Dentistry is categorized as being a high risk for COVID-19 transmission. Reason being, the main channels of infection are relevant to most procedures performed daily in dental offices, with aerosols being the ardently debated topic.

As the number of COVID-19 cases rises, dentists and healthcare care providers should remain informed about the best clinical practices to counter this pandemic.

Due to the nationwide economic collapse caused by the coronavirus, many people throughout the US are currently receiving more money through unemployment benefits than they were from their jobs. According to Business Insider, around 50% of workers in the US can currently earn more money by collecting unemployment benefits than working their regular jobs.

The minimum qualification you need to become a dental hygienist is an associate degree in dental hygiene. There are other qualifications you can obtain to be eligible for the role, but an associate degree is the fastest way to become an RDH. To help you decide which degree is best suited to your future goals, here’s a detailed overview of the different qualifications you need to become a registered dental hygienist and how to get them. 

Almost every business has felt the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, but perhaps none more than dental practices. In fact, a few days ago, the American Dental Association (ADA) initiated a campaign to urge Congress to address dentistry, in the coming round of COVID-19 relief legislation. 

Whether you are a suburbanite or a big city person, we all have our personal preferences in terms of where we prefer to work.

Many dental hygienists and dental assistants are currently finding themselves out of work due to the coronavirus. Whether you’ve been fired from your position to cut down on your employer’s costs or you’re in self-isolation to help reduce the spread of the virus, now is a fantastic time to reflect on your career, assess where you want to be in the future and create a plan to get you there.

The spread of COVID-19 is having an earth-shattering impact on most businesses, and dental practices have not been lucky either. Many are restricting their practice to emergency and urgent cases only, while others are opting to remain closed for several weeks until normalcy returns. Some states have closed dental practices entirely. According to California’s Dental Association president, Dr. Richard Nagy, such regulations and decisions are meant to ensure that dentists and their staff, as well as their patients, are safe from Coronavirus disease. 

If you’ve recently been dismissed from your job as a dental hygienist, see this time in your life as an opportunity to try something new. If you were getting bored of your old way of working, now’s the time to look into alternative career options in dentistry. Whether you’re temporarily out of work due to the coronavirus or you’re permanently out of work because your old office has closed down, there are always other options out there.

Regardless of the levels of success, competency, or experience, at one time or another, almost every dental staff experiences professional fears and moments of doubt. For instance, currently, the novel Coronavirus is a case study of uncertainty. No dental staff can predict how long the pandemic, or fear of the pandemic will ultimately affect their job or the economy.