Dental Hygienists are ranked among the 30 fastest growing occupations in the US by the Job Occupational Outlook Handbook.

The entry level programs have strict quidelines and you will need to score high on the prerequisite courses to get into the program. The ADHA, (American Dental Hygiene Association) lists these out in detail. Also the program director at he colleges listed below can give you the exact details you need. Because the program offering is limited in Kansas, you may want to consider a neighboring state like Illinois, which has many entry level programs to increase your chances of getting in.

Dental Hygienists make excellent salaries and can make anywhere from $18-$55 per hour depending on whether you work part-time, full-time, or contract. Pay is higher in some states than others. California typically pays higher wages to the Dental Hygienist than any other state. Of course, the cost of living is much higher there though too.

If all this seems alittle too much to consider right now, perhaps you may want to enter a health field that does not require more than a few weeks of school and then work towards being a Illinois Dental Hygienist. Perhaps you might consider the field of Illinois Certified Nursing Assistant, also known as Illinois CNA, or Illinois Nurses Aide.

ENTRY-LEVEL DENTAL HYGIENE PROGRAMS

Flint Hills Technical College
3301 W. 18th Ave.
Emporia KS 66801

Johnson County Community College
12345 College Blvd.
Overland Park, KS 66210-1299

Wichita State University
1845 Fairmount
Wichita, KS 67260-0144

ENTRY-LEVEL ACCREDITED DENTAL HYGIENE TRAINING SCHOOLS OF ALASKA
1. University of Alaska – Anchorage
2. University of Alaska – Fairbanks

OTHER FACTS:
Other states may offer a wider selection of choices. This program can be a two year Associate degree or a 4 year Bacheler degree.

PREREQUISITES TO GET IN:

Admission requirements and prerequisites vary from institution to institution, but generally include the following listed below:

1. High School Diploma or GED
2. High School Courses in Mathematics, chemistry, biology, English.
3. Minimum “C” average in High School
4. College entrance scores
5. Usually up to 40 credit hours of prerequisite college courses in Chemistry, English, Speech, Psychology, and Sociology.
6. Dependent upon the institution, a personal interview,dexterity test, and/or essay.
7. 77 percent of Dental Hygiene programs use college science GPA as part of the criteria in admissions.

The majority of Dental Hygiene Programs have limited enrollment. Admission to a program is typically highly competitive.

IS ALL THIS TOO MUCH? WANT AN EASY HEALTH FIELD PROGRAM THAT ONLY REQUIRES A FEW WEEKS TRAINING/SCHOOLING AND IS LISTED AS THE 2ND FASTEST GROWING JOB BY THE 2008-2009 JOB OCCUPATIONAL HANDBOOK? PERHAPS CNA TRAINING IN ALASKA MAY BE JUST WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR.

First of all, you need to decide if you want to work “hands on” with people in a health field. If your not sure about this read the next paragraph. If you already know you want to proceed in this field, the entry level programs are listed at the end of this article.

Dental Hygienists are considered professionals and many work in Dental offices. Quite simply, they focus on preventing and treating oral diseases in order to protect the oral cavity, and also to protect the patient’s total health. They are graduates of accredited dental hygiene education programs in colleges and universities.

Are you still wanting more info on Dental Hygiene requirements to get into a college or University? OK, then read on.

Dental Hygienists typically make anywhere from $18-$55 dollars per hour.

You can attend a two year or four year college and become a Dental Hygienist after meeting the requirements listed here next.

PREP FOR ENTRY-LEVEL DENTAL HYGIENE PROGRAM
High School diploma or GED
High School courses in mathematics, biology, chemistry, English, speech, psych, and sociology.
Dependent upon the institution, a personal interview, dexterity test, and/or essay.

IMPORTANT POINT
77% of the dental hygiene programs use college science GPA as part of the criteria in admissions procedures and 73% include overall college GPA as admissions criteria.
PLEASE SEE ADHA (American Dental Hygienists Association) for more detail.

SEEM LIKE TOO MUCH?
If you think you would like to get into a health field but the Dental Hygiene program seems like alittle too much right now, try an easy to finish program like Louisiana CNA, also know as Louisiana Certified Nursing Assistant, or Louisiana Nurses Aide. This training lasts only a few weeks and it is easy to get a job. If you have any criminal history, though, you may need more options to consider.

ENTRY-LEVEL DENTAL HYGIENE PROGRAMS IN LOUISIANA

Louisiana State University
1100 Florida Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70119

Southern University at Shreveport
3050 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.
Shreveport, LA 71107

University of Louisiana at Monroe
700 University Ave.
Monroe, LA 71209

If either of the above questions merits a yes answer, this may be a good program to pursue. It is important to get the facts, though, to make a good decision. Listed below you will find the necessary entry-level requirements and well as the Dental Hygiene schools listed in Kentucky.

PROGRAM ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

Complete an application. Attend an information session. Provide proof of high school graduation or GED completion. Complete required COMPASS testing obtaining satisfactory scores in reading and writing or ACT scores in Reading and English. Complete the following courses with a grade of C or better in each:

1. BIO 164 Essential Anatomy/Physiology or both BIO 733 Health Science Anatomy AND BIO 734 Health Science Physiology

2. CHM 122 Introduction to General Chemistry

3. BIO 187 Microbiology w/lab OR BIO 732 Health Science Microbiology.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON ENTRY LEVEL REQUIREMENTS, CALL DIRECTLY TO THE SCHOOL LISTED BELOW OR CHECK WITH THE AMERICAN DENTAL HYGIENIST ASSOCIATION. A LIST OF DENTAL HYGIENE SCHOOLS KENTUCKY IS BELOW.

DOES THIS ALL SEEM LIKE TOO MUCH JUST TO GET INTO THE PROGRAM?

Then perhaps you might consider entering another health field for a time until you can make a bigger decision. If you only want to attend school for a few weeks and find a job easily, perhaps you might consider the field of Kentucky CNA, also known as Kentucky Certified Nursing Assistant or Kentucky Nurses Aide.

KENTUCKY ENTRY-LEVEL DENTAL HYGIENE PROGRAMS

Big Sand Community & Technical College
Prestonsburg, KY 41653

Bluegrass Community and Technical College
Lexington, KY 40506-0235

Henderson Community College
Henderson, KY 42420-0000

University of Louisville
Louisville, KY 40292-0000

Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, KY 42101-1032

How much time is involved to get a degree?
There are two-year, and four-year programs, and a few certificate programs in certain states. There are also strict guidelines on the prerequisites to get into the entry level dental hygiene program. For more information on this see the American Dental Hygiene Association (ADHA) website at www.adha.org for more information.

How much would I get paid?
The salaries and hourly wages for a graduate of Dental Hygiene School is excellent and allows for very flexible hours many times. The hourly pay ranges anywhere from $18-$55 per hour.

What about the work schedule?
Since 97% of the graduates of the Dental Hygiene program are women, it is not surprising that they want flexibility for the sake of their families. Many Dental Hygienists work part-time or on a contract basis since they recieve such good pay and still get the health care benefits in most cases.

THIS SEEMS LIKE ALOT RIGHT NOW.
If you are sure you might like to get into a health field and don’t have that much time or money perhaps you might consider dental hygiene later. The Massachusetts Certified Nursing Assistant requires just a few weeks training and there is an abundance of jobs with a difficult economy. Also, other fields such as Massachusetts Licensed Practical Nurse, Massachusetts Licensed Vocational Nurse, or Massachusetts Registered Nurse are health care fields you may want to work towards.

ENTRY-LEVEL DENTAL HYGIENE PROGRAMS

Bristol Community College
777 Elsbree St.
Fall River, MA 02720
508-678-2811

Cape Cod Community College
2240 lyannough Rd
West Barnstable, MA 02668-1599
508-362-2131

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
179 Longwood Ave.
Boston, MA 02115-5896

Middlesex Community College
33 Kearney Square
Lowell, MA 01852
978-656-3051

Mount Ida College
777 Dedham St.
Newton Centre, MA 02459
617-928-7343

Mount Wachusett Community College
444 Green St.
Gardner, MA 01440
978-632-9367

Quinsigamond community College
670 W. Boylston St.
Worcester, MA 01606
508-854-4231

Springfield Technical Community College
One Armory Square, suite 1, po box 9000
Springfield, MA 01102-9000
413-755-4858

Dental Hygienists are ranked among the 30 fastest growing occupations in the US by the Job Occupational Outlook Handbook.

The entry level programs have strict guidelines and you will need to score high on the prerequisite courses to get into the program. The ADHA, (American Dental Hygiene Association) lists these out in detail. Also the program director at he colleges listed below can give you the exact details you need. Because the program offering is limited in Kansas, you may want to consider a neighboring state like Illinois, which has many entry level programs to increase your chances of getting in.

Dental Hygienists make excellent salaries and can make anywhere from $18-$55 per hour depending on whether you work part-time, full-time, or contract. Pay is higher in some states than others. California typically pays higher wages to the Dental Hygienist than any other state. Of course, the cost of living is much higher there though too.

If all this seems a little too much to consider right now, perhaps you may want to enter a health field that does not require more than a few weeks of school and then work towards being a Illinois Dental Hygienist. Perhaps you might consider the field of Illinois Certified Nursing Assistant, also known as Illinois CNA, or Illinois Nurses Aide.

ENTRY-LEVEL DENTAL HYGIENE PROGRAMS

Flint Hills Technical College
3301 W. 18th Ave.
Emporia KS 66801

Johnson County Community College
12345 College Blvd.
Overland Park, KS 66210-1299

Wichita State University
1845 Fairmount
Wichita, KS 67260-0144

FACTORS TO CONSIDER
1. If I go back to college, how much time do I have or want to devote to training?
2. How much money will I need to make for the duration of my college time for the program?
3. Will there be work in this field after I have gone to school for a few years?
4. Is my health good enough to do this job after the training since I will be in awkward spinal positions to work in peoples mouths all day?
5. Am I willing to sacrifice my extra time for the studies in leau of spending time with my family and friends much of my spare time for the next few years?
6. How much money will I make in this position?
7. Will I really enjoy a job that involves continuous people skills as well as hands on skills?

To get reliable information about job availability you may want to consider checking the current Job Occupational Outlook Handbook that can be accessed on-line. Currently Dental Hygienists are listed in the top 30 fastest growing occupations.

Also, the ADHA, (American Dental Hygiene Association) gives the facts about this profession. On their website you will find the prerequisites for getting accepted into a college program. In many schools there is currently a waiting list to get in. A list of school programs in Illinois is listed here below.

You may want to consider a health field with little training to see if you really want to work hands on with people before you jump into schooling for the Illinois Dental Hygiene program if you are not sure you want a people “hands on” position. The Illinois Certified Nursing Assistant Program also known as CNA or Nurses Aide is a short few weeks of training and could even support you with work as you pursue the Dental Hygiene program.

ENTRY-LEVEL DENTAL HYGIENE PROGRAMS
Carl Sandburg College
Galesburg, IL 61401-0000

college of DuPage
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137-0000

College of Lake County
Waukegan, IL 60085-0000

Illinois Central College
Peoria, IL 61635-0000

John A. Logan College
Carterville, IL 62918-0000

Kennedy KIng College
Chicago, IL 60612-0000

Lake Land College
Mattoon, IL 61938-0000

Lewis and Clark Community College
Godfrey, IL 62035-0000

Parkland College
Champaign, IL 61821-1899

Prairie State College
Chicago Heights, IL 60411-0000

Rock Valley College
Rockford, IL 61109-0000

Southern Illinois University
Carbondale, IL 62901-6615

William Rainey Harper College
Palatine, IL 60067-0000