|
|
Online Healthcare Courses
Dental Hygienist Online Degree Programs
Find accredited universities that offer online and distance education bachelor degree programs in dental hygiene.
Dental hygienists remove soft and hard deposits from teeth, teach patients how to practice good oral hygiene, and provide other preventive dental care.They remove calculus, stains, and plaque from teeth; perform root planing as a periodontal therapy; take and develop dental x rays; and apply cavity-preventive agents such as fl uorides and pit and fi ssure sealants.
Dental hygienists work in clean, well-lighted offi ces. Important health safeguards include strict adherence to proper radiological procedures, and the use of appropriate protective devices when administering anesthetic gas. Dental hygienists also wear safety glasses, surgical masks, and gloves to protect themselves and patients from infectious diseases.
Dental hygienists must be licensed by the State in which they practice. To qualify for licensure in nearly all States, a candidate must graduate from an accredited dental hygiene school and pass both a written and clinical examination. The American Dental Association’s Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations administers the written examination, which is accepted by all States and the District of Columbia. State or regional testing agencies administer the clinical examination.
In 2004, the Commission on Dental Accreditation accredited 266 programs in dental hygiene. Most dental hygiene programs grant an associate degree, although some also offer a certifi cate, a bachelor’s degree, or a master’s degree. A minimum of an associate degree or certifi cate in dental hygiene is generally required for practice in a private dental offi ce. A bachelor’s or master’s degree usually is required for research, teaching, or clinical practice in public or school health programs.
Additional courses in lab work, medicine, chemistry, pharmacology, radiology, microbiology, physiology, and anatomy can also boost your chances of finding employment after graduation. And because cosmetic dentistry is becoming more popular worldwide, you should learn about the various complications associated with fixtures, caps, bridges, and crowns.
Career Opportunities In Dental hygienists
Dental hygienists held about 158,000 jobs in 2004. Because multiple job holding is common in this fi eld, the number of jobs exceeds the number of hygienists. More than half of all dental hygienists worked part time—less than 35 hours a week. Almost all jobs for dental hygienists were in offi ces of dentists. A very small number worked for employment services or in offices of physicians.
Median hourly earnings of dental hygienists were $28.05 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $22.72 and $33.82 an hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $18.05, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $40.70 an hour.
Information Source : Bureau of Labor Statistics
|
