u/FortuneTop6438

So my major gripe with dental hygiene is the nonstop back to back patient load. Every. Single. Hour. Nonstop. I get the patient at start of the hour, do what I need to do and I always finish around 45-50mins into the hour then have to do the doctors exam and clean up which almost always has me running to get the next patient back about 5 mins late so in always rushing around, no back or neck breaks and back to being bent over tryna clean all these teeth.

My other gripe obviously is the physical strain. I'm okay for now after three years so far, but God knows how my spine will be in 5 years and it already is starting to hurt.

The work can be mindless overall though, not super stressful work but is very time consuming and does require a ton of nonstop focus and meticulous attention. My eyes and head radiate after staring at tiny teeth with bright lights all day.

I would like a job that gives me to spend degree some breathing room and not be running around ragged.

I do love only having a four day work week and never working weekends though.

My questions are:

1. How stressful genuinely is this job? Do you worry or have issues often when starting IVs?

2. I know it definitely can get busy and handling multiple patients at once which in fine to be busy and multitask her and there, but with hygiene its every day of the week nonstop all hours of the day minus my lunch break. There is no time to take a breather and sit for a minute unless I get a cancellation which is rare. How busy really does it get and do you get much down time in an average 8hr shift?

3. What is the work schedule like? I really would prefer to work 4 10s. Is this common in nuc med? Is it feasible? I know weekend shifts depend on outpatient vs inpatient often, but if you do work weekends, what is the frequency of your rotations? How often are you on call for? I don't mind on call maybe 3-4 days a month I guess but how often is realistic would you say?

Thanks for any help!

Hi everyone,

I'm making a career pivot and FPE has caught my eye, nice balance of some office work but also going out into the field etc.

Anywho, I am very interested in FPE. But I hear it may be better to go into mechanical and then later specialize in FPE.

In case FPE demands decrease. But moreso for more opportunities and browser range of work availability and movement with ME.

I'd honestly be fine with just doing FPE, as a college near me offers the specific degree but don't know if I'd be selling myself short in terms of expansion and opportunities in the future.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated

Like most on this sub, I despise hygiene quite a bit. I love dental and sciences and analyzing the patient but the workload back to back, the literal ZERO breaks in the day, back and neck are tore up, patients are just very needy overall.

But moreso idk why by my doctor's side is always so sparse. How he makes money to pay us all and himself is beyond me. But genuinely him and his assistants have at least 2-3 spare hours on EACH side daily.

It's genuinely quite aggravating as me and the other rdh stay booked 25/8 nonstop and they always get to come in late, leave early, or have breaks to chat and catch up on stuff. I could only dream. That pisses me off a ton.

But moreso, I just really don't mesh with my co workers at all honestly. One of them heavily stresses me out being wishy washy and weird half the time, the other one i just feel weird. I like two of them a lot but they're about to retire.

Sometimes seeing how much they get to relax while I slave and the lack of comradery between me and them at least, and the nonstop running like a chicken with its head off just makes me want to quit and work at a fucking park for minimum wage.

If I could just have a second to breath like 15-20min breaks 3x throughout the day like a normal person, I'd be ok. But I don't know how sustainable this is for me mentally or physically from all aspects.

I wonder if I left and found offices that are more friends with eachother and people my age that I can relate to and joke with will my work life be better.

Only con is I work for a phenomenal doctor. In everyway he is worth his weight in gold. HIGHLY values hygienists, very generous, gets me what I need when I need it, never overbearing or micromanaging, very flexible and understanding. He's really the only reason I stay.

But I do have to to what's best for me but Idk if leaving will leave me worse off or not.

So Ideally work for the best dentist ever. I mean truly I don't think I've met a kinder, more respectful, humble, generous and loving person truly.

Anytime I need anything he is willing to get it and do whatever I need to make me happier at the job and be more comfortable whether it's new cavi tips, new instruments, last minute time off etc. just an overall great guy.

He fully supports and values hygienists as well. Things they are as equal as him as providers and respects everything I recommend, backs me up and looks to me for recs and guidance on things often perio related.

That's why this is such a dilemma everything is great overall, best doc, 5 mins from my house, I can block off time and days when I want granted no PTs are scheduled yet or I can request some days of here and there even if PTs are scheduled granted I don't do that often only when I need but still.

Problem is with my other co workers. Nothing is wrong with them and we get along fine pretty much but there's a large disconnect. Idk what it is. I don't usually have issues with connecting and having a good time with people once given enough time to get comfy with them but I've been here 2 years now and there still just seems to be some weird awk vibes idk if it's me or just differences in lifestyle s, drastic age gaps etc.

I've never had issues with this but I just don't connect with them and the ones I do all retire next year so things are really about to suck.

I'm just used to being close or at least semi close to my co works, occasionally go out together or just talk and laugh at lunch. We don't really do any of that. Everyone is either off to themselves or is just there to work no personal social stuff fr which I get it's just not my vibe at all, it's kind of miserable.

I want to go do team outings and ce course stuff, we do nothing ever except a Christmas party or sum.

When I was first hired one of the selling points was how many activities it seemed like they did as a team and the listing said team ce trips yearly yet none of this has really happened since I started and the boss keeps having kids so I don't see it happening any time soon.

I hate to leave such an overall laid back easy going place but the vibe with CO workers is a really big thing for me and I feel like I can barely laugh or joke with anyone bc they're all either just trying to work or don't care or get what in saying outside of the ones about to retire.

Am I gonna regret switching

Soooo tell me if this is a normal occurrence or if anyone has experienced anything like this. I'd ask the Switzerland sub but I fear they'd be too biased.

So title says, me and four of my black femal friends have been in Switzerland for a couple days and plan to stay for a couple more.

I'm aware of the swiss stare, which people definitely have been doing, like nonstop. Like I'll look at then and they'll look away then keep looking back at me and the girls for minutes on end.

I tried to not pay mind to it an chalk it up to curiosity.

But today we 4 went out to eat and then these four swiss guys sat next to us. All 4 of them staring daggers at us nonstop the entire time we ordered, ate and paid. They would stare at us then chat in German and laugh and anytime we'd do something, have any sort of reaction, order or talk to waiter, they'd laugh and stare at us and talk German.

An indian family later then came to the restaurant but went in the wrong door. The family came out and once again these guys are staring daggers watching them all the way out back around the restaurant door. They talked German and laughed which seems like it was towards them and I coulda swore I heard one of the guys call them idiots but it was in a diff language so I'm not fully sure but it def sounded like a form of idiot.

This happened in Mürren and I thought this would be okay and better since its a popular touristy town but I guess not.

The whole interactions made me cry uncomfortable and feel unwelcome like something was wrong with me which I know there isn't but these reactions make me feel that way. I felt this way earlier as well as ppl keep staring but I had moved past it and gave it benefit of the doubt or just chalked it up to pure curiosity but this with the guys felt like a lot more than just that.

Is this normal? Do swiss ppl really think that shitty of people of color and make fun of them in front of their faces? I know swiss ppl can have issues with xenophobia but it was clear we are American and not immigrants there in Switzerland.

Any clarity on this would be nice, just looking for some peace of mind I guess because it bothered me a lot.

I just got an E bike and want to start riding it to work during warm weather. I've a sturdy Bollard I can lock it onto.

The area I work in is definitely not the safest id say but it could be worse. It'd be kind of in a hidden lot but this lot also happens to be right in the same spot around some apartments that people walk around and through often...

Just got a Hiplock dx1000 U lock and a kryptonite evolution chain lock.

My bike of course will be outside all day. It will be right in front of a camera though and in a parking lot and right outside one of my co workers windows.

Do you think it's enough to at least deter or keep my bike safe overall? I will say, a customers car has been broken into recently in our lot but they did leave their car unlocked sooo....