Career Path

Dental Hygienist

Overview

In this career, your responsibilities may include:

Examining patients and assessing their oral health, and reporting findings to the dentist.
Providing preventive dental care such as teeth cleanings, and teaching patients how to practice good oral hygiene.
Taking x-rays and applying protective topical treatments such as fluoride and sealants.

Job Titles

In your job search, you may find job listings for this career under different titles. You can find some examples of these, as well as more information about this career, at Career One Stop.

Academic Requirements

Typically requires a three-year associate degree, although bachelor’s degrees are also available. The bachelor’s degree is only required for academic work such as teaching or research, but does not make you more qualified for regular practice. If you do not already have a bachelor’s degree and a doctorate, or if one or both of your degrees were not found to be substantially equivalent to US degrees, then adding bachelor’s degree and a doctorate in dental medicine or dental surgery would allow you to practice as a Dentist. Your associate degree might give you advanced standing or transfer credit towards a bachelor’s degree, reducing the time it would take you to graduate.

Certification

Certification is not required.
Licensure
Licensure is required in every state.

Although requirements vary, licensure typically requires:
- Graduating from a dental hygiene program accredited by the American Dental Association (ADA) Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).
  - If you have graduated from a dental hygiene program outside the U.S. or Canada, you must obtain a credential evaluation, which compares the education you received outside the United States to a similar educational program in the U.S.
    - Canadian dental hygiene degrees, earned from programs accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada (CDAC), are automatically recognized by CODA.
  - The only credential evaluation accepted by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE) for the purpose of taking the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE) for licensure is the General Report from Educational Credential Evaluators.
- Passing the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE) written licensure exam.
- Passing the clinical exam required by your state. The American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) exam is accepted for this requirement in 41 states and the District of Columbia, but always check with your state dental board to be sure which exams they accept.
- Passing your state jurisprudence exam on the law relating to the practice of dental hygiene in your state.