Dental Hygienist
Dental hygiene school prepares an individual to enter the workforce as a dental hygienist. This professional plays a wide range of roles in a dental office, including removing stains and plaque from teeth, analyzing X-rays, applying fluoride to teeth, and providing dental advice to patients. A dental hygienist also assists in administrative duties, if necessary.
In order to enter the field and work at a dental office, an individual must, at minimum, have a two-year associate degree from a community college or a certificate in dental hygiene. However, some dental hygienists have attended colleges and universities that offer a four-year bachelor's degree or a master's degree in dental hygiene. Graduates of these dental hygiene schools are usually more attractive to employers.
Regardless of the dental hygiene school attended, students are trained in classrooms, laboratories, and clinics. Students who have graduated from an accredited dental hygiene school must take an exam for state licensure in order to become a "registered dental hygienist."
Dental Quotes
Dentist: a prestidigitator who, putting metal into your mouth, pulls coin out of your pocket. - Ambrose Bierce