Some community colleges offer dental hygienist programs that take under two years to complete. The program from San Joaquin Valley College (sjvc.edu) in Rancho Cucamonga and Visalia, California, for instance, lasts 16 months. Students study oral biology, radiology, pathology, pharmacology, periodontology, anatomy and patient education techniques. The intensive training requires attendance Mondays through Thursdays, 8 am to 5 pm, and some Fridays as needed. Programs like SJVC's include hands-on training that allows graduates to sit for regional, state and national certification exams to become registered dental hygienists.
Some schools offer further training, awarding a bachelor's degree in dental hygiene to graduates. The program at West Coast University (westcoastuniversity.edu) in Anaheim, California, for instance, allows students to graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in as little as three years. The program includes courses such as pain management, preventative and therapeutic patient care, research methodology and application and nutrition. Students get real-life experience first in WCU's simulation lab, working on "artificial patients" before moving on to the campus clinic to work with the public.
Dentistry schools traditionally award a DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) degree to graduates. Programs typically take about eight years of schooling beyond high school, four of which take place in the dental program. However, students do not necessarily need to receive a bachelor's degree to be admitted to a dental school. In schools such as the University of North Carolina (unc.edu) School of Dentistry in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, students learn social and ethical issues in dental practice, anatomy, chemistry, biology, patient management, information management, pathology, implants, radiology, oral surgery, pharmacology, orthodontics, endodontics and pathology.
Other schools offer a DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine) degree. According to Oregon Health and Science University (ohsu.edu), the DMD has become more common in recent years, but the requirements are the same as for the DDS. OHSU's school of dentistry in Portland, Oregon, like the DDS from UNC, takes four years to complete. Each year emphasizes more clinical practice. OHSU does have advanced practice programs, allowing graduates to add specialities of endodontology, orthodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, pediatric dentistry or periodontology. These programs require an additional 24 to 72 months to complete.