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Dental Hygienist School
By allied health world contributing writer
Published: January 18th, 2010
What can I expect from dental hygienist Schools?
Programs for dental hygienists typically require 86 credit hours at the associate degree level. Expect baccalaureate degree level dental hygienist programs to require about half again as many, for a standard total of about 122 credit hours. Students often prefer the semester-based arrangement that is common of dental hygienist programs over the academic quarter structure as it often makes planning life’s other demands around school a little more manageable. The bulk of programs will not involve summer study, although it is common enough to take into consideration when exploring the options available to you and determining how to fit school in when having to balance work and familial obligations.What has contributed to the increased demand for dental hygienists?
In the past two decades dental hygiene has become recognized as being very closely, and quite literally associated with good
overall health. Recent studies have shown a direct link between gum disease and a whole host of other physical maladies including heart disease. Though it was first thought that this was the result of a loose connection to general physical neglect and an unhealthy lifestyle, it has recently been found that the connection is in fact direct in that gum disease over time can compromise the human immune system. Recently, gum disease has even been shown to be directly associated with increased instances of infant mortality, as expectant mother’s with gum disease are more likely to have complications with pregnancy and bare babies with a lower than average birth weight. This shocking connection was made when it was determined that the low-level persistent infections that result from gum disease and tooth decay actually weaken the immune system over time such that the bodies ability to defend itself against harmful bacteria becomes compromised. This can have a particularly devastating affect on an unborn infant in utero.
Why Dental Hygienist Schools?
With hundreds of programs available through nearly as many schools across the United States, dental hygienist training programs are among the most accessible vocational training programs in America. This is for very good reason: Recent discoveries directly linking good oral hygiene to overall physical health has heightened the public’s awareness around the importance of good oral hygiene. As a result, dental hygienists are finding that the vital services they provide are in greater demand than ever before.The perception of this profession has changed such that dental hygienists are less frequently viewed as being adjunct to the services provided by dentists. They are more frequently seen now as providing a vital role in individual and public health independent of dentists. With increased demand and a greater level of professional prestige have come expanded roles and higher dental hygienist salaries. Contemporary dental hygienist schools prepare graduates with a much more sophisticated level of training than had previously been the norm.
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