A dental hygiene degree requires graduation from a two-year college program at minimum. An associate’s degree from a community or technical college allows work in a private dental practice, but a four-year year degree offers wider opportunities in the dental health care field. A bachelor’s or master’s degree from a university allows the graduate to teach or practice in public health facilities. An accredited dental hygiene school is one option to achieve a dental hygiene degree, but most require at least one year of college before they accept students.
Admission requirements at universities differ, but most schools mandate that the student have a high school diploma and be at least 18 years old. Those who have taken math, chemistry, and biology courses in high school often stand a better chance of acceptance into dental hygiene school. Some college programs set a minimum grade point average and require a college entrance exam.
Dental hygienists work with licensed dentists to clean a patient’s teeth and encourage good oral health habits. Part of the job involves educating the patient on good dental practices to promote healthy teeth and gums. The hygienist removes plaque deposits from the teeth, takes dental x-rays, and sometimes applies sealants to prevent tooth decay. In some dental practices the hygienist makes molds of a patient’s teeth to help the dentist determine proper treatment.
After earning a dental hygiene degree, a dental hygienist needs a dental hygienist license or registration, depending on the region where work will be performed. This may require passing written and clinical exams, and some areas require legal knowledge of the dental hygiene field. The license permits work in a private dental office, school, or public health facility, depending on the level of the dental hygiene degree held.
Some people begin as a dental hygienist but return to school to study for an advanced dental hygiene degree to become an educator or researcher. Other job opportunities include marketing and sales of dental care products. A consumer advocate stays abreast of current trends that link dental health to overall health. He or she may work to educate the public about the importance of dental health, using the media to inform the public about healthy dental practices.
As populations grow and people live longer, the demand for dental hygienists is expected to increase. Research has shown a connection between good oral health and basic health, making people more aware of the importance of preventative dental health care. Dentists rely on hygienists to clean patients' teeth while they focus on more complex procedures in their dental offices.
