A Guide To Getting Into A Dental Hygiene Program
Dental hygiene programs require prerequisites like biology and chemistry, a strong GPA (3.0+), an interview, and shadowing experience. You can choose between a 2-year Associate degree or 4-year Bachelor’s degree depending on your career goals.
So you want to become a dental hygienist but don’t know exactly where to start. As a Dental Hygienist in the state of New York I can help guide you through the initial process of getting into a dental hygiene program so that you are prepared.
The first thing to be aware of is what Dental Hygiene Program you really want to get into. Do some research on that school. Call up the school or visit and have a sit down conversation if you can about the requirements to get into their program. Most importantly, inquire which schools they accept Dental Hygiene Prerequisites from. So many people have taken the required prerequisite classes only to find out that the program they applied and got into is not going to honor a few of the courses so they had to repeat them.
Prerequisites
Now let’s jump right into what these actually are. For most Dental Hygiene programs they tend to require subjects such as Anatomy, Biology, Chemistry, Public speaking, Psychology, Sociology, English, Microbiology and sometimes organic chemistry. Each program may have additional requirements which is why it’s so important to research this with the school ahead of time.
Interview process
When I went to Dental Hygiene school we had an in person interview process. I was asked questions such as: why do I want to be a Dental Hygienist and about my extracurricular activities. Fortunately for me I was already an experienced Dental Assistant and when to school prior for Dental Assisting and that weighted in nicely on my application. I showed up on time, well dressed and practiced beforehand on possible answers to questions I might get. It all worked out in my favor so you can try the same.
Two pathways to becoming a Dental Hygienist
You can chose to either get an Associate degree which around 2 year of college or you can choose to get a bachelor’s degree (BS) 4 years. The difference here is that the with an Associate degree in Dental Hygiene you can practice clinically and it is a faster road to becoming a Dental Hygienist. The (BS) degree is a longer road but opens up more opportunities in the further as far as public health, research, teaching and practice ownership depending on state.
Typical Requirements admission requirements
A high school diploma or GED
Most competitive programs require a strong GPA 3.0 and above
Your Biology and chemistry should have decent grades
Some programs require that you actually shadow a Dental Hygienist. I recommend doing this even if it is not a requirement because you get a good idea of what happens in the day to day life and determine if this is the right career path for you.
Letters of recommendation are also required. I worked with a Dentist as his assistant so it was easy for me. This is another reason why shadowing can help, you get to know Dental professionals and have access to a letter of recommendation.
Personal statement
CPR certification
Health assessment, blood work and updated vaccination such as Hep B
Fingerprinting to screen
Once accepted you will have an orientation session. This is such an exciting time as you get to see how many people will be going the through this process with you. I made a lot of friends in Hygiene school but also lost a few people that was removed from the program. Dental Hygiene school is manageable but vigorous. Most schools only accept a small number of seats and the requirements to stay in the program is usually a B average. Some schools if you fall to a C average might remove you from the program and you will need to reapply.
Final Exams
Once you have completed an accredited Dental Hygiene program and graduated they will be boards. The NBDHE (National Board Dental Hygiene Exam, the Clinical board exam which is a hands on clinical exam in many states and the State jurisprudence exam. Once you have passed all of these exams you can apply for a license to practice clinical Dental Hygiene. Each state in the United States has a its own set of requirements for maintaining your license. Attached is a graft showing each state and it’s current recommended continuing credits and license renewal time frame.
My personal advice as a Dental Hygienist to all those interested. Once accepted put your head down and focus. You can do it! Make sure you prioritize sleep, health and studying.
