Dental Hygienist Schools
If you are interested in one of the best careers in the country, choosing from among the many dental hygienist schools for the right fit can greatly influence your future career opportunities and your income potential. As of 2008, there were over 300 accredited dental hygienist schools from which to choose.
Among those 300-plus organizations, you have options that run the full spectrum: Vocational schools, community colleges and top universities offer comprehensive curricula that grant anything from a certificate to an online masters degree. Choosing the right school involves what degree you wish to pursue, for not all schools offer the same range of degrees.
Degree Programs
The minimum education level required for most states’ licenses is an associate’s degree. Whether you opt for a classroom environment or the convenience of online courses, you could attend class for two to three years for that degree level, depending on your secondary school background.
Almost every program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, a necessary qualification for licensing in any state, provides either an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree in dental health. Offline or online, the course standards are the same, so only the cost is usually discounted in the electronic option. However, not all schools allow admittance into a career training program until the student gains one year of college credit. Some students opt for “testing out” of actual classroom instruction for this basic, foundational year, while others actually take the courses and gain a fuller experience.
A bachelor’s degree requires four years of study, either through four actual school years or the accelerated accumulation of credit hours. The dental hygienist schools that offer the baccalaureate degree offer more intensive, in-depth course curricula, and the oral hygienist who earns the degree often gets paid more, reflecting the higher degree of expertise.
Dental Hygienist Schools
As with any degree-oriented career, the higher the education you possess, the higher your earnings potential and the greater your career opportunities. Continuing education requirements often encourage hygienists to go back to school for additional degree credits, so starting a career with an associate’s degree is not an impediment for the dedicated person. Many dental hygienist schools accept all or most of the credits already earned if applied to a higher degree, especially if you attend the same school.
An additional benefit to higher degrees that minimally required is the increased job environmental options. Paired with valid experience, a highly-educated hygienist may find branching out into research or public health programs of professional interest. Neither option is readily available for entry-level hygienists, and they are rarely available to associate degree-holders with only experience to offer.
Whether you believe you want close patient interaction and focus your career toward private dental practice or toward public health, the more education you obtain, the greater your expertise that you offer dental practices and, more importantly, to patients.
Identify which dental hygienist schools interest you, have the best financial aspects and offer the venue of attendance you prefer. Ensure the school you want is, indeed, accredited, then enroll to start you on your career path that can lead to satisfaction, advancement and financial rewards.
