Bematists. Telegraphists. Lamplighters. Sound familiar? Hope not because that would mean you’re still living in a bygone era. All these were bonafide professions in their day but have slowly been phased out as technology has advanced. What about the dental hygiene profession? Is it ‘dying’?
As a whole the dental hygiene profession is not a dying career. On the contrary, dental hygiene is in demand and growing. An aging population and advances in digital dentistry and dental research will ensure dental hygienists’ professions for years to come.
This is a great topic to delve into especially if you are looking into joining the ranks of dental hygienists like myself. The following points will convince you that the dental hygiene profession is on the rise.
The Age Wave
Everyone has heard of the Baby Boomer generation. Well, this group of people are near or already in retirement. And thanks to the wonderful work of dentistry of years past many of them are keeping their teeth longer. So, what does this translate into for the aspiring dental hygienist?
Dental hygienists will be in high demand in the coming years. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that dental hygienists are projected to grow 11% from 2020-2030 which is faster than the average for all occupations.
Another tell-tale sign of a profession’s future outlook are the number of programs opening up and the number of graduates entering the work force. The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) states that in the 1950s there were about 30 dental hygiene education programs nationwide. That has grown to over 300 programs in 2022! That equates to about 7,300 graduates every year and an average of 205,000 employed hygienists every year.
But there is another effect the Age Wave is having on dental hygienists. Many hygienists themselves are retiring! That means that there could very well be a shortage of trained hygienists available to keep all those billions of teeth healthy. And it’s not just practicing dental hygienists that won’t be around, what about the experienced and qualified dental hygiene educators in the schools? They too are riding this wave.
All this means that the dental hygiene profession is in a prime location for growth. Won’t you become a part of it?
Will Dental Hygienists Be Needed In The Future?
One fact is for sure: the world is constantly changing. Will that be the case for the dental hygienist? What is the future of dental hygiene? Will the profession still exist in the future?
As a whole dental hygienists will be needed in the future to prevent oral diseases including gingivitis, periodontitis, cavities, and oral cancer.
But how dental hygienists will carry out this work will change. Technology is one of the main factors that will alter how we do our work.
Take for example dental x-rays. Dentistry started off using film that had to be processed with chemicals. Today, the majority of dental offices use some kind of digital sensor to take dental x-rays. And yet, there is room to improve. What if instead of using a sensor that most patients find uncomfortable in their mouth there is a way to simply take a quality dental x-ray without sticking anything inside the mouth? That will revolutionize the dental industry!
How dental hygienists will treat gum disease, or periodontitis, will also change. Now, I’m particularly excited about this one! There is a device that’s called the Perioscope. It is basically a tiny fiberoptic camera that the hygienist can insert into the gums and visually locate the bacteria that is causing the disease and inflammation. This makes it much easier and more efficient in removing bacterial biofilm and tartar than simply ‘tactile’ location. I can see this technology in every dental hygienist’s operatory in the future.
Another change will be where the dental hygienist will practice. On average, most dental hygienists work in private dental offices. But as we discussed earlier, many dentists that own private dental offices are retiring. This discrepancy will create a demand that will push dental hygienists to explore other avenues to exercise their skills.
I can foresee a large shift from private dental offices into community clinics or even becoming entrepreneurs and managing an oral care clinic themselves! A traveling clinic, although not unheard of today, could be commonplace in the future. This mobility will make it possible to reach underprivileged areas that have difficulty accessing dental care.
Also, our preventive role will be further emphasized as we expand our duties to screen populations for societal diseases. Back when I was in dental hygiene school my group worked on a science fair-style project (clinical tables) exploring how saliva is being used as a screening tool for breast cancer. There is no limit to the kind of screenings we will be able to do chairside in the future.
“My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there.”
-CHARLES KETTERING (AMERICAN INVENTOR)
Will Robots Replace Dental Hygienists?
It may be hard to accept that robots and artificial intelligence are here to stay. It is the new expansive frontier just as phones and the internet once was. And it is true that robots have replaced other jobs. But what about dental hygiene?
Robots will not replace dental hygienists but they may aid them in carrying out certain dental procedures.
Some of the principles that govern whether robots will overtake a certain profession are:
- If the job is low-skill in a very structured and predictable setting
- If the job involves rules that are easily replicated with an algorithm
The dental hygiene profession is a high-skill job that is not easily replicated because every mouth is different. Getting into gum pockets and identifying the exact location of plaque and burnished tartar is something a robot is not capable of doing at the moment.
Where I see robots coming into play in dentistry is in some of the routine aspects of dentistry:
- Cleaning up and disinfecting dental rooms in between patients
- Taking dental x-rays
- Oral hygiene instruction of the patient
- Data collection and input during a dental procedure
Basically, robots have a high chance of replacing the job of a dental hygienist’s assistant rather than a dental hygienist.
Where Are They Now?
It’s the year 2301. You’re crunching on popcorn when you feel a kernel skin slip under your gum line. You give a mind command to clean that area of your mouth. A flood of tiny nanobots in reserve in your body immediately begin to retrieve that kernel of skin. You mouth is now nice and clean.
Yes, I just made this up. But the reality is everything that we now see around us was once a thought. Our thoughts become reality.
In this scenario, nanobots have replaced the dental hygienist. I am convinced that there will be a completely different skill set needed to function in the future. I just want to enjoy the ride. But for now, I’ll be right here in Miami, Florida, scaling away, one tooth at a time.
