 Career
Path Forecast
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics,
dental hygienists rank among the fastest growing occupations, and job
prospects are expected to remain excellent.
Employment of dental
hygienists is expected to grow 36 percent through 2018, which is much
faster than the average for all occupations. This projected growth ranks
dental hygienists among the fastest growing occupations, in response to
increasing demand for dental care and more use of hygienists.
The demand for dental services will grow because of population growth,
older people increasingly retaining more teeth, and a growing emphasis
on preventative dental care. To help meet this demand, facilities that
provide dental care, particularly dentists' offices, will increasingly
employ dental hygienists, often to perform services that have been
performed by dentists in the past. Ongoing research indicating a link
between oral health and general health also will spur the demand for
preventative dental services, which are typically provided by dental
hygienists.
 Job
prospects are expected to be favorable in most areas, but will vary by
geographical location. Because graduates are permitted to practice only
in the State in which they are licensed, hygienists wishing to practice
in areas that have an abundance of dental hygiene programs may
experience strong competition for jobs.
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 more 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
complex procedures.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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