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From Trisha’s Desk By Trisha E. O’Hehir, RDH, BS, Editorial Director, Hygienetown Magazine

More by this author (282)
Why Not Invest
in Your Career


Trisha E. O’Hehir,
RDH, BS
Editorial Director,
Hygienetown Magazine 		Invest in your career. It’s simple really; all you need are two things – a wish list and a budget. Your wish list should include instruments, products, equipment, continuing education courses and capital improvements for your operatory. Some items will be less than $100, while others might cost several thousands of dollars. Remember, this is a wish list, so design your ideal work environment and career. What would make your work day more comfortable and help you achieve the best possible oral health for your patients? What would you like to have if money were no object? Complete your wish list before you make any judgments about what you can afford, what the dentist will pay for, or what you think might be too extreme. For wish list ideas, this issue featuring the winners of the Townie Choice Awards should give you a start.

Now calculate the price of each item and divide the list into two sublists. One includes all the items that are considered personal, like magnification, an operator chair, specific instruments, continuing education, association dues and licensure fees. These items you might want to purchase yourself as an investment in your career since you can use them no matter where you work. The second sublist includes all the items that will stay with the practice: instruments, equipment, capital improvements and systems/consulting for the practice. This will be important for the second step: working out a budget.

To calculate a budget, discuss with your dentist employer a fair percentage of the dental hygiene production that can be allocated for purchases to improve patient care. Ten percent is the figure I’ve used in clinical practice, but depending on your practice, it might be five to 15 percent. Having a budget for dental hygiene purchases helps you avoid being in the position of always having to ask your dentist employer for basic things you need to provide optimum care for the patients. That way the investment is controlled by what you produce and you also know your spending limit each month and/or year for dental hygiene department purchases. Some big-ticket items will require going several months with no purchases in order to save up for them. With a wish list and a budget, you can make it happen.

It’s likely that you already have some items in mind that you’d like to purchase. Now that I’ve shown you how easy it is, make an effort to invest in your career. Not only are you worth it, but so are the dental professionals you work with and the patients on whom you work.
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