Technical Occupations in Dental Health Care (NOC 322)

What They Do Dental hygienists provide a process of dental care including assessment, preventive care, treatment, and evaluation. Dental therapists working for government in rural and remote locations provide limited dental services including filling cavities and extracting teeth. Dental technicians prepare and fabricate full and partial dentures/devices such as bridges, clasps and bands according to prescriptions from dentists/dental therapists. Denturists examine patients, make impressions, design/construct dentures, and fit, modify, and repair dentures.

Where They Find Work —    Top Occupational Areas Health care and social assistance 80% Miscellaneous manufacturing 17% People in this group work in: Government/Military Public health, community care, and other health practices/clinics and hospitals Dentists' offices and dental hygiene clinics, laboratories, and clinics Private industry Educational institutions and mobile services Research Forensic Laboratories Regulatory bodies and professional associations The highest concentrations (per 10,000 people) of Technical Occupations in Dental Health Care are found in Alberta and British Columbia while the lowest concentrations are in Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.

Related Occupation(s) Dentists (NOC 3113)

Something to Think About To enhance your professional knowledge and broaden your opportunities, consider: Continually updating your knowledge Improving interpersonal skills Setting standards and guidelines for safety/operations

Use the "Where They Find Work" graph to target your worksearch. It may be easier to get into industries with the most people in this field. Want to work in an industry that hires fewer workers in this field? To be more marketable, check out whether you have the most up-to-date knowledge and technology skills for that industry. Check the provincial/territorial or local information (http://www.labourmarketinformation.ca) for opportunities in your area.

What You Need To work in this field, you must have a high school diploma and you usually need a college or university program in your specialty. You may need licensing in your province or territory. To be a dental hygienist, you need a two- to three-year college or university program or other approved program and you may need a licence in the province/territory where you'll work. To be a dental technician, you need a college program in dental technology or four or more years of on-the-job training with a dental technician. Licensing is available but not mandatory in all provinces. In Quebec, you must be a member of the Ordre professionnel des techniciens et techniciennes dentaires du Québec. To be a denturist, you need a college program and may need to complete an internship program. Licensing is mandatory. Most recent entrants have a community college diploma.

Required/Related    Educational Programs* This will let you explore the program(s) of study that lead to this (these) occupation(s). Dental Hygiene/Assistant Technologies (C531) Dental Hygiene/Assistant Technologies (T531) Health - Other (U523) Biology (U620) *  These educational programs are listed in the order in which they are most likely to supply graduates to this occupation.

Useful Experience/Skills Multidisciplinary teamwork Business procedures Interpersonal skills		Useful High School Subjects Chemistry Biology English Computer-related courses Math
Depending on your background, this Education, Training, and Experience info will help you to: Choose your high school courses Plan your post-secondary program Choose relevant volunteer work Decide what new skills to learn Read job ads, professional journals, and newspapers for what the industry needs and employers want. Talk to employers and employees to find out the exceptional skills and knowledge that will help you land a job.

Current Conditions Your work prospects are rated GOOD because: Employement grew at an above-average rate. Hourly wages ($24.88) are above the average ($18.07), and the rate of wage growth is also above average. The unemployment rate (1%) is below the 2004 average (7%).

Work Prospects Current   Good   2009   Good

Outlook to 2009 Your work prospects will continue to be GOOD because: The employment growth rate will likely to be above average because of ongoing trends--a growing and aging population that requires more health services, increased government funding for health care, Canadians with more dental insurance coverage, and new technologies that improve dental care. Demand may increase as more Canadians are likely to request preventive dental care. Although the retirement rate will likely be average, the number of retiring workers should contribute to job openings. The number of job seekers will likely match the number of job openings.

Preparing for the Competition You'll need to ensure that your skills keep pace with changing dental technologies. You're more likely to succeed by focusing on preventive or cosmetic dental care.

If you are beginning your career investigation, national outlooks will give you a good overview of trends. Ready to explore an occupation in more detail? Check provincial/territorial or local outlooks (http://www.labourmarketinformation.ca).

What you can expect to make (Average Hourly Earnings ($/hour))
Age Group This Occupation All Occupations 20-24 $16.48 $11.74 25-54 $25.70 $19.76 55+ $22.60 $19.59 Overall Average for Ages (20+) This Occupation All Occupations $24.88 $18.07		Hourly wages ($24.88) are above the national average ($18.07). These earnings are close to the average for occupations in the health sector and above average for all technical, professional, and skilled occupations. These wages grew at an above-average rate from 2002 to 2004.
Your salary can be affected by your background, the company's size and benefits, and the region and setting (urban or rural). Check out salaries in your own region by seeking info from: Employees/unions/associations Employers/human resource people Training institutions and placement services Company websites Professional/trade journals

Below the average
The unemployment rate (1%) is below the 2004 average (7%). This rate is below the average for technical, professional, and skilled occupations. A low unemployment rate often means less competition for the jobs available. But you still need to have the required training and experience. A high unemployment rate doesn't necessarily mean you'll have great difficulty getting hired. But it can mean a fluctuating demand for workers, and you may experience bouts of unemployment.		Year This Occupation All Occupations 1991 4% 10% 1992 3% 11% 1993 2% 11% 1994 5% 10% 1995 2% 10% 1996 1% 10% 1997 3% 9% 1998 3% 8% 1999 2% 8% 2000 3% 7% 2001 1% 7% 2002 1% 8% 2003 1% 8% 2004 1% 7%

% of Part-time work is above average
This Occupation All Occupations Full-time 73% 81% Part-time 27% 19%		There were 26,300 workers employed in these occupations in 2004, an increase of 22% since 1997. The percentage of part-time workers (27%) is above the 2004 average (19%) and has risen since 1997.
When full-time work is difficult to find, look at alternatives such as contract work, consulting, shared positions, and telework.

Average
The percentage of self-employed workers is 15% compared to the 2004 average of 15% and has risen since 1997.		This Occupation All Occupations Self-Employed 15% 15%
Does this occupation have an above-average rate of self-employment? Consider being your own boss if you can't find work with an employer.

Age Group This Occupation All Occupations 20-24 6% 10% 25-54 85% 72% 55+ 8% 12%		The retirement rate to 2009 will likely be average influenced by a similar-to-average age of workers (38).
Look at the youngest group. A low percentage means fewer openings for brand-new workers. A high percentage means more openings for brand-new workers. Look at the oldest age group. A high percentage means positions could open up from retirements. This could be significant for both mid-career changers and brand-new workers.

Above average
The percentage of women (81%) is above the 2004 average of 48% and has stayed about the same since 1997.		This Occupation All Occupations Percent Women 81% 48%

This page last modified on: 2007-03-31