How to Become a Dental Hygienist

By allied health world contributing writer
Published: January 18th, 2010

Steps to Become a Dental Hygienist

For individuals who want to pursue this profession, it is important to make sure you understand what the job is all about and the necessary steps to become a hygienist:

While you will learn a lot in dental hygienist programs, it is important to job shadow a hygienist before making a firm decision. In fact, job shadow two or three hygienists at different dental practices to give you a good understanding of the profession at more than one place. Make sure you understand what the daily tasks and responsibilities are.
Once you have job shadowed, contact an accredited school and begin the enrollment process. Several dental hygienist schools have waiting lists for their hygiene programs. However, you can still take some prerequisite courses during this waiting period. Oftentimes someone wanting to get into hygiene gets a two year degree in Applied Science. However, sometimes these degrees have different names.
Upon graduation, sit for the national and state board exams. The board exam consists of three parts; first a 6-7 hour written exam, then a clinical board, and then a small (150 question) computer exam.
Prior to successfully completing all three sections of the board exam, you pay a fee and obtain your license to become a registered hygienist.

What are some “hot topics” currently in this field?

The decisions dentists make are not always black and white. One dentist may think a certain tooth has a cavity and another dentist How to Become a Dental Hygienist

may disagree. These types of issues are often debated due to some dentists being more conservative than others.

Cosmetic dentistry is becoming increasingly popular. Laser teeth whitening, veneers, and other cosmetic advances continue to be in high demand.

Research continues to show a link between gum disease and heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, and women’s health during pregnancy. A person’s oral health has a direct effect on the overall health of their body. In the past, a person went to the dentist because they were having a problem, such as a cavity or a tooth that needed to be pulled. Today, dentistry is focused highly on preventative care and cosmetics; not just the restorative aspects.

Do hygienists get the same repeat patients each time?

Most dentists’ offices try their best to keep each patient with the same hygienist and dentist each time for consistency. However, if a patient calls close to the date of their appointment to reschedule it may be impossible to keep them with their normal hygienist. In that case they may be scheduled with a different hygienist.

Advice for someone who wants to become a hygienist

The best way to determine if dental hygiene is the right field to pursue is by job shadowing a hygienist. Before starting on prerequisite classes or rearranging your schedule to be in dental hygienist schools for two years, sit with a few hygienists to see what truly takes place behind the scenes in their job. It takes a caring and compassionate person to succeed in the dental field since many individuals are fearful of going to the dentist to have their teeth examined.