Comments on career satisfaction, based on decade of graduation from 1970s to present

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000

Alternate settings
Less microaggressive abuse from management
Retirement
Other types of jobs. Nurses can do office, hospital, clinical trials, etc.
Better equipment
Opportunity for advancement
Respect from employer!
Will be retiring in a couple more years so this does not apply
None, on the road to retirement
Doctors need to believe in change. After 10 years I just started a new office and lost benefits due to low hours. But I love it because boss is progressive and wants more for her patients and I love doing that also. We are in retirement/assisted living, memory care, etc., and caring and doing has given me a new look on RDH being helpful.
Additional expanded duties such as Botox, derm fillers to be used in conjunction with cosmetic dentistry; private practice for hygienists
Possibly teaching, supervisory, or consulting position
Salary security
None, happy
Pension or 401k
The longer I work, the more the doctor takes away. I have fewer benefits than when I started.
Vacation pay, health benefits, profit sharing, and pension plan
Non-clinical position
Become proficient in recognizing and treating myofacial imbalances
Computers and health care or research
Vacation time suited to my family's schedule and not his
Being more autonomous
I am happy with it all for the most part. More money is good but I am not driven by it.
Recognition as a professional
More reasonable vacation and sick leave. Employer contribution to short-term and long-term disability plans would be appreciated.
Personal growth/change
Will retire
Educational advancements and greater input into the growth process of the practice .... or becoming an independent contractor
None, I have all I need!
Need less stress and new challenges
Retirement
All I would desire is a better office manager. Current manager came about a year ago and makes the office no longer a happy place to work.
More hours during school day with summers off
Happier office. Being appreciated by the boss/dentist
I am underemployed. I work one day in academia and one day in private practice. I am a recent widow. The job market is saturated in my state and my experience and education are not working in my favor.
At this point in my life, I am very happy where I am …
The corporation took everything away
My state laws are what limit my ability to practice at peak level
Have no benefits
Respect for my abilities
More hours to work
Something totally different such as public education/nursing home
I have depth of knowledge, great skills, talent for connecting with patients, but shoulder pain, back pain, neck pain are forcing me to reduce hours …
Possible retirement benefits would have been beneficial!

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Different career
Job satisfaction, feel valued
Bonuses, retirement, appreciation gifts
More vacation time
Less stress/time constraints
More respect from my employer
More variety of skills
More hours
Need to stop using my hands due to arthritis
I would like to see a return to one-hour prophy appointments so the hygienist can do her job more effectively and thoroughly.
My current employer does not communicate well with staff; therefore I feel I am not learning as much as I could be. (He has Asperger syndrome.)
To feel appreciated
Health insurance, personal time off
CAMBRA, laser therapy, etc.
Further education
Tired of same routine; want to do something different-not so physical
More growth potential in other fields
Better working conditions
I'm satisfied with my job as it is.
Mentoring
Appreciation from supervisors, improvement in self-career satisfaction
I would like to be an instructor of dental hygiene.
I want to have big chunks of time off to travel and do educational programs
Health insurance, retirement fund
I sub for other offices. Would like a permanent office. Very difficult
Schedule flexibility to allow proper time for special needs patients that I used to have.
Independent practice
Be treated like a professional instead of a child.
More recognition
Lack of artificial barriers imposed by the dental monopoly
Even a lateral move to be closer to home
More hours
More than four days sick time after 26 years in the same practice
Other opportunities in a different state without taking the National Board examination again
Grow with professional advances in techniques, technologies, and community service
A permanent position
Ability to help patients with lifestyle and nutrition coaching

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Stop cutting my hours every week!
More job openings
Having graduated in the 1990s, I tapped out on earning potential.
More respect from dentist
Health insurance
There are no more full time jobs or benefits, retirement packages
A employer that appreciates the job you do for them!
When I started, a lot of offices were 8-5. Now they want us working 7 to 8. That's a long day to work and to spend less time with your family.
Time to go to the bathroom
Nicer boss
Less strain on my body
Education
Better income and benefits. We took 4% pay cut over 6 years ago due to economy
We are a direct supervision state and there are few opportunities outside either clinical or teaching in this area.
As our back office team leader, I would like more time to dedicate to that part of my job.
I am pretty content with the way things are.
Becoming a treatment plan coordinator
Something with more flexibility
Less pressure
Management, public health
To be the best I can be and to make a difference in people's lives
Something different
To move from the clinical setting into an administrative position. Dental hygiene is no longer patient care - based on production now.
Be able to work on our own
Less one on one contact with patients
High level of learning
Health insurance , paid sick days
To do something other than clinical dental hygiene
I am happy with my income and responsibilities.
Different type of job
To feel confident and happy in a particular job setting
Prefer separate vacation days and sick leave. Currently they are lumped together as paid time off.
Respect
More autonomy
Independent practice and about the better benefits I feel that there is the lack of them with the newer dentist. For me, the 1990s were great for benefits.
Teaching
Management, teaching, writing
Do something in the dental field that is not so hard on my body physically
To become office manager too!
Supervise, organize, leadership
Paid sick days or more vacation days
Full time position
I just don't want to work so late in the evenings and work Saturdays

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Comments by Decades

After 2010

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Vacation pay, paid sick days, bonuses or raises
Better/more support staff.
Insurance, 401K, paid vacation
Change from the business of private practice
Less stress, both physical and emotional
A lot more benefits!
Health insurance
Paid continuing education
Continuing education, respect, and support
Benefits would be nice. Have zero
Respect
Creating, research
Sick day pay, more paid time off when I want to take it, not when the office closes
I'm very content
A career with personal satisfaction and gentler on my back
Consulting
Staying a hygienist but getting out of dental office atmosphere
Making a move up to becoming an educator
More supervisory and/or business planning work, teaching
Health insurance
Let's bring patient care back to first priority instead of production
Sales
Currently employers are paying so much less then five years ago and not offering full time to one hygienist. Rather hire two or more with low pay no benefits. New trend. Older doctors still respect hygienists but those positions are always taken.
Wider patient outreach
Leaving clinical practice
I receive no benefits
Better work environment
To be in a position that would allow me to change policy within the organization I work for.
New experience
401k or profit sharing, insurance
Administration or teaching - nonclinical hygiene job
Being able to leave clinical setting
Work from home
I already do just about everything in my office. I just work two days a week for now while my kids are still at home.
Less stress
I would like to get on the education side of things where the stress level may be less.
Something different
Unfortunately, ethics and integrity in the workforce are at an all time low. People want big bucks for what they do, but have somehow lost the reason why we are doing what we are doing. I have been in several offices where the standard of care is not there.