Dear RDH eVillage:
Wow, is it that big of a deal? Who cares? We are all hygienists. We all went through pretty much the same accredited programs. What if you do have a bachelor's and a master's, or an associate's degree? What does it matter? We are treating our patients hopefully the best we can daily and attending continuing education courses annually. I have been practicing for almost eight years but I was a dental assistant and worked at the front desk for several years before becoming a hygienist. I personally went to school to become a hygienist for the love of patient care but also to support my family better.
Who wants to further their education without considering their annual income. I know it was a factor in my decision. I am happy for any new grad who becomes a hygienist and is making the same as I am. How great is that to have an even playing field.
I pity those people who have nothing else to complain about. I do congratulate them if they wish to further their education. Good for them but don't look down on others for the hard work they have accomplished and deserve.
Sincerely, Michelle RDH
Dear RDH eVillage:
In response to your article on the lack of pay differential with experience in dental hygiene, I think this problem will change as more dental hygienists see their work as their work rather than their employer's work that they are permitted to perform. Legislation in most states makes this attitude more difficult to achieve than does legislation regulating most other professions, but I expect as most dental hygienists take an attitude of being owners of their work, the laws will have to follow suit or the employers will defer to the attitude. An employee who has an attitude of ownership of his or her work will not work in a situation where the employer does not respect that attitude.
Such an attitude is not selfish. People who own their work recognize that their paycheck should reflect their contribution to the profitability of their organization, whether that is more or less than they were hoping for.
Howard M Notgarnie, RDH, MA
Dear RDH eVillage
The salary question is always a "hot" issue. As a practicing RDH of 30 years, and more recently a DH instructor, I would like to offer my opinion regarding salary disparity between long practicing RDH's and new hygienists.
Salaries should primarily be based on production (fees) and office overhead expense. Length of service in a position does not always equal an employee who is valuable to the office. Because a hygienist who has been practicing for a good many years often has the depth of experience to diagnose and treat periodontal disease, she/he may be more valuable to the office. However, a new RDH brings a wealth of current information and training to a position.
In either case, salaries can be easily calculated by the employer, after examining potential production (based on office fees), and the costs associated with providing dental hygiene services. There are practice management firms that have formulas for those calculations.
When I taught Principles of Dental Hygiene Practice, students always asked me this question: "How much can I make when I graduate?" My usual response was, "Well, how valuable to the dental office will you be?" Think of salary in terms of your potential for production. Length of service, attendance, and working well with staff, are all aspects that can be taken into consideration when valuing bonuses, but not base salary.
It is important for every RDH to understand the basic principles of office production versus office expenses. There is a finite amount of revenue that must be distributed to vendors, utilities, lessors, insurance carriers, and others. Salaries are one, although often the highest, of all office expenses.
Discussions with the employer for determining salaries based on production versus expenses can open the doors of understanding for hygienists interested in earning a fair compensation. Being paid based on length of service makes little sense in a world of increasing costs, and decreasing revenue.
Diana Anderson-Korp, RDH, BS<
Director's Note: Diana is available for salary consultation, please contact her at [email protected].
Dear RDH eVillage
Higher pay for greater experience. Sounds so good, but it could be a two-edged sword. It might be prudent to mention what goes on in other industries where there is lower entry-level salary. In many places, people with experience are finding themselves ousted and then replaced by a lower paid, entry-level worker. In today's economy, this is happening all over, in insurance, manufacturing, engineering, business, etc. It is not necessarily a plus for experienced workers.
So before hygienists demand higher pay for their experience or lower pay for inexperience, they might want to think about whether that might open them up to job loss caused by lower paid competition. I have met people who actually had to train their lower paid replacements before leaving a good paying position for the unemployment line. It is a dog eat dog work world.
I have not practiced in an office environment for many years, but I do recall that the average DDS was not known for his generosity. I am sorry to make such a statement, but it was the buzz and my experience after 8 years that they were notorious for being "cheap." Maybe that description is not justified, but the wave of the present is to replace experience with less expensive help and I don't see dentistry as all that different from any other "industry."
This is something that occurs to me because I have been seeing this mentality quite a lot in the auto industry that my husband works in (he works at Chrysler). I have seen it in the work situations of friends and family. It is a regular feature of business these days and I feel that dentistry could go that way too. I would caution, be careful what you ask for.
Sincerely, LMC, RDH
