Educational Programs

The Commission on Dental Accreditation has, as of yet, accredited 266 dental hygienist programs. Most community college-based dental hygiene programs (at a specialized dental hygienist college) offer students the two year associate's dental hygienist degree upon completion of their courses.

University-based dental hygienist programs funnel students toward a dental hygienist certificate, a bachelor's degree or master's degree, the latter generally obtained upon completing an additional two years of dental hygienist courses or dental hygienist classes at focused hygienist schools.

To become a registered dental hygienist who practices in a private dental office, a minimum of an associate's degree or dental hygienist certificate is mandatory. A bachelor's or master's degree (obtained through advanced dental hygienist school/extensive dental hygienist education) is usually obligatory for research, teaching or clinical practice in a public or school health program.

Receiving a dental hygienist scholarship is an honor reserved for only the most promising dental hygienist student for the purposes of aiding them fiscally up through dental hygienist training. The American Dental Hygienist Association streamlines dental hygienist programs and dental hygienist requirements such that only the most skilled dental hygienists reach the coveted echelon of clinical practice.