In a world full of underappreciated professions, the 11 cities with the highest demand for dental hygienists still manage to appreciate one definitely disregarded profession among dental specialties.
Dental hygienists obtain licenses from a relevant professional dental body or association in their country. It is important to note that there is a subtle difference between dentists and dental hygienists, as the latter often operate independently of dentists. On the other hand, they can also often practice alongside dentists in order to provide full and complete oral healthcare as well.
There are a limited number of services that dental hygienists provide to their patients. These can include surveying the patient and then providing him with a professional advice that can help them maintain or improve their oral health. Dental hygienists also provide treatments that can vary for each patient – cleaning teeth, treating gum diseases, etc. As mentioned earlier, dental hygienists often work with dentists, and the range of services they provide in such a case can include administering anesthesia in addition to dental radiography.
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One of the main services provided by a dental hygienist includes providing periodontal therapy to patients, which in turn can include periodontal debridement and periodontal charting. Often, you will find a dental hygienist working in an orthodontic clinic.
While there were less than 8,000 dental hygienists in the United States in 1932, the country now hosts well over 200,000 dental hygienists, which is still significantly less than the millions of teachers in the country, as seen in the 11 cities with the highest demand for teachers. This is mainly due to a significant rise in demand for the profession, as with time, we have learned the importance of oral health care and the important part dental hygienists play in determining our oral health. Dental hygienists do get paid handsomely for their services, often pulling in over $70,000 annually. Of course, this varies from state to state and city to city, with some cities paying less than $40,000 while others pay more than $100,000.
With this in mind, we sought to determine the 11 cities with the highest demand for dental hygienists. To do this, we obtained data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics to determine the cities which boast the highest salaries for dental hygienists as greater demand results in higher salaries. Furthermore, we once again consulted the US Bureau of Labor Statistics to determine the cities which have the highest number of jobs for dental hygienists as it stands to reason that greater demand will result in more jobs. We used these two criteria to create accurate rankings.
11. Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ
Salary for dental hygienists: $83,090
Ranking according to salary: 45
Total jobs in the city: 2,360
Ranking according to total jobs in the city: 15
Overall score: 10
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10. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
Salary for dental hygienists: $90,480
Ranking according to salary: 24
Total jobs in the city: 1,380
Ranking according to total jobs in the city: 33
Overall score: 11.5
9. San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA
Salary for dental hygienists: $90,740
Ranking according to salary: 22
Total jobs in the city: 1,450
Ranking according to total jobs in the city: 30
Overall score: 14
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8. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Salary for dental hygienists: $95,170
Ranking according to salary: 11
Total jobs in the city: 1,370
Ranking according to total jobs in the city: 34
Overall score: 17.5
7. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division
Salary for dental hygienists: $87,800
Ranking according to salary: 30
Total jobs in the city: 2,390
Ranking according to total jobs in the city: 13
Overall score: 18.5
6. Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division
Salary for dental hygienists: $92,260
Ranking according to salary: 20
Total jobs in the city: 2,300
Ranking according to total jobs in the city: 17
Overall score: 21.5
5. Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division
Salary for dental hygienists: $95,100
Ranking according to salary: 12
Total jobs in the city: 1,680
Ranking according to total jobs in the city: 23
Overall score: 22.5
4. San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division
Salary for dental hygienists: $111,380
Ranking according to salary: 1
Total jobs in the city: 1,420
Ranking according to total jobs in the city: 31
Overall score: 24
3. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division
Salary for dental hygienists: $94,400
Ranking according to salary: 14
Total jobs in the city: 2,680
Ranking according to total jobs in the city: 11
Overall score: 27.5
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2. Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville, CA
Salary for dental hygienists: $101,360
Ranking according to salary: 3
Total jobs in the city: 2,000
Ranking according to total jobs in the city: 20
Overall score: 28.5
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1. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division
Salary for dental hygienists: $97,300
Ranking according to salary: 7
Total jobs in the city: 4,780
Ranking according to total jobs in the city: 1
Overall score: 36
With nearly 5,000 dental hygienists earning nearly $100,000 on average, the area of Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale tops the list of 11 cities with the highest demand for dental hygienists.
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