August 22, 2005
by Laith Hamid
Local Education Columnist
A dental hygiene program is an important step in your dental hygiene career. You can qualify for a license once you graduate from dental hygiene school.
Dental hygiene programs exist at all levels from dental hygiene certificates to master's degrees. The most common entry route is to enroll in an associate's degree program in dental hygiene (Associate of Applied Science or AAS Degree in dental hygiene). To practice dental hygiene once you graduate, you will need to be licensed. As well as passing both a written and clinical examination, you must also have graduated from an accredited dental hygiene school in order to secure a dental hygiene license. So look out for dental hygiene programs which have been accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Studying at Dental Hygiene School
One of the main attractions of studying a dental hygiene program is the mix of subjects that you will be studying. You will learn about chemistry, pharmacology, microbiology, anatomy, and clinical dental hygiene. Plus, you won't be confined to the classroom at dental hygiene school. You will be receiving clinical and laboratory instruction to hone your dental hygiene skills. With practice, dental hygiene techniques such as plaque and stain removal or developing dental X rays, will become second nature.
AAS Dental Hygiene Programs in Minneapolis
Minneapolis, or the City of Lakes as it is sometimes known, offers dental hygiene students countless ways to have fun. The Minneapolis Riverfront District alone offers acres of parks, trails, picnic areas, great dining (anything from sushi to steak), arts, and culture. You may also be pleased to learn that nationally, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics is predicting that employment of dental hygienists will grow much faster than the average for all occupations through to 2012.
Sources
- http://bls.gov/oco/ocos097.htm
- http://www.herzing.edu/school.php?program=123&campus=15
- http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/leisure/
- http://www.minneapolis.org/
About the Author
Laith Hamid works for a government agency researching and visiting registered charities in the UK to advise on legislative compliance, governance and best practice. His previous experience includes governmental audit work, water engineering consultancy and customer services within the retail banking sector. Laith graduated from the University of Liverpool with a degree in Civil Engineering, with special emphasis on Environmental and Water Engineering.
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