If you have a passion for dental hygiene but the years that you have to spend in dental school sound daunting, then the profession of a dental hygienist is perfect for you. You could attend the Dental Hygienist School to become one. Dental Hygienists usually have a low unemployment rate and make a good living. Here is how you could get into the profession of a dental hygienist.
How do you become a dental hygienist?
The very first step to becoming a dental hygienist is enrolling into a program or diploma at a dental hygienist school. Make sure that the course you pick has been accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada. Once you have finished with your course, you shall appear for an exam which is held by the National Dental Hygiene Certification Board (NDHCB).
After you have passed the exam and received your diploma, then you would need to get yourself registered by the relevant government regulatory body. Once you have been registered, you would be assessed by the respective regulatory body from time to time to make sure that you are living up to the standards prescribed by them.
Different services are provided by dental hygienists in different provinces. Like, some dental hygienists can give anaesthesia in some provinces whereas they can’t do so in other. If you are moving from a province which has certain limitations then it is always helpful to get extra qualifications as it not only increases the chance of your employees but also helps you to serve your patients better.
How well does the job pay?
According to the Canadian Dental Hygienist Association, a dental hygienist makes about $70,647 a year, which is about $40.18 per hour.
One usually receives remuneration on an hourly basis, but commissions are also common. Calculations of the commission are based on the dental hygiene services that you are billing for and are usually in the range of 25%. The clinic in which you would be working would be responsible for deducting and submitting payroll taxes such as provincial and federal income tax, Employment Insurance premiums and Canada Pension Plan.
However, if you choose to be self-employed then you would have to fulfil a certain set of criterion which has been set forth by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) which would determine if you are self-employed or an employee. As dental hygienists work alongside dentists, it could be complicated to determine whether you are an employee or self-employed and would often require a ruling which has been described in the CRA booklet publication #RC4110.
Is there a need for dental hygienists?
As Canada is an aging society, hence, dental hygienist services are always in demand. The unemployment rate for dental hygienists is below the national average.