Western states, including Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming
(but excluding Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, which are detailed in separate listings for each state.)
Responses: 50
Most common hourly rates: $35 (15%), $37 (9%), $32 (8%), $34 (8%), $40 (8%), $45 (8%)
Comments about western states:
- Utah: I often work as a dental assistant or in the front office, because the dentist cannot afford to have me work as a dental hygienist. He does most of the hygiene work, because of the lack of patients to do other dental treatment.
- Nevada: They are still graduating too many students a year. Most are all about the money they think they make rather than be there for the patients
- Alaska: Hourly pay has stalemated over last several years. Part of problem is more new grads so plenty of hygienists available
- Hawaii: Live on an island with a dental hygiene program at the local college. Hourly rates and job opportunities are greatly decreasing!
- Idaho: I believe dentist should not do cleanings on ages 10 and up. In the last week, I have come across three patients, ages 12, 10 and 15, that had their cleanings six months ago by the dentist, and I found several areas with black calculus.
- Idaho: Our area is flooded with graduates from a local proprietary dental hygiene certificate program; our bargaining power for wages, benefits, working conditions, etc., has worsened over the last 13 years or so; feedback from colleagues is that dentists take advantage of this fact, stating if a hygienist doesn't feel comfortable doing something, they'll get someone else who will.
- Idaho: I have been looking for two years for a hygiene job in my area. I am very underemployed and have no benefits at all.
