Employment change. Employment of dental hygienists is expected to grow 30 percent through 2016, much faster than the average for all occupations. This projected growth ranks dental hygienists among the fastest growing occupations, in response to increasing demand for dental care and the greater use of hygienists.
The demand for dental services will grow because of population growth, older people increasingly retaining more teeth, and a growing focus on preventative dental care. To meet this demand, facilities that provide dental care, particularly dentists’ offices, will increasingly employ dental hygienists, and more hygienists per office, to perform services that have been performed by dentists in the past.
Job prospects. Job prospects are expected to remain
excellent. Older dentists,
who have been less likely to employ dental hygienists, are leaving the
occupation and will be replaced by recent graduates, who are more likely to
employ one or more hygienists. In addition, as dentists’ workloads increase,
they are expected to hire more hygienists to perform preventive dental care,
such as cleaning, so that they may devote their own time to more complex
procedures.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition