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About 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 2,516 Dental Hygiene/Hygienist degrees granted each year at the Bachelors degree level, 5% percent of whom are men and the other 95% 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 288 degrees last year! The average starting salary for a graduate with a bachelor's degree in Dental Hygiene/Hygienist is $65,400.

Popularity of Dental Hygiene/Hygienist Degrees in the U.S.
This heat map represents the states that have the highest percent of Dental Hygiene/Hygienist degrees compared to all other degrees awarded in that state.
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Careers

The highest paying careers for Dental Hygiene/Hygienist majors include Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary, Dental Hygienists . But, another thing to consider is how much demand there is for certain jobs. Positions that are in high need that a degree in Dental Hygiene/Hygienist can prepare you for are Dental Hygienists, Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary .

Top Paying Careers

These are the highest paying careers for Dental Hygiene/Hygienist majors.

Most In-Demand Careers

These are the careers in highest demand for Dental Hygiene/Hygienist majors.

Student Demographics

Total Students
2,516
Female Students
2,390 (94%)
Male Students
126 (5%)
White (1,568, 62%)
Hispanic or Latino (347, 14%)
Asian (237, 9%)
Black or African American (135, 5%)
Race/ethnicity unknown (100, 4%)
Two or more races (85, 3%)
U.S. Nonresident (28, 1%)
American Indian or Alaska Native (12, <1%)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (4, <1%)

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