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Dental Hygienist Degree - Online and Campus Programs

Dental hygienists clean teeth, instruct patients in proper dental hygiene, offer temporary fillings, polishing procedures, and even anesthesia, depending on the state laws that regulate dentistry where they work. They enjoy good salaries and extremely flexible working hours ? an enticement of the occupation. More than half of the nation's 174,100 dental hygienists work part-time. Employers are interested in hiring dental hygienists that are trained to assume more of the dentist's routine tasks.

How to Prepare for a Dental Hygienist Career

A dental hygienist degree from an accredited college or trade school and a state license are the principal requirements for beginning your career. Following training, you must pass the written exam administered by the American Dental Association's Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations. With additional dental hygienist degree work at the bachelor's or master's degree level, hygienists can advance to roles in teaching, research, or in a corporate setting. You can earn an associate's degree, bachelor's degree, or master's degree in addition to a two-year certificate. Dental hygienist classes may include training in:
  • Anatomy
  • Physiology
  • Periodontology
  • Pathology
  • Radiography
  • Clinical Dental Hygiene

Career Outlook for Dental Hygienists

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports there are more than 300 accredited dental hygiene programs across the country. The median salary for dental hygienists in 2008 was $66,570, with top earnings at $91,470. The BLS predicts a 36 percent increase in dental hygienist jobs between 2008 and 2018.
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Featured Schools

 
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West Coast University can help prepare you for a rewarding health care career.

Selected Campus Locations:
  • Anaheim

Ready for a rewarding career? Start with a certificate or degree from Carrington College California.

Selected Campus Locations:
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Explore a new career with Pima Medical Institute.

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  • Dental Assistant

San Joaquin Valley College is an accredited private junior college committed to the professional success of its students and graduates.
Founded in 1977, SJVC has campuses located throughout California-including an Online division and offers a variety of accelerated Certificate and Associate of Science degree programs in the business, medical and technical fields.

Students benefit from a balance of classroom instruction and real-world experience, learning the skills they need to go straight to work in today’s competitive job market.

Selected Campus Locations:
  • Bakersfield
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Get a professional education designed with your future in mind at Kaplan College.

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Leave that dead-end job behind with training from Everest College.

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Prepare for an exciting new career at the Milan Institute.

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  • Palm Desert
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American Career College (ACC) offers hands-on training that will prepare students for careers in the healthcare industry at three campuses in Los Angeles, Ontario, and Orange County, California.

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  • Anaheim
  • Los Angeles
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Get hands-on training with UEI College.

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Heald College provides hands-on educational programs that can help students prepare for careers in the healthcare, business, legal and technology fields.

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