If your research into dental hygienist schools has led you to the point that you are now prepared to examine the requirements and education necessary to prepare you for this avocation, you have come to the right place. There are many schools located throughout the United States, but it is important that you find the right dental hygienist program that is right for you and fits your budget.
The first requirement is that you have a high school diploma or GED. The second is that you only consider a dental hygienist school that is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association.
Dental Hygienist Schools
Unless you are a graduate of a school accredited by the commission just named, you will be unable to qualify to take a state-licensing exam. Imagine the sorrow of wasting all that time and money, and then finding out that you can’t take the exam to begin practicing in this profession. Don’t take any chances, find out if the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) accredits the program.
The average of 86 credit hours in dental hygiene is required to attain an associate’s degree, but if you can afford to attain a baccalaureate degree, you only need 122 credit hours. The majority of dental hygienist schools offer programs that are semester based, and almost 40% may include summer study. Very few programs, perhaps as few as 15%, offer a part-time curriculum, but distance-learning opportunities by up to 36% of schools, are sometimes available.
Now hold on to your hat, here comes the hard part. One of the reasons that this profession pays so well is because it isn’t easy to get into. What I mean is, that just because you may want to become a dental hygienist, that doesn’t mean you can just waltz right in to any school and sign up.
Hygienist Schools and Requirements
The truth is that many people such as you have seen the light and are clamoring to be allowed in. What schools have done to up the ante is to tighten the requirements, to be sure that the students that are accepted have the best chance of completing the programs.
Actually this is in the best interests of everybody concerned. If you gained entrance, and halfway through you discover that the academics are more than you can handle, you will probably drop out of school while owing student loan debt on an education you’ll probably never take advantage of. If you can meet the requirements, you have the best shot at graduating.
Some of the requirements include taking high school courses in English, chemistry, math and biology. You may be required to have managed a “C” average in high school, and you may also be required to attain approximately 40 credit hours of prerequisite college courses in speech, psychology, chemistry and sociology.
Dental Hygienist Schools and Admissions
Because admissions are so controlled due to the large number of applicants, as recently as 2006 only 25% of students seeking admission to an associate program were admitted. Because the number of requests is smaller, 33% of those applying to baccalaureate programs were admitted.
Don’t get scared. These are just statistics that the schools report to the association of dental hygienists. If you’re creative and persistent, there are ways that you can convince an admissions officer that you’re deserving of a chance.
Top Dental Hygienist Schools and Programs
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There is no doubt that this profession is not for everybody, but if you know you have what it takes, and have the determination to show any dental hygienist schools that you can make it, I say go for it, and good luck.