Career Paths and Satisfaction of Dental Hygienists Holding Master's and Doctoral Degrees

Purpose: There is an increased need for dental hygienists with advanced degrees to meet the demands of a complex health care system in addition to advancing the dental hygiene profession. The purpose of this study was to explore the career paths and satisfaction of dental hygienists with master's and doctoral degrees.Methods: A qualitative descriptive phenomenological research design was used with a purposive sample of dental hygienists (n=20) who had master's and doctoral degrees. A virtual web-based videoconferencing platform was used to conduct focus groups and utilize a national sample. Focus groups were audio recorded and transcribed. Data was analyzed for themes manually and with qualitative analysis software.Results: The results showed a wide range of career paths such as: administrator, lawyer, entrepreneur, dental therapist, dentist, nurse, educator, researcher, public speaker, consultant, editor, state oral health program coordinator, and marketing. The results also indicated that participants were satisfied and valued the pursuit of their advanced education. The six themes that emerged included: expanded opportunities; personal growth; professional growth; credibility; it's an investment; and just do it, don't overanalyze or second guess yourself.Conclusion: Findings suggest satisfaction with advanced education as well as a wide variety of career paths. Participants also endorsed more dental hygienists being educated at the master's and doctoral level to advance the profession of dental hygiene.