Without a doubt everyone wants to be happy, especially when it comes to their profession. If you’ve been wondering whether dental hygienists are happy I may be of assistance since I have been practicing dental hygiene for more than 10 years.
As a general rule, dental hygienists are happy. As a whole they report feelings of satisfaction from helping people in their communities regain and maintain a healthy life which includes (but not limited to) healthy teeth and gums.
The happiness us dental hygienists experience carrying out our work is such an important topic to discuss. The more people know about this happy profession the more the profession will thrive and grow as people from all walks of life join the ranks.
Defining Happiness as a Dental Hygienist
Happiness is defined as a sense of well-being that is marked by a constant emotion in the range of contentment and up to a state of deep and intense joy. Interestingly enough, happiness is highly related to actions and not so much to circumstances.
Dental hygienists help people to do what they cannot do on their own. This includes removing tough tartar (and stain!) from teeth and disinfecting deep hard-to-reach places in the gums.
Without our help more people would slowly lose teeth, one tooth at a time. The less teeth a person has the lower their quality of life is because they can no longer easily eat many of their favorite nutritious foods, like meats and veggies. Therefore, it makes us dental hygienists happy to play a main role in preventing this gradual loss of someone’s quality of life.
Dental hygienists are also catalysts for healthy habits. For example, we frequently help the patient rethink their smoking habit and encourage them to quit. We also perform oral cancer screenings, where we check for the beginning signs of one of the most aggressive cancers. Dental hygienists are at the forefront of protecting people in our communities!
Knowing that we can save lives and preserve the quality of life for people makes us very happy.
“Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.”
-H. JACKSON BROWN, JR. (AMERICAN AUTHOR)
How to Increase Happiness as a Dental Hygienist
“That all sounds very nice Natalie–in an ideal world. I’ve been working as a dental hygienist and I’ve hated it for several years now.”
If this is you reading this post, I am very sorry to hear that. But think back to why you wanted to be a dental hygienist in the first place. Was it not for the wonderful reasons we just discussed? Be assured that, if you have lost that happiness, YOU CAN REGAIN IT. And if you are already happy you can increase and intensify that feeling.
Here are some things to think about:
- Is it the profession itself that you dislike or is it more the environment where you find yourself carrying out dental hygiene that fosters the hate?
- Is it the patients that you treat or the manager-approved scheduling that pile on the patients one after another without a chance to catch your breath?
- Are your dull scaling tools part of your dislike of working?
Really try to identify the difference between the profession and the external factors over which you have control. Only then can you start to foster the foundation for your happiness as a dental hygienist.
1. Make A Plan
Don’t underestimate the power of the handwritten word. Take a journal or a pen and paper and write down everything you dislike about your job. This will not only be cathartic but will also display before you a big picture and make it easier to pinpoint the source of your unhappiness.
After you’ve done that, write down what you envision as your ideal workplace.
2. Haggle A Better Schedule
If one of your biggest sources of unhappiness is from an overpacked schedule talk to the office manager or the dentist and communicate what your needs are. Do you need 90 minutes for each patient? What about working a day less or a day more each week? Do you need a longer lunch break?
Once you communicate your needs, ask, “How can we make this happen?” You will be surprised at how a little good communication goes a long way.
3. Request Dental Hygiene Tool Maintenance
One of my biggest pet peeves are dull dental instruments. They cause me to work harder and slow me down. I am a BIG proponent of sharpening services. They provide a sharper edge than what I can get using my sharpening stone.
Again, talk to your office manager or dentist and request to have your tools professionally sharpened. The majority will acquiesce. But if they say, “Well, can’t you sharpen them?” Simply restate what you would like and that it is worth the investment.
What if they don’t agree to use a service? You might just take the matter into your own hands and send them in yourself. Remember, it is ultimately up to you to take action to ensure you work with amazingly sharp tools. But if you feel you shouldn’t be paying for tool sharpening services yourself then you might just…
4. Explore Other Dental Hygiene Opportunities
I’ve known of so many hygienists that stay at their current place of employment even when there’s all kinds of wrong going on. Have you thought about sending out your feelers and interviewing some other offices that will fit YOUR needs?
Rest assured that there’s a perfect office out there just for you! I personally have temped at many different offices and I have come across some remarkable dental teams. So they are out there!
Cloud Dentistry is one of the services I use to see what other dental hygienists have to say about a particular dental office they have temped at. This is a great place to start.
Your dream workplace awaits you. Keep looking until you find it.
5. Take Relevant Continuing Education Courses
Another great pep boost to your happiness level is investing in continuing education courses that deal specifically with your interests or needs. Don’t just take free CE courses just because they’re free. Search for highly-rated speakers or multiple-day courses that will really delve into the details of a particular topic.
These courses will fire you up to give back more to the patients you care about and will increase the level of satisfaction you feel as you carry out your important work.
There are also many like-minded hygienists at these events and those new relationships can help further develop a sense of connectivity which, in turn, adds to your happiness as a dental hygienist.
Dental Hygiene – A Happy Profession
Remember how happiness is highly related to actions and not so much to circumstances? As dental hygienists we take action everyday! We, in effect, create our happiness.
As a case in point, I remember how my dental hygiene professor recounted a most touching experience she had in her early years of working as a dental hygienist.
A young girl had come in to see her. She hardly wanted to open her mouth but when she did my professor saw the she had a black line of stain across all of her teeth. She knew she could take care of that with a quick whirr of her polisher. When she finished my professor passed her a mirror to take a look.
The girl was beside herself with joy! She couldn’t believe her teeth no longer had that stain. It was as if she had received a whole brand new smile. In turn, my professor experienced the satisfaction that only comes from helping others. I still remember my professor’s delight and lingering smile as she told us this story.
May you also continue to have a lingering smile as you end each workday and may the dental hygiene profession continue to be a great source of happiness for you.
