| Related Jobs |  | Dentist, Orthodontist, Dentist, Dentist, Prosthodontist, Therapist, Respiratory, Assistant, Medical, Nurse, Registered, Technician, Radiologic, Assistant, Dental, Assistant, Occupational Therapy, Aide, Occupational Therapist, Technologist, Surgical, Assistant, Physician |
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| Job Outlook | | Employment of dental hygienists is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2016, in response to increasing demand for dental care and the greater utilization of hygienists to perform services previously performed by dentists. Job prospects are expected to remain excellent. In fact, dental hygienists is expected to be one of the fastest growing occupations through the year 2016.
Population growth and greater retention of natural teeth will stimulate demand for dental hygienists. Older dentists, who have been less likely to employ dental hygienists, are leaving the occupation and will be replaced by recent graduates, who are more likely to employ one or even two hygienists. In addition, as dentists’ workloads increase, they are expected to hire more hygienists to perform preventive dental care, such as cleaning, so that they may devote their own time to more profitable procedures.
Dental hygienists held about 167,000 jobs in 2006. Because multiple jobholding is common in this field, the number of jobs exceeds the number of hygienists. More than half of all dental hygienists worked part time—less than 35 hours a week. Almost all jobs for dental hygienists were in offices of dentists. A very small number worked for employment services or in offices of physicians. |
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| More Information | | American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation, American Dental Hygienists' Association,
Division of Professional Development, American Medical Association - Health Care Careers |
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| References | | Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, Dental Hygienists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos097.htm
O*NET OnLine, on the Internet at
http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/29-2021.00 |
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