The Best Schools for a Dental Hygiene Degree
When you're ready to start making your list of dream schools to attend in order to get your degree in dental hygiene, check out some of these resources. We have organized them by the level of degree that you are looking to pursue.
Associate Degree
The most widely possessed degree by dental hygienists is an associate degree. This will allow you to get an entry-level job as a hygienist in a dentist's office.
Many community and junior colleges offer this degree. An example of a great program is the one at State Fair Community College in Sedalia, Missouri. This program teaches you, among other skills, how to recognize periodontal decay in patients, how to administer both local anesthesia and nitrous oxide, and how to expose, process and mount radiographs. Argosy University in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, also offers an associate degree in dental hygiene, which includes courses in head and neck anatomy, dental radiology and pain management.
For a more or less comprehensive list of two-year degree programs in the United States, visit the American Dental Hygienist's Association. Their list is searchable by state.
Bachelor's Degree
A four-year Bachelor of Science degree in dental hygiene typically involves other science courses, and may even include composition courses and other components of an undergraduate education. This differentiates it from a two-year associate degree, which is more focused on the exact skills you need for the field.
Cumberland University offers a pre-dental-hygiene bachelor's degree. This degree includes sociology, speech, English, biology, chemistry, and anatomy. It qualifies you to enroll at the University of Tennessee Memphis master's degree program, though the program website counsels you that admission to graduate programs in the field is quite competitive.
Master of Science Degree
A Master of Science in dental hygiene typically takes two years to complete, and follows a bachelor's degree. It qualifies you to teach in the field, as well as to be at the top of your pay grade as a dentist's assistant.
If you want to go all the way and get a master's in dental hygiene, one option is to attend Idaho State University. This program is offered online through the Kasiska College of Health Professions. To apply, you should already be a licensed dental hygienist with a bachelor's degree. Graduates have gone into research, teaching, and advanced practice in rural or remote areas.