Dental hygienists help patients avoid dental problems by inspecting and cleaning their teeth as well as educating them on proper oral hygiene. Dental hygiene programs are divided into three categories, each of which prepares students to work as hygienists. An associate’s degree program, a bachelor’s degree program, and a master’s degree program are among the options. While these dental hygiene programs share many fundamental characteristics, they differ in terms of typical lengths, the number of hours required for completion, the types of classes taken, and the career options available after graduation.
An associate’s degree is usually the minimum requirement for working as a dental hygienist. Universities, technical institutes, and community colleges all offer dental hygiene programs that last about two years and lead to an associate’s degree. These programs typically combine classroom instruction in a variety of relevant subjects, such as biology, anatomy, histology, and periodontology, with clinical sessions in which students put what they’ve learned in class into practice. Only applicants with a high school diploma or its equivalent are accepted into most associate’s degree dental hygiene programs. An associate’s degree and passing a certification exam usually qualifies one for an entry-level hygienist position.
Universities typically offer bachelor’s degree dental hygiene programs, which typically take four years to complete. A bachelor’s program may require a number of liberal arts or humanities classes in addition to the subjects studied in an associate’s program, as well as a greater number of clinical hours. Some bachelor’s degree programs only require a high school diploma or its equivalent, while others may require completion of specific college-level prerequisite classes. While a bachelor’s degree dental hygiene program takes longer to complete than an associate’s degree program, those with a bachelor’s degree may earn a higher salary and have more opportunities for career advancement than those with an associate’s degree.
Universities offer master’s degree dental hygiene programs, which typically take two full years to complete. Many of these programs are only open to people who have already earned a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene and thus do not require the basic coursework and clinical practice hours that associate’s and bachelor’s programs do. The goal of master’s-level dental hygiene programs is to prepare students for careers in research, education, or management in the field of dentistry. Students usually choose one of these paths and then take a number of courses in relevant subjects like research skills or educational psychology, as well as a final project or thesis.