The Dental Hygiene Option

Dental Hygiene is a great profession and health career option. It focuses on preventive dentistry and oral health promotion and leads to jobs in clinical practice, educational institutions, and industry, for the most part.

In the United States you must acquire a license to practice dental hygiene. The programs for study are referred to as “pre-license” or “entry-level”.

If you have graduated successfully from an accredited dental hygiene entry-level program you may continue your academic education at the bachelor, master or doctoral degree level. As of May 2009, there are three doctoral programs in the USA for dental hygienists.

To find the information appropriate to your status and goal, please click on the links below.

Please click below if you are ...

• a high school student who is considering becoming a dental hygienist
• a UW student who is considering becoming a dental hygienist
• working in a different field but wish to become a dental hygienist
• a licensed dental hygienist and would like to earn a bachelor’s degree
• a licensed dental hygienist and would like to earn a graduate degree
• a patient or want to be a patient in a University of Washigton dental clinic

A complete list of dental hygiene programs in the USA is found at the American Dental Hygienists’ Association web site (http://www.adha.org/) and its link to ‘Education and Careers.’ (Or use more specific links on our links page.)