The first step to a career as a dental hygienist is to find an accredited school. The American Dental Association maintains an accrediting agency, the Commission on Dental Accreditation, which reviews schools and ensures their programs meet all national standards. There are hundreds of accredited programs across the country, offering everything from certificates to graduate degrees. Associates degrees and bachelor's degrees are the most common. In addition to standard science courses, the curriculum covers a range of topics that may include chemistry, microbiology, pharmacology, periodontology (gum disease), clinical dental hygiene or behavioral sciences.
Dental hygiene programs are offered at many types of schools across the country, making it easy for most students to find a program that works for them. Most vocational and trade schools, and most community colleges and technical schools, offer certificate programs and two-year associate degrees. Universities, dental schools, some community colleges and technical schools and clinical training institutions also offer four-year bachelor's degree programs or graduate degree programs. Like many other professions, practitioners with higher levels of education often show faster advancement and higher income.
Each state has its own licensing system and examinations for dental hygienists. Almost all states require hygienists to graduate from a CODA-accredited program and pass the ADA's National Board Dental Hygiene Examination. The NBDHE is a comprehensive examination, demonstrating that the individual hygienist has the necessary knowledge and clinical skills to practice. Once hygienists have passed these exams and received a license from the state to practice, they may call themselves registered dental hygienists and use the initials R.D.H. for professional purposes.
Individual states have different guidelines regarding the professional services dental hygienists can offer. In general, these may include screening of patients, dental charting, dental x-rays, cleaning of teeth and removal of plaque, counseling patients on dental health and discussing the role of nutrition in dental health. Many dental hygienists work part time, and flexible hours are often an important benefit of this career. In its 2009 survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the middle 50 percent of dental hygienists averaged $67,340 in annual income. The top 10 percent reported incomes of more than $90,000.