If your practice is based in a state with a high number of Spanish speakers, it’s likely the thought of hiring bilingual staff has crossed your mind at least once. When your dental team can speak two languages, you can significantly increase the number of patients you treat, boosting your practice’s revenue. But finding qualified bilingual staff can be a struggle.

When you qualify as a dentist, two paths open up in front of you. You can take one path that leads you down the road to opening up your own dental practice and working for yourself. Or you can take the other path and work as a dentist in someone else’s practice. 

COVID-19 or not, a career as an RDH (registered dental hygienist) can be extremely rewarding on multiple levels. You get to help patients achieve maintain a beautiful, healthy smile and you work in a hands-on environment in a way that really lets you make a difference. As a dental hygiene professional, your skills, abilities and knowledge are in high demand in dental practices across the country. 

As of June 19, every US state has given dental offices permission to reopen following the COVID-19 outbreak for any type of procedure. Dental practices in Texas were able to return to full dental practices much earlier on May 1.

COVID-19 comes with many challenges and risks. Despite the pandemic, being a dental hygienist is a hugely interesting, challenging and gratifying profession. You get to do interesting tasks, work as part of a close-knit team, educate people about their dental health and literally bring smiles to thousands of patients’ faces over the course of your career. 

According to dentistryiq.com and things changed a lot since COVID-19 started, a career as a dental hygienist offers one of the best work-life balances there is. But no matter whether you’re just starting out in your path as a newly-qualified RDH (registered dental hygienist) or whether you’ve done the job for years, things can get on top of you and you can quickly lose the wonderful work-life balance that first attracted you to the role.

While the COVID-19 pandemic is still a very real threat, it’s not surprising that patients are nervous about visiting the dentist. But there’s only so long they can put off their next dental appointment before they start doing themselves some serious damage. Help encourage your patients to return to your practice by making their next visit as pleasant and enjoyable as possible with the following tips.   

With the restorative dentistry market anticipated to be worth $25.9 billion by 2025, now is a great time to consider hiring a restorative dental hygienist if your dental practice is lacking one. While hiring an RDH with experience in restorative dentistry might seem an easy way to increase revenue, it might not be the right choice for every dental practice owner.

While the majority of dental hygienists enjoy their career and the incredible flexibility it provides, there are some dental hygienists who have grown tired of working for someone else and want to move in a different direction. If you want to take control of your professional life and become more independent, consider opening up your own dental practice and being your own boss. 

If you’ve been working as an RDH for a while, there’s a good chance the thought of being an independent dental hygienist has crossed your mind at least once. Choosing this career path means you get to continue doing the job you love, while gaining all the liberating freedom of becoming a freelancer. Before you make a rushed decision, it’s important you’re aware of all the additional responsibilities which come with that freedom.