Changing careers at 12 years into a job, is it realistic?

After 12 years as a dental hygienist I am thinking about moving into a different field. I have good customer skills and I am comfortable with spreadsheets.

Try a small project in the new field before committing. It told me a lot about whether I would enjoy it.

I began with informational chats, then a short online course, then a related entry-level role. It took about 8 months.