Dear RDH eVillage Readers:
Please help! I am a hygienist from Buffalo, N.Y. I work for a wonderful group practice, and I currently make $ 20.50 per hour. The dental assistant's salary is generally $10 to $13 per hour. We have full benefits. If you go to other practices in the area that do not offer full benefits, you can get a few dollars an hour more.
Why are the salaries for dental auxiliaries so low in New York (outside of NYC)? It certainly isn't because of the cost of living. Hello, this is New York — we are taxed up the ying yang.
My question is, who are the "powers that be" who are controlling this, and how do we go about challenging and changing this?
I worked for an affiliate of ours in North Carolina last year and made $29 per hour. That rate was a bit lower than the going rate for the area, which was in the low $30s. The cost of living was much less, and needless to say the quality of life was a whole lot nicer. Hygienists throughout this great nation are enjoying wonderful compensation for their labors. Why not us too?
I would so appreciate any input or direction you can give.
Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.
Sincerely, Underpaid in N.Y.
Dear RDH eVillage:
Excellent article on "Banishing Oral Ulcers." I would like to see more articles dealing with oral lesions with photos as I'm trying to become more educated with regard to diagnosis and the prognosis and treatment of different oral lesions and cancers.
Thank you, Kathy
