Dental Hygiene/Hygienist

Dental Hygiene/Hygienist programs prepare individuals to clean teeth and apply preventive materials, provide oral health education and treatment counseling to patients, identify oral pathologies and injuries, and manage dental hygiene practices. Includes instruction in dental anatomy, microbiology, and pathology; dental hygiene theory and techniques; cleaning equipment operation and maintenance; dental materials; radiology; patient education and counseling; office management; supervised clinical training; and professional standards.

Of the 5,673 Dental Hygiene/Hygienist degrees granted each year at the Associates degree level, 6% percent of whom are men and the other 94% percent are women. Did you know that California has more students being awarded a degree in Dental Hygiene/Hygienist than any other state in the US? In fact, California granted 519 degrees last year! The average starting salary for a graduate with a bachelor's degree in Dental Hygiene/Hygienist is $65,400.