Want to know the prime essential steps on, how do you become a Dental Hygienist? These are all the tested and approved prime essentials steps, every future Dental Hygienist needs to know about.
Deciding on your future career, and EVEN college can be extremely SCARY! And if you’re anything like me, you want to know absolutely EVERYTHING, before you jump into something new.
As a Registered Dental Hygienist, I am giving you, from experience, all the essential steps you will need to know, before you decide if Dental Hygiene is the right career path for you.
You are going to learn about all the little details, big details, and the step-by-step instructions on, how to become a Dental Hygienist. Starting from high school, college, graduation 🙂 and all the way to looking for that fab J-O-B! 😉
After learning about all the steps you need to take to become a Dental Hygienist, you are going to be extra prepared and confident in both making a career decision, AND planning for your future. <3
This post is all about the ESSENTIAL steps you need to take, if you want to become a Registered Dental Hygienist.
The Essential | Steps to Become a Dental Hygienist
Dental Hygiene High School Requirements
While you are in High School, I would pay special attention to your math and science classes.
It would be a great idea/opportunity if you could either internship or get a part-time job as a Dental Assistant.
You don’t have to be a Dental Assistant before becoming a Dental Hygienist, but that can certainly help you since you will be familiar with the Dental lingo, as well as the lab/clinical work you will start to learn in hygiene school.
Extra Pro Tip: Working in a hospital setting could also benefit you in Dental Hygiene School, since being in a health care environment, can certainly boost your confidence with medical terminology!
Dental Hygiene Programs | Associate’s in Dental Hygiene
In order to become a Dental Hygienist, you must first search for the perfect school you would like to join.
You have two choices to start, you can either get an Associate’s degree or a Bachelor’s degree in Dental Hygiene.
Also, to make this more confusing… you can also get a Bachelors’s Degree or Masters’s Degree in Dental Hygiene.
Dental Hygienist Bachelor Degree | Dental Hygienist Master’s Degree
So why get a Bachelor’s OR Master’s Degree?
In my opinion, a Bachelor’s degree is the best choice for Dental Hygiene. If you ever decide that you don’t want to work in the clinical setting, you have other options.
For example, you can teach at a clinic, become a teacher at a college, you can become a rep for a big company, like Zoom, Oral-B, Crest etc. or you can even work in a public setting like a school.
If you get your Bachelors or Masters Degree, you will study more, you will learn more! I personally LOVED my school (MCPHS) and what I got out of it. I felt super prepared, and I don’t regret my decision, at all!
Receiving a Bachelors’s vs. Associates’s Degree does not have a difference in pay. In my experience, I have applied to certain jobs, where they only accepted Dental Hygienists who had received a Bachelor’s degree. And also jobs that only hired Dental Hygienists who went to MCPHS-Forsyth.
I would recommend that you go and visit the schools that you want to apply to, talk to the instructors, or maybe even ask the students, that are currently going to that school if they like it, etc.
How long is Dental Hygienist School? | Dental Hygiene School Schedule
Something else to keep in mind…you will finish your Dental Hygiene degree in 2-4 years, depending on what school you go to and what degree you will receive.
So if you are in a hurry to get a job and be done with it, I would just get an Associates’s degree, because you can always go back to school and get your Bachelor’s.
This is REALLY IMPORTANT!
Make sure you know which state you are going to work in.
Every state has different requirements, including different kinds of board tests.
This test in no joke, you DO NOT want to take it twice!
So take my advice, figure it out before taking your State Boards!
Lastly, make sure whatever school you choose, that it is accredited from CODA (Commission on Dental Accreditation), which is part of the American Dental Association. If you don’t have this, and you go through school, you will not be able to get your license!
Don’t make this mistake 🙂
How to Apply to Dental Hygiene School
Once you pick a college of your choosing, you will start the application process. I would apply to more than one school, so that you have choices, or a back-up in case one hygiene school does not accept you, sorry that’s harsh.
But the truth!
Keep in mind, most Dental Hygiene programs will require you to complete prerequisites, correct me if I’m wrong, but this is pretty much like every other major…
Every school will be different, and this process will also be slightly a little different if you are transferring from another college. (I will be writing a post on this subject soon! So stick around!).
Most Hygiene school’s application process includes more or less of an essay of choice, a fee, community service contribution letters of recommendation from your teachers/councilors.
Things might have changed? But last time I checked this was the way to go!
Dental Hygiene College
The most important thing that you need to keep in mind, when you go to Dental Hygiene school, is that you have to be confident!
Confident that you’ll make it through, it’s definitely a lot of work, but if you put your mind to it, you can do it, trust me!
Make friends!
Make smart friends!
Study buddies are the best!
Find one or two people who you can study with. Sometimes studying with another person can help you see things in a different way, and it can really help with retaining information.
Plus, it’s WAY more fun!
Trust in this, it will help you graduate! 😉
In Hygiene school, you will need to invite your friends and family to come to get their teeth cleaned. Or your clinic should help you/provide you with the patients you need for clinical requirements. (But I have heard, this is sometimes a little more difficult depending on what school you go to, having family and friends nearby is HUGE).
You will need different categories of patients.
For example, you will need some individuals who are young, middle-age, and older etc.
They will also want you to have certain patients who are healthy and certain patients who have different levels of bone loss (gum-disease).
Hurray and once you study your booty off, you will graduate. yay!
National Board Dental Hygiene Examination | NBDHE 2021
Here comes the fun part!!!
JK, More like stressful!
Some, but not all of the requirements for at least the state of Massachusetts, was a clinical board, in which you have to find a patient to clean their teeth.
Then there was a written exam, which was a two-part test, eight hours total (four hours multiple-choice and four hours of case studies).
Next, local anesthesia written and clinical exam, (which at the time, was completed during school).
A computer patient stimulated exam, and a state jurisprudence exam for the state, so that you are confident/know what you can and cannot do in your state as a Dental Hygienist.
Dental Hygienist License Requirements
Once you graduate and pass all 500 tests, it’s time to apply for your license!
You will send all your results, plus some fun paperwork to the state you will work in.
Then here comes the waiting game!
You should be able to check your license application online, before getting your license in the mail! 🙂
Dental Hygienist Resume | Registered Dental Hygienist Jobs Near Me
Pro Tip: Make a fabulous resume!
Even if you have to pay for a service, professionalism is everything now!
But if you are making your own, my recommendation for making a fabulous resume is to include past work experiences that are relevant to your job, ie. a waitress (customer service ✓).
As well as, including any classes that stood out to you, projects, and clinical internships/rotations you did in Hygiene school, these are great to put on your resume!
When you start looking for a job, I would recommend looking online! This is 2021, so yes online is where it’s at!
Word-of-mouth is also a great place to start, talk to your hygiene friends! I would reach out to local facebook groups, and see if there are any jobs near you!
In addition, you can also drop off your resume at local dental offices!
Just in case they are hiring or even if it is in the future that they need someone! You never know when a great opportunity might come your way!
And, you can always contact me for a job!
I work for a huge and very rewarding company, called 42 North Dental, and we have plenty of job opportunities we can find you! (East Coast).
Once you get into an interview for a job, be confident!
It can be very scary to go through an interview, especially if it’s your first year right out of college.
Let them know, you are willing to do a working interview!
I personally LOVE this, because this is also an interview for you, you want to make sure you also like working in this office.
Once you have found your dream job, celebrate love!
At this point, you should have already joined, if not join ADHA ( American Dental Hygiene Association) and also join free Facebook Groups!
This can be really helpful, especially in your first year, when you’re just getting started and you feel like you have a million questions! 🙂
Dental Hygiene License Renewal Requirements
Once you start practicing Dental Hygiene, you will need to keep up with continuing education. Which is pretty easy and you have plenty of time to complete it.
Dental Hygienists must complete 20 hours of continuing education every two years. Additionally, you will want to start keeping track of all these courses, since you could be randomly audited, and you don’t want to lose your precious license 🙂
Keep in mind, in your first 2 years of working, this example, should not apply to you! Since you should be grandfathered into this since you just finished school!
Dental Hygiene Advice | Conclusion
Try not to take it too seriously, and just enjoy your job, while being professional of course!
Don’t stress! you are new and you will go through many learning curves, just keep your head up and don’t forget to connect with your hygiene community.
XOXO, Trish ❤
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