Dental Hygienist Schools

*sponsored

Dental hygienists provide preventive therapy to promote oral health, examine patients for signs of disease, and teach them to manage their own oral hygiene. In addition to completing a dental hygiene program at an ADA-accredited school, aspiring dental hygienists must pass state exams on how to provide dental hygiene and education to patients, and (in most states) must pass the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination as well. Upon receiving their license, hygienists become Registered Dental Hygienists (RDH’s) and qualify to enter this high-growth occupation.

Degree & certification Programs

Qualifications and Requirements

In order to become a dental hygienist, students must complete an accredited program through a community college, technical school, dental school, or university. Students should verify that their program is accredited by the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) prior to enrolling.

Program lengths may vary, but dental hygienist school typically takes two years to complete. The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) reports that an associate degree in dental hygiene requires an average of 84 credit hours. For a bachelor’s degree, it’s an average of 118 credit hours. Although bachelor’s or master’s degree programs may take an additional two to four years to complete, they may enable a student to pursue a career in research and teaching, including managing roles in clinics or public health programs.

Admission requirements for dental hygienist schools typically include the completion of high school courses in chemistry, biology, health, psychology, speech, and mathematics. The ADHA (2014) reports that some programs also ask candidates for interviews, dexterity tests, or essays. It’s important to check specific admission standards before applying to ensure eligibility.

Dental hygiene programs generally have two components. First, they offer science-intensive coursework. Core classes cover the fields of basic science (e.g., pharmacology, anatomy, physiology), dental science (e.g., oral pathology, radiology, pain control), and dental hygiene science (e.g., oral health education, preventative counseling, clinical dental hygiene). Second, these programs offer supervised patient care experiences. The ADHA (2014) estimates that dental hygienist students will complete an average of 659 hours of supervised clinical instruction prior to receiving their degrees or certifications. This practical work helps students flesh out their theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience in patient care.

After completing a dental hygienist program at an accredited school, students may be eligible for licensure. Initially, students are required to take the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE), a test comprising 350 multiple choice questions gauging both concrete, theoretical knowledge and students’ ability to tackle case studies. After passing this exam, students must complete their state clinical board examinations. The ADHA provides a comprehensive guide to these varying regional requirements.

Students are also required to have the following prior to obtaining licensure:

Completion of a jurisprudence exam
Proof of CPR certification
Letter(s) of recommendation from dentist(s) in state of desired licensure
Official transcripts from high school(s) and college(s) attended
Official letters from state boards of dentistry

Upon receiving licensure, dental hygienists are authorized to use “RDH” after their names to indicate their status as “Registered Dental Hygienists.”

Dental Hygienist Schools

Here is a sampling of CODA-accredited dental hygienist schools in the United States:

University of Southern California

The University of Southern California (USC) offers a bachelor of science in dental hygiene, one of only 48 such programs in the country. USC’s Ostrow School of Dentistry has been internationally renowned since opening its doors over 80 years ago. The school includes faculty who are editors and authors from some of the country’s most influential journals and textbooks in dental hygiene.

Salt Lake Community College

Salt Lake Community College offers an economical two-year program in dental hygiene, accredited by ADA’s CODA and the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), a regional body of quality assurance. This school boasts small class sizes and offers students interested in pursuing bachelor’s degrees the opportunity to transfer credits to four-year institutions within the Utah System of Higher Education.

University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry offers an accelerated, three-year bachelor of science program for aspiring dental hygienists. UM also has a master of science in dental hygiene (MSDH) option to prepare students for careers in research or academia. For those interested in pursuing the education track of the MSDH program, UM has begun to offer flexible online coursework options as well.

College of Southern Nevada

The College of Southern Nevada offers a two-year, associate of science in dental hygiene program. This school features state-of-the-art radiology, sterilization, and ultrasonic equipment at its Charleston Campus Health Sciences Center (HSC).

Valencia College

Valencia College offers a two-year associates degree in dental hygiene. In this program, students learn skills such as administering anesthetics, operating radiological equipment, assisting root canals, applying fluoride and sealants, and instructing patients in good oral hygiene practices.

The University of Tennessee

The University of Tennessee (UT) offers a four-year bachelor of science degree in dental hygiene. It comprises a “2+2” format, combining two years of built-in prerequisite completion with two years of program coursework and clinical instruction. This program aims to teach its students not only the fundamental skills of dental hygiene, but also character-building with its emphasis on community service initiatives for diverse populations.

List of Dental Hygienist Schools

Filter by state :

School	City	State	Website	Total grads (2013)
Sinclair Community College	Dayton	Ohio	http://www.sinclair.edu	72
West Coast University-Orange County	Anaheim	California	http://westcoastuniversity.edu/campuses/orange-county.html	64
West Liberty University	West Liberty	West Virginia	http://westliberty.edu/	63
Minnesota State University-Mankato	Mankato	Minnesota	http://www.mnsu.edu	63
Carrington College-Portland	Portland	Oregon	http://carrington.edu/	59
University of New England	Biddeford	Maine	http://www.une.edu/	58
New York University	New York	New York	http://www.nyu.edu	58
Careers Unlimited	Orem	Utah	http://www.ucdh.edu	58
Bluegrass Community and Technical College	Lexington	Kentucky	http://www.bluegrass.kctcs.edu/	55
Herzing University-Minneapolis	Minneapolis	Minnesota	https://www.herzing.edu/	54
University of Detroit Mercy	Detroit	Michigan	http://www.udmercy.edu	53
University of New Haven	West Haven	Connecticut	http://www.newhaven.edu	52
Farmingdale State College	Farmingdale	New York	http://WWW.FARMINGDALE.EDU	52
Carrington College California-San Jose	San Jose	California	http://carrington.edu/	49
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus	Pittsburgh	Pennsylvania	http://www.pitt.edu	50
University of Maryland-Baltimore	Baltimore	Maryland	http://www.umaryland.edu	50
CUNY New York City College of Technology	Brooklyn	New York	http://www.citytech.cuny.edu	50
Miami Dade College	Miami	Florida	http://www.mdc.edu/main/	48
CUNY Hostos Community College	Bronx	New York	http://www.hostos.cuny.edu	46
University of Oklahoma-Health Sciences Center	Oklahoma City	Oklahoma	http://www.ouhsc.edu/	45
Erie Community College	Buffalo	New York	https://www.ecc.edu/	45
Pueblo Community College	Pueblo	Colorado	http://www.pueblocc.edu	44
Indiana University-South Bend	South Bend	Indiana	https://www.iusb.edu/	43
Dixie State University	Saint George	Utah	http://www.dixie.edu/	42
Concorde Career College-Garden Grove	Garden Grove	California	http://www.concorde.edu	41
Argosy University-Twin Cities	Eagan	Minnesota	https://www.argosy.edu/locations/twin-cities	41
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans	New Orleans	Louisiana	http://www.lsuhsc.edu/	40
Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis	Indianapolis	Indiana	http://www.iupui.edu	40
Concorde Career College-Memphis	Memphis	Tennessee	http://www.concorde.edu	40
Carrington College-Boise	Boise	Idaho	http://carrington.edu/	40
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences	Little Rock	Arkansas	http://www.uams.edu	39
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Chapel Hill	North Carolina	http://www.unc.edu	38
Remington College-Nashville Campus	Nashville	Tennessee	http://www.remingtoncollege.edu/nashville-tennessee-career-colleges-overview/	38
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	Knoxville	Tennessee	http://www.tennessee.edu	37
University of South Dakota	Vermillion	South Dakota	http://WWW.USD.EDU	36
Sanford-Brown Institute-Orlando	Orlando	Florida	http://www.sanfordbrown.edu/orlando	36
Bergen Community College	Paramus	New Jersey	http://www.bergen.edu	36
Wichita State University	Wichita	Kansas	http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/	36
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston	Houston	Texas	https://www.uth.edu/	35
SUNY Broome Community College	Binghamton	New York	http://WWW.SUNYBROOME.EDU	35
Owens Community College	Perrysburg	Ohio	https://www.owens.edu	35
Madison Area Technical College	Madison	Wisconsin	http://madisoncollege.edu	35
Taft College	Taft	California	http://www.taftcollege.edu	34
Sanford-Brown College-Dallas	Dallas	Texas	http://www.sanfordbrown.edu/dallas	34
Parkland College	Champaign	Illinois	http://www.parkland.edu	34
Mount Ida College	Newton	Massachusetts	http://www.mountida.edu	34
Grand Rapids Community College	Grand Rapids	Michigan	http://www.grcc.edu	34
Allegany College of Maryland	Cumberland	Maryland	http://www.allegany.edu	34
University of Southern California	Los Angeles	California	http://www.usc.edu/	33
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey	Newark	New Jersey	http://www.umdnj.edu/	33
Tennessee State University	Nashville	Tennessee	http://www.tnstate.edu	33
Milwaukee Area Technical College	Milwaukee	Wisconsin	http://www.matc.edu/	33
Virginia Commonwealth University	Richmond	Virginia	http://www.vcu.edu/	32
University of New Mexico-Main Campus	Albuquerque	New Mexico	http://www.unm.edu	32
Community College of Rhode Island	Warwick	Rhode Island	http://www.ccri.edu	32
College of Southern Nevada	Las Vegas	Nevada	http://www.csn.edu	32
Diablo Valley College	Pleasant Hill	California	http://www.dvc.edu	31
Coastal Bend College	Beeville	Texas	http://www.coastalbend.edu	31
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale	Carbondale	Illinois	http://siu.edu/	31
San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia	Visalia	California	http://www.sjvc.edu	31
Pacific University	Forest Grove	Oregon	http://www.pacificu.edu	31
Northern Virginia Community College	Annandale	Virginia	http://www.nvcc.edu	31
Weber State University	Ogden	Utah	http://www.weber.edu	30
Northampton County Area Community College	Bethlehem	Pennsylvania	http://www.northampton.edu	30
Middlesex Community College	Bedford	Massachusetts	https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/	30
Lake Washington Institute of Technology	Kirkland	Washington	http://www.lwtech.edu	30
Indiana University-Northwest	Gary	Indiana	http://www.iun.edu	30
Hudson Valley Community College	Troy	New York	https://www.hvcc.edu/	30
University of Louisville	Louisville	Kentucky	http://louisville.edu/	29
The Community College of Baltimore County	Baltimore	Maryland	http://www.ccbcmd.edu	29
Southwestern College	Chula Vista	California	http://www.swccd.edu/	29
NHTI-Concord's Community College	Concord	New Hampshire	https://www.nhti.edu/	29
Monroe Community College	Rochester	New York	http://www.monroecc.edu/	29
Greenville Technical College	Greenville	South Carolina	http://www.gvltec.edu/index.aspx	29
Clayton State University	Morrow	Georgia	http://www.clayton.edu	29
University of Cincinnati-Blue Ash College	Blue Ash	Ohio	http://www.ucblueash.edu/	28
Texas State Technical College-Harlingen	Harlingen	Texas	http://www.tstc.edu/	28
Texas A & M University Health Science Center	Bryan	Texas	http://tamhsc.edu/	28
Northcentral Technical College	Wausau	Wisconsin	http://www.ntc.edu	28
George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville	Hanceville	Alabama	http://www.wallacestate.edu	28
Amarillo College	Amarillo	Texas	https://www.actx.edu/	28
Middlesex County College	Edison	New Jersey	http://www.middlesexcc.edu	27
Fayetteville Technical Community College	Fayetteville	North Carolina	http://www.faytechcc.edu	27
Colorado Northwestern Community College	Rangely	Colorado	http://www.cncc.edu	27
College of DuPage	Glen Ellyn	Illinois	http://www.cod.edu	27
Central Georgia Technical College	Warner Robins	Georgia	http://www.centralgatech.edu	27
Carrington College California-Sacramento	Sacramento	California	http://carrington.edu/	27
Wytheville Community College	Wytheville	Virginia	http://www.wcc.vccs.edu	26
University of Alaska Anchorage	Anchorage	Alaska	http://www.uaa.alaska.edu	26
Tallahassee Community College	Tallahassee	Florida	https://www.tcc.fl.edu/Pages/default.aspx	26
Saint Louis Community College	Saint Louis	Missouri	http://www.stlcc.edu	26
Pima Medical Institute-Albuquerque	Albuquerque	New Mexico	http://pmi.edu	26
Ivy Tech Community College	Indianapolis	Indiana	http://www.ivytech.edu	26
Tunxis Community College	Farmington	Connecticut	http://www.tunxis.edu	25
Shoreline Community College	Shoreline	Washington	http://www.shoreline.edu	25
San Joaquin Valley College-Ontario	Ontario	California	http://www.sjvc.edu/	25
Prairie State College	Chicago Heights	Illinois	http://prairiestate.edu/	25
Lamar Institute of Technology	Beaumont	Texas	http://www.lit.edu	25
Lake Land College	Mattoon	Illinois	http://www.lakeland.cc.il.us	25
Johnson County Community College	Overland Park	Kansas	http://www.jccc.edu	25
Indiana University-Purdue University-Fort Wayne	Fort Wayne	Indiana	http://www.ipfw.edu	25
Fresno City College	Fresno	California	http://www.fresnocitycollege.edu	25
Florida State College at Jacksonville	Jacksonville	Florida	http://www.fscj.edu	25
Del Mar College	Corpus Christi	Texas	http://www.delmar.edu	25
Concorde Career College-San Bernardino	San Bernardino	California	http://www.concorde.edu	25
Clark College	Vancouver	Washington	http://www.clark.edu	25
Central Piedmont Community College	Charlotte	North Carolina	http://www.cpcc.edu	25
Vermont Technical College	Randolph Center	Vermont	http://www.vtc.edu	25
University of Southern Indiana	Evansville	Indiana	http://www.usi.edu	25
University of Nebraska Medical Center	Omaha	Nebraska	http://www.unmc.edu	24
Lane Community College	Eugene	Oregon	https://www.lanecc.edu/	24
Harcum College	Bryn Mawr	Pennsylvania	http://www.harcum.edu/s/1044/edu/start.aspx	24
Georgia Regents University	Augusta	Georgia	http://www.gru.edu	24
Concorde Career Colleges	Kansas City	Missouri	http://www.concorde.edu	24
Community College of Denver	Denver	Colorado	https://www.ccd.edu/	24
Cerritos College	Norwalk	California	http://www.cerritos.edu	24
Utah Valley University	Orem	Utah	http://www.uvu.edu	23
Trident Technical College	Charleston	South Carolina	http://www.tridenttech.edu	23
Sheridan College	Sheridan	Wyoming	http://www.sheridan.edu/site/	23
Pensacola State College	Pensacola	Florida	http://www.pensacolastate.edu	23
Lansing Community College	Lansing	Michigan	http://www.lcc.edu	23
Georgia Perimeter College	Decatur	Georgia	http://www.gpc.edu	23
Delaware Technical Community College-Stanton/Wilmington	Wilmington	Delaware	https://www.dtcc.edu/our-campuses/wilmington	23
Baker College of Auburn Hills	Auburn Hills	Michigan	http://www.baker.edu	23
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	Minneapolis	Minnesota	http://twin-cities.umn.edu/	22
University of Maine at Augusta	Augusta	Maine	http://www.uma.edu/	22
Siena Heights University	Adrian	Michigan	http://www.sienaheights.edu	22
Santa Rosa Junior College	Santa Rosa	California	http://www.santarosa.edu	22
Rock Valley College	Rockford	Illinois	http://www.rockvalleycollege.edu	22
North Dakota State College of Science	Wahpeton	North Dakota	https://www.ndscs.edu/	22
Mott Community College	Flint	Michigan	http://www.mcc.edu	22
Missouri College	Brentwood	Missouri	http://www.missouricollege.edu/	22
Kalamazoo Valley Community College	Kalamazoo	Michigan	https://www.kvcc.edu/	22
Fortis College-Salt Lake City	Salt Lake City	Utah	https://www.fortis.edu/	22
Foothill College	Los Altos Hills	California	http://www.foothill.edu	22
Cape Cod Community College	West Barnstable	Massachusetts	http://www.capecod.edu	22
Burlington County College	Pemberton	New Jersey	http://www.rcbc.edu/dental	22
Baltimore City Community College	Baltimore	Maryland	http://www.bccc.edu/site/default.aspx?PageID=1	22
Carrington College-Mesa	Mesa	Arizona	http://carrington.edu/	21
Baker College of Port Huron	Port Huron	Michigan	http://www.baker.edu/	21
West Virginia University	Morgantown	West Virginia	http://www.wvu.edu/	21
Tarrant County College District	Fort Worth	Texas	http://www.tccd.edu	21
Santa Fe College	Gainesville	Florida	http://www.sfcollege.edu	21
Pima Community College	Tucson	Arizona	https://www.pima.edu/	21
Oakland Community College	Bloomfield Hills	Michigan	https://www.oaklandcc.edu/	21
Lincoln College of New England-Southington	Southington	Connecticut	http://www.lincolncollegene.edu	21
Lake Superior College	Duluth	Minnesota	http://www.lsc.edu	21
Des Moines Area Community College	Ankeny	Iowa	https://www.dmacc.edu/Pages/welcome.aspx	21
Concorde Career Institute-San Antonio	San Antonio	Texas	http://www.concorde.edu	21
Concorde Career Institute-Dallas	Dallas	Texas	http://www.concorde.edu	21
Concorde Career College-Aurora	Aurora	Colorado	http://www.concorde.edu	21
Community College of Philadelphia	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania	http://www.ccp.edu	21
Wayne Community College	Goldsboro	North Carolina	http://www.waynecc.edu	20
Virginia Western Community College	Roanoke	Virginia	http://virginiawestern.edu/	20
University of Wyoming	Laramie	Wyoming	http://www.uwyo.edu	20
Palm Beach State College	Lake Worth	Florida	http://www.palmbeachstate.edu/	20
Northeast Mississippi Community College	Booneville	Mississippi	http://www.nemcc.edu	20
Normandale Community College	Bloomington	Minnesota	http://www.normandale.edu	20
Lakeland Community College	Kirtland	Ohio	http://www.lakelandcc.edu	20
Harper College	Palatine	Illinois	http://www.harpercollege.edu	20
Guilford Technical Community College	Jamestown	North Carolina	http://home.gtcc.edu/	20
West Los Angeles College	Culver City	California	http://www.wlac.edu	19
Valencia College	Orlando	Florida	http://valenciacollege.edu	19
Stark State College	North Canton	Ohio	http://www.starkstate.edu	19
Shawnee State University	Portsmouth	Ohio	http://WWW.SHAWNEE.EDU	19
Seattle Central College	Seattle	Washington	http://www.seattlecentral.edu	19
Portland Community College	Portland	Oregon	http://www.pcc.edu	19
Pierce College at Fort Steilacoom	Lakewood	Washington	http://www.pierce.ctc.edu	19
Phoenix College	Phoenix	Arizona	http://www.phoenixcollege.edu	19
Mesa Community College	Mesa	Arizona	http://www.mesacc.edu	19
Luzerne County Community College	Nanticoke	Pennsylvania	http://www.luzerne.edu/default.jsp	19
Tyler Junior College	Tyler	Texas	http://WWW.TJC.EDU	18
Sacramento City College	Sacramento	California	http://www.scc.losrios.edu/	18
Mt Hood Community College	Gresham	Oregon	http://www.mhcc.edu	18
Minnesota State Community and Technical College	Fergus Falls	Minnesota	http://www.minnesota.edu	18
Midwestern State University	Wichita Falls	Texas	http://www.mwsu.edu	18
Midlands Technical College	West Columbia	South Carolina	http://www.midlandstech.edu	18
Kellogg Community College	Battle Creek	Michigan	http://www.kellogg.edu	18
James A Rhodes State College	Lima	Ohio	http://www.rhodesstate.edu	18
Hawkeye Community College	Waterloo	Iowa	http://www.hawkeyecollege.edu	18
Coastal Carolina Community College	Jacksonville	North Carolina	http://www.coastalcarolina.edu/	18
Chattanooga State Community College	Chattanooga	Tennessee	https://www.chattanoogastate.edu/	18
Camden County College	Blackwood	New Jersey	http://www.camdencc.edu	18
Cabrillo College	Aptos	California	http://www.cabrillo.edu	18
Bristol Community College	Fall River	Massachusetts	http://bristolcc.edu/	18
Youngstown State University	Youngstown	Ohio	http://www.ysu.edu	18
Wharton County Junior College	Wharton	Texas	http://www.wcjc.edu	18
Fortis College-Smyrna	Smyrna	Georgia	https://www.fortis.edu/	17
College of Lake County	Grayslake	Illinois	http://WWW.CLCILLINOIS.EDU	17
Yakima Valley Community College	Yakima	Washington	http://www.yvcc.edu/Pages/default.aspx	17
Oxnard College	Oxnard	California	http://www.oxnardcollege.edu	17
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College	Green Bay	Wisconsin	https://www.nwtc.edu/	17
Laramie County Community College	Cheyenne	Wyoming	http://www.lccc.wy.edu	17
Kirkwood Community College	Cedar Rapids	Iowa	http://www.kirkwood.edu	17
John A Logan College	Carterville	Illinois	http://www.jalc.edu	17
Houston Community College	Houston	Texas	http://www.hccs.edu	17
Harrisburg Area Community College-Harrisburg	Harrisburg	Pennsylvania	http://www.hacc.edu	17
Halifax Community College	Weldon	North Carolina	http://www.halifaxcc.edu	17
Fortis Institute-Erie	Erie	Pennsylvania	https://www.fortis.edu/	17
Westmoreland County Community College	Youngwood	Pennsylvania	https://wccc.edu/	16
Cypress College	Cypress	California	http://www.cypresscollege.edu	16
Collin County Community College District	McKinney	Texas	http://www.collin.edu	16
Carl Sandburg College	Galesburg	Illinois	http://www.sandburg.edu	16
Bridgemont Community and Technical College	Montgomery	West Virginia	http://www.bridgevalley.edu/dental-hygiene	16
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College	Asheville	North Carolina	https://www.abtech.edu/	16
West Kentucky Community and Technical College	Paducah	Kentucky	http://www.westkentucky.kctcs.edu	15
Wayne County Community College District	Detroit	Michigan	http://www.wcccd.edu	15
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith	Fort Smith	Arkansas	http://uafs.edu/	15
Springfield Technical Community College	Springfield	Massachusetts	http://www.stcc.edu	15
Savannah Technical College	Savannah	Georgia	http://www.savannahtech.edu	15
Rochester Community and Technical College	Rochester	Minnesota	http://www.rctc.edu/	15
Pearl River Community College	Poplarville	Mississippi	http://www.prcc.edu	15
Lorain County Community College	Elyria	Ohio	http://www.lorainccc.edu	15
Lone Star College System	The Woodlands	Texas	http://www.lonestar.edu	15
Lewis and Clark Community College	Godfrey	Illinois	http://www.lc.edu	15
Iowa Western Community College	Council Bluffs	Iowa	http://www.iwcc.edu/	15
Illinois Central College	East Peoria	Illinois	http://icc.edu/	15
Horry-Georgetown Technical College	Conway	South Carolina	http://www.hgtc.edu	15
Fox Valley Technical College	Appleton	Wisconsin	http://www.fvtc.edu	15
Fortis College-Landover	Landover	Maryland	https://www.fortis.edu/	15
Columbus State Community College	Columbus	Ohio	http://www.cscc.edu/	15
Broward College	Fort Lauderdale	Florida	http://www.broward.edu/Pages/home.aspx	15
University of North Georgia	Dahlonega	Georgia	http://ung.edu/	14
University of Hawaii at Manoa	Honolulu	Hawaii	http://manoa.hawaii.edu	14
Quinsigamond Community College	Worcester	Massachusetts	http://www.qcc.edu	14
Pasadena City College	Pasadena	California	http://www.pasadena.edu	14
Mohave Community College	Kingman	Arizona	http://www.mohave.edu	14
Meridian Community College	Meridian	Mississippi	http://www.meridiancc.edu	14
Lanier Technical College	Oakwood	Georgia	http://www.laniertech.edu/default2.aspx	14
Great Falls College Montana State University	Great Falls	Montana	http://www.gfcmsu.edu	14
Flint Hills Technical College	Emporia	Kansas	https://www.fhtc.edu/web/site/main	14
El Paso Community College	El Paso	Texas	http://www.epcc.edu/_layouts/temp/index.html	14
Delta College	University Center	Michigan	http://www.delta.edu/	14
Darton State College	Albany	Georgia	http://www.darton.edu	14
Columbus Technical College	Columbus	Georgia	http://www.columbustech.edu/	14
Catawba Valley Community College	Hickory	North Carolina	http://www.cvcc.edu/index.php	14
Austin Community College District	Austin	Texas	http://www.austincc.edu	14
Ozarks Technical Community College	Springfield	Missouri	http://www.otc.edu	13
Orange County Community College	Middletown	New York	http://www.sunyorange.edu/	13
Montgomery County Community College	Blue Bell	Pennsylvania	http://www.mc3.edu	13
Mississippi Delta Community College	Moorhead	Mississippi	http://www.msdelta.edu	13
Essex County College	Newark	New Jersey	http://www.essex.edu	13
Columbia Basin College	Pasco	Washington	http://www.columbiabasin.edu	13
Chabot College	Hayward	California	http://www.chabotcollege.edu	13
Century College	White Bear Lake	Minnesota	http://www.century.edu	13
Central Community College	Grand Island	Nebraska	http://www.cccneb.edu/Home/	13
Blinn College	Brenham	Texas	http://www.blinn.edu	13
Athens Technical College	Athens	Georgia	http://www.athenstech.edu/	13
Waukesha County Technical College	Pewaukee	Wisconsin	http://www.wctc.edu	13
University of the Pacific	Stockton	California	http://www.pacific.edu	13
Tulsa Community College	Tulsa	Oklahoma	http://www.tulsacc.edu	13
Salt Lake Community College	Salt Lake City	Utah	http://www.slcc.edu	13
St Cloud Technical and Community College	Saint Cloud	Minnesota	http://www.sctcc.edu	12
Shasta College	Redding	California	http://www.shastacollege.edu/Pages/default.aspx	12
Roane State Community College	Harriman	Tennessee	http://www.roanestate.edu	12
Northeast Texas Community College	Mount Pleasant	Texas	http://www.ntcc.edu	12
New Mexico State University-Dona Ana	Las Cruces	New Mexico	http://dacc.nmsu.edu/dhyg/	12
Mount Wachusett Community College	Gardner	Massachusetts	http://MWCC.EDU	12
Howard College	Big Spring	Texas	http://www.howardcollege.edu	12
Georgia Highlands College	Rome	Georgia	http://www.highlands.edu	12
Daytona State College	Daytona Beach	Florida	http://www.daytonastate.edu/	12
Cuyahoga Community College District	Cleveland	Ohio	http://www.tri-c.edu	12
City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College	Chicago	Illinois	http://www.ccc.edu/colleges/kennedy/pages/default.aspx	12
Big Sandy Community and Technical College	Prestonsburg	Kentucky	http://www.bigsandy.kctcs.edu	12
York Technical College	Rock Hill	South Carolina	http://www.yorktech.edu	11
West Georgia Technical College	Waco	Georgia	http://www.westgatech.edu	11
Wake Technical Community College	Raleigh	North Carolina	http://www.waketech.edu/	11
Rose State College	Midwest City	Oklahoma	https://www.rose.edu/	11
Pasco-Hernando Community College	New Port Richey	Florida	http://phsc.edu/programs	11
Manor College	Jenkintown	Pennsylvania	http://www.manor.edu	11
Indian River State College	Fort Pierce	Florida	http://www.irsc.edu	11
Hillsborough Community College	Tampa	Florida	http://www.hccfl.edu	11
Fortis Institute-Scranton	Scranton	Pennsylvania	https://www.fortis.edu/	11
Florence-Darlington Technical College	Florence	South Carolina	http://WWW.FDTC.EDU	11
Central Carolina Community College	Sanford	North Carolina	http://www.cccc.edu	11
Thomas Nelson Community College	Hampton	Virginia	http://tncc.edu/	10
State Fair Community College	Sedalia	Missouri	http://www.sfccmo.edu/pages/1.asp	10
San Juan College	Farmington	New Mexico	http://www.sanjuancollege.edu/pages/1.asp	10
College of Southern Idaho	Twin Falls	Idaho	http://www.csi.edu	10
University of Hawaii Maui College	Kahului	Hawaii	http://maui.hawaii.edu	10
Temple College	Temple	Texas	http://templejc.edu/	9
Southern University at Shreveport	Shreveport	Louisiana	http://www.susla.edu	9
Moreno Valley College	Moreno Valley	California	http://www.mvc.edu/	9
Manhattan Area Technical College	Manhattan	Kansas	http://www.manhattantech.edu	9
Iowa Central Community College	Fort Dodge	Iowa	http://www.iowacentral.edu	9
Hiwassee College	Madisonville	Tennessee	http://hiwassee.edu/	9
Hillyard Technical Center	Saint Joseph	Missouri	http://www.sjsd.k12.mo.us/Domain/16	9
Henderson Community College	Henderson	Kentucky	http://www.henderson.kctcs.edu/	9
Eastern Florida State College	Cocoa	Florida	http://www.easternflorida.edu	9
Chippewa Valley Technical College	Eau Claire	Wisconsin	http://www.cvtc.edu/home.aspx	9
Forsyth Technical Community College	Winston Salem	North Carolina	http://www.forsythtech.edu/	8
Cape Fear Community College	Wilmington	North Carolina	http://cfcc.edu/	8
South Florida State College	Avon Park	Florida	http://www.southflorida.edu	7
Howard University	Washington	D.C.	http://www.howard.edu	7
State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota	Bradenton	Florida	http://www.scf.edu	6
Southeastern Technical College	Vidalia	Georgia	http://www.southeasterntech.edu	6
University of Alaska Fairbanks	Fairbanks	Alaska	http://www.uaf.edu	5
Raritan Valley Community College	Branchburg	New Jersey	http://www.raritanval.edu	5
Northwest Mississippi Community College	Senatobia	Mississippi	http://www.northwestms.edu	5
Navarro College	Corsicana	Texas	http://www.navarrocollege.edu	5
Brookdale Community College	Lincroft	New Jersey	http://www.brookdalecc.edu	5
Southern Adventist University	Collegedale	Tennessee	http://www1.southern.edu/	4
Metropolitan State University	Saint Paul	Minnesota	http://www.metrostate.edu	4
University of California-San Francisco	San Francisco	California	http://www.ucsf.edu	3
Dodge City Community College	Dodge City	Kansas	http://www.dc3.edu	3
Western Nebraska Community College	Scottsbluff	Nebraska	http://www.wncc.edu	1
Western Iowa Tech Community College	Sioux City	Iowa	https://www.witcc.edu/index.cfm?	1
Lewis University	Romeoville	Illinois	http://www.lewisu.edu	1
Hinds Community College	Raymond	Mississippi	http://www.hindscc.edu	1
Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Campus	Roswell	New Mexico	http://www.roswell.enmu.edu	1

2013 School Data from IPEDS (Sourced in January, 2015)

Hybrid & online programs

Dental Hygienist Online Program Overview

According to the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA), there are a number of CODA-accredited programs which offer online and hybrid options for prospective dental hygienists seeking both quality and flexibility in course-completion.

The ADHA reports that the 100% online options are typically for students who already have associate degrees or certificates in dental hygiene and are interested in advancing their professional qualifications with a bachelor of science in dental hygiene (BSDH). These accredited “degree completion” programs, such as one at University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, offer all classes online including dental hygiene practice management, advanced clinical concepts, and statistical reasoning.

A majority of entry-level dental hygienist programs, however, require a classroom or clinical component due to the hands-on nature of the profession. Students may be required to return to campus for laboratory or clinical practicums, but virtual coursework can be completed at the convenience of the student.

Here is a sampling of accredited, online programs at dental hygienist schools:

100% Online BSDH Programs at Dental Hygienist Schools

Please note that the following programs require prior completion of an associate degree or certificate in dental hygiene. Students in these programs are generally practicing dental hygiene and looking to advance their qualifications.

Northern Arizona University

The Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Program (BSDHCP) is geared toward students who want to further their professional development. The BSDHCP enhances students’ clinical knowledge with courses in management, education, and public health. All courses are offered online under the guidance of Northern Arizona University’s faculty and at the convenience of students. This university also offers exciting summer externship opportunities to serve diverse populations in places such as Guatemala, Peru, and Hawaii.

Loma Linda University

This 18-month BSDH program helps push students’ core competencies to new heights. This 100% online program imparts the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for dental hygienists in positions of responsibility. This program may better prepare students to take on management roles in healthcare, research, and community settings.

Minnesota State University

This two-year, accredited, online BSDH program is offered by the Department of Dental Hygiene in the College of Allied Health and Nursing at Minnesota State University, Mankato. It’s ideal for students who are working full- or part-time and require flexibility in their course-completion schedules. The curriculum is tailored to students’ level of college experience, but generally requires students to complete 11 dental hygiene courses (32 credits) and 2-4 general education courses.

School	City	State	Website	Total grads (2013)
University of Bridgeport	Bridgeport	Connecticut	http://www.bridgeport.edu	103
Eastern Washington University	Cheney	Washington	http://www.ewu.edu	77
St Petersburg College	Clearwater	Florida	http://www.spcollege.edu	75
Oregon Institute of Technology	Klamath Falls	Oregon	http://www.oit.edu	68
Northern Arizona University	Flagstaff	Arizona	http://nau.edu/	61
Ferris State University	Big Rapids	Michigan	http://www.ferris.edu/	59
Old Dominion University	Norfolk	Virginia	http://www.odu.edu	58
MCPHS University	Boston	Massachusetts	https://www.mcphs.edu/	52
Pennsylvania College of Technology	Williamsport	Pennsylvania	http://www.pct.edu	51
Loma Linda University	Loma Linda	California	http://www.llu.edu/index.html	49
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio	San Antonio	Texas	http://www.uthscsa.edu	44
University of Missouri-Kansas City	Kansas City	Missouri	http://www.umkc.edu/	43
Missouri Southern State University	Joplin	Missouri	http://www.mssu.edu	38
Ohio State University-Main Campus	Columbus	Ohio	https://www.osu.edu/	38
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	Ann Arbor	Michigan	http://umich.edu/	38
East Tennessee State University	Johnson City	Tennessee	http://www.etsu.edu/etsuhome/	37
Western Kentucky University	Bowling Green	Kentucky	http://www.wku.edu	33
Texas Woman's University	Denton	Texas	http://www.twu.edu	30
University of Louisiana at Monroe	Monroe	Louisiana	http://www.ulm.edu	29
Idaho State University	Pocatello	Idaho	http://www.isu.edu/	27
University of Mississippi Medical Center	Jackson	Mississippi	https://www.umc.edu/	27
SUNY College of Technology at Canton	Canton	New York	http://www.canton.edu	20
North Central Missouri College	Trenton	Missouri	http://www.ncmissouri.edu/	9
East Mississippi Community College	Scooba	Mississippi	http://www.eastms.edu/Pages/Home.aspx	3

2013 School Data from IPEDS (Sourced in January, 2015)

Core & Elective Courses

Common Courses

In order to become a dental hygienist, students must complete a program at an accredited dental hygienist school. These programs combine standard coursework with a hands-on, clinical laboratory component. According to the American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA), core classes typically include:

Dental Anatomy
Head and Neck Anatomy
Oral Embryology and Histology
Oral Pathology
Radiography
Periodontology
Pain Control (Anesthetics)
Dental Materials
Microbiology
Pathology
Pharmacology
General Education Courses (e.g., Psychology, English, Speech)

Electives and Specializations

Dental hygiene students may have the opportunity to complete electives in various specializations. This flexibility allows students to tailor coursework to their interests. Additionally, this instruction may enhance an individual's candidacy for jobs which specialize in various dental procedures. Some of these course electives may include:

Medical and Dental Emergencies
Nutrition in Dentistry
Community Dental Health
Patient Management
Legal Responsibility in Dentistry
Oral Biology

Accreditation

Accreditation aims to protect students of dental hygienist programs. Schools must be accredited by a credible, reliable, and independent organization to ensure quality in coursework, training, and exam preparation. Typically, only students enrolled in accredited programs are eligible for government funding. Furthermore, graduation from an accredited program is also a standard requirement for licensure and certification examinations in dental hygiene. Before applying to a school, students should verify that their program has received proper accreditation.

Primary Accrediting Agency

American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Education (ADA CODA)

The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) has continually developed and administered high standards of accreditation for dental hygiene educational programs. The Commission also offers a list of approved programs organized by state to prospective students.

Career Outlook

Demand, Growth and Analysis

In 2012, it was estimated that there were over 300,000 dental hygienists in the United States. As with many other healthcare careers, it is projected that the demand for dental hygienists is going to increase about 25% from 2012-2022. This is actually faster than the average for other occupations. Ongoing and continuing research involving general health and oral health will most likely increase the demand for dental hygienists. Likewise, industry related careers such as pediatric dental assistants and dental laboratory technicians.

Who’s hiring?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, dental offices hire the most dental hygienists at 183,380. Next in line are offices of physicians at 2,260. Employment services hired 1,710 dental hygienists. Outpatient care centers and the federal executive branch were at the bottom of the list by hiring a combined percentage of 0.15 of all dental assistants.

Curiously enough, when it came to paying dental hygienists the most money, dental offices fell third on the list with an average hourly wage of $34.55. Other ambulatory health care services came first on the list with an average hourly mean wage of $40.08.

Some of the states that hired the most dental hygienists are Texas, Washington, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, Florida, Indiana and California. In 2013, the highest wage of dental hygienists was $93,940 and the lowest was $32,530. The highest paying hygienists mostly worked in the District of Columbia.

Career Facts	Dental Hygienist
Related Careers	Dental Assistant, Medical Assistant, Radiation Therapist
Common Job Titles	Dental Hygienist
Technology & Equipment	Hand Scalers and Curettes, Ultrasonic Scalers, Polishers, X-Ray Machines
Sourced from BLS, January 2015

Licensing & Certification

Licensure

When a dental hygienist becomes licensed, they join the thousands of other health care professionals that have also become licensed. In fact, licensure is the most powerful form of regulation used in the healthcare world today. By state law, those who are licensed are the only people who have met the minimum qualifications required to safely practice their profession.

In other words, it helps to protect the public from unsafe practices and unqualified individuals. Typically, in addition to completion of a degree and testing, most states require hygienists to complete continuing educational courses to keep and renew their licenses.

Licensure is granted by each state. Dental hygienists aim to work in accordance with what is required by individual state acts. In almost every state, the steps to get a license are as follows:

Earn a degree from an accredited dental hygiene program
Complete the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination successfully
Complete a state or regional clinical board examination successfully

Once these steps have been successfully completed, the applicant then contacts the licensing authority of the state where he wishes to practice. Because licensing requirements can vary by state, it is necessary to contact a licensing authority in a given state to receive information on application requirements and procedures.

Official Certification Bodies and Types

Each certification body administers exams in many states. For example, if you wanted to become licensed in Kansas, you would be able to take the CITA, NERB and SRTA. To determine what licensing exam you need to take, contact your state licensing board and they can help you determine what licensing exam to take.

SOURCE URLS

http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes292021.htm

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-hygienists.htm

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List of Dental Hygienist Schools

Hybrid & online programs

Dental Hygienist Online Program Overview

100% Online BSDH Programs at Dental Hygienist Schools

Core & Elective Courses

Common Courses

Electives and Specializations

Accreditation

Primary Accrediting Agency

Career Outlook

Demand, Growth and Analysis

Who’s hiring?

Licensing & Certification

Licensure

Official Certification Bodies and Types

SOURCE URLS

Related Articles

Related Programs

Patient-Facing Technology Programs

Laboratory Technology programs

Natural & Clinical Lab Science Programs

Medical IT & Administrative Programs

Dental Hygienist Schools

Search For Schools

Degree & certification Programs

Qualifications and Requirements

Dental Hygienist Schools

University of Southern California

Salt Lake Community College

University of Minnesota

College of Southern Nevada

Valencia College

The University of Tennessee

List of Dental Hygienist Schools

Hybrid & online programs

Dental Hygienist Online Program Overview

100% Online BSDH Programs at Dental Hygienist Schools

Core & Elective Courses

Common Courses

Electives and Specializations

Accreditation

Primary Accrediting Agency

Career Outlook

Demand, Growth and Analysis

Who’s hiring?

Licensing & Certification

Licensure

Official Certification Bodies and Types

SOURCE URLS

Related Articles

Related Programs