnt the doctor be able to learn how to start an IV alot faster then a nurse would be able to learn how to perform an open heart surgery? hmmmmm

The two professions work hand in hand and are really complimentary to each other. Dentists and Hygenists have the same relationship and the Dentist that thinks that they are better, smarter, better looking or skinnier than their hygenist is going to be looking for help.

i dont want to say they earned the right to be arrogant, but how many people apply to dental or medical school and get rejected? an individual should be proud of obtaining a MD or DDS degree, but never at the expense of a co-worker with not as advanced education. please spare the "i would rather be a RDH then DDS" line too.

Hygenists earn what they make because it is what they deserve.

again, i am rather uneducated in regard to the RDH salary and job expectations. I'm sure it is justified.

My experience with nursing has shown me that their are as many dumb ass doctors as there are any other people in the world, and I would bet that holds true for dentists as well.

totally agree, anyone can lock themselves away for 4 years and get the grades for dental or medical school. it's too bad everyone can't get an admissions interview right of the bat. i know peoplle who have all the paper achievements for MD or DDS school but couldn't order a sandwich without a hitch. but what can you do? that's our system

I know that when I am a dentist I will be treating my hygenists, assistants, housekeepers and office help with the respect that they deserve.

and i'm of the same nature.

 

[Bullfan16]

Alright guys...I realize this thread has gone from an informational one to more of a debate...but I had a few questions (particularly aimed at those who are already RDH's):

1) My sister is thinking about going to school to be an RDH. She has a BS in Marketing from a big state university (took Eng, Stats, Gen Eds, etc in terms of pre-reqs). From what we can gather, she would only have to take GEN CHEM 1, Anatomy, Physiology (or A&P I and II), and possibly Micro (depends on the school). Is that true, or would she have to take more sciences? Granted I realize you would need to see a transcript, but I am pretty sure she has all of the gen ed. requirements taken care of already (from her BS).

2) I know this is going to spark debate....does it matter if she went to a CC and got an Associates in dental hygiene (basically are you more marketable if you get a BS from a 4 year university)? My opinion was it doesnt really matter as in both situations in the end when you finish, you are a practicing hygienest. The only thing I mentioned to her was that (judging by the universities that offered BS degrees) she would be more exposed to dentistry seeing that at the university it would most likely be associated with the dental school (not sure if thats the case everywhere).

3) I know a few of you who are hygienests are in the application process to dental school. What did you do to take the pre-reqs before and after (as well as preparing for the DAT) seeing that the only science requirements I can see come out to about 10-12 credits? What made you decide on applying and why dont you want to continue (besides $$$) being an RDH? I basically told my sis she could take the sciences required for hygiene school (along with maybe 1 year of physics), go to hygiene school, start working and if she wants to think about applying, but basically to worry about it later (and then take gen chem 2 and the year of orgo). I basically said that because (give or take a few semesters) the timeline for pre-reqs (2-3 years) would come out to approximately the same as if she got into hygiene school and completed the curriculum (with the obvious difference being cost and "wasting" a spot for someone who really wanted to be a hygienest) that in the end it wouldnt matter that much.

4) How competitive is it to get in right now to hygiene school? How many apply and how many make up a class?

5) When are the deadlines (approx.) for each school? I realize these are probably similar to dental schools in that they are different for each school, but does it follow the general rule that if you dont apply early your chances get slimmer and slimmer as time passes (or are these schools less affected by timeline)?

She was thinking of applying for Fall 2005 and taking the 3-4 classes b/w now and end of summer. Not sure if this would work out or not. I told her to call the schools and find out more information, but I also wanted to see what the people on this forum had to say. Thanks.

 

[TucsonDDS]

Originally Posted by TucsonDDS
They may have more prestige in the community like dentists do but their jobs are completely different. Show me an average doctor that can start an IV as well as the average nurse and I will be very surprised.



this is a horrible point. show me an average nurse that can perform a heart bypass operation. your arguement is so relative. but wouldnt the doctor be able to learn how to start an IV alot faster then a nurse would be able to learn how to perform an open heart surgery? hmmmmm




Show me the average doctor that can perform a heart bypass operation. At the hospital that I work (University medical center in Tucson) we have probably 4 or five hundred doctors and maybe 5 or 6 CT attendings, so that leaves oh, about, 4 or 5 hundred doctors that can't perform open heart surgery. Show me an average doctor that can work ECMO, CVVHD, contunious peritoneal dialysis, do perfusion calcs off the top of their heads, hell even check a blood glucose and I can show you 5 or 6 nurses that can. I am not bagging on Doctors or Dentists, actually I want to be a dentist, but people that say that doctors, dentists or any other professional are smarter than nurses, hygenists are full of s**t. I believe the hardest professional school to get into is Ventrinary school, does that mean that they are smarter than the rest of us. Well probably, as a vet you don't have to deal with insurance.