A Career in Dental Hygiene
By Brandi Schlossberg
Brandi.schlossberg@careerschooldirectory.com
Career School Directory Columnist
As the population continues to grow, more dentists are hiring employees with dental hygiene degrees to handle much of the workload.
In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics cites the field of dental hygiene as one of the fastest growing in the nation, with fantastic job prospects.
Is the Dental Hygiene Degree for You?
Before you rush to join this booming career field, first decide if a
dental hygiene degree is the right fit for you. Those who serve as dental hygienists should enjoy working one-on-one with patients, in a somewhat intimate setting--your hands in patients' mouths--in order to succeed. You must also be committed to gaining the career training necessary to secure a dental hygiene degree.
Career Training in Dental Hygiene
To enroll in a career education program in dental hygiene, it is necessary to have a high-school diploma, and college-entrance scores are often required as well. It is important that you get your career education from an accredited school, as you will need accredited career training in order sit for the written and clinical exam that's required for licensure in nearly every state.
Your career training will likely include classroom, lab, and clinical instruction in topics such as periodontology (the study of gum diseases), histology (the study of tissue structure), chemistry, pathology, dental materials, and more. Many schools offer both two- and four-year degrees and certifications in dental hygiene.
Working in Dental Hygiene
After completing your career education, you'll be ready to take advantage of the tremendous job opportunities available to people who possess the
dental hygiene degree. Many dental assistants have highly flexible schedules, and as of May 2004, the average earnings for employees in this field were $28.05 an hour.
Source
About the Author
Brandi Schlossberg holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She writes for a variety of print and online publications.
Posted on September 11, 2006 at 3:28 PM
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