How to Become a Dental Hygienist: Timeline & Costs

Discover the timeline, costs, and steps to becoming a dental hygienist. Learn everything you need to know to start your career in dental hygiene.

Key Takeaways

A dental hygienist role involves daily tasks such as teeth cleaning and scaling, providing specialized treatments to patients depending on their unique needs, and assisting the overall practice with other dental procedures.
Becoming a dental hygienist requires pursuing a dental hygienist program, completing clinical training, and obtaining licensure in the state where you will practice.
States each have their own unique licensing requirements for dental hygienists, but hygienists will typically have to obtain licensure by passing a detailed national exam and submitting their prerequisites.
After completing their education, dental hygienists can find an entryway into the field through either temporary or permanent work found on a dedicated staffing platform like Toothio.

Exploring a Career as a Dental Hygienist

With a high demand for dental hygiene professionals and a strong sense of job stability and growth, becoming a dental hygienist is a great career choice for anyone interested. To practice as a professional, all 50 states require that someone become a registered dental hygienist, which involves passing the national board licensing exam.

Becoming a dental hygienist is a great career move. After all, oral health is never going to stop being important, and no at-home tool can yet replace the special skills of a hygienist. This places dental hygienists in high demand and with great opportunity for job stability. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 9% growth in the need for hygienists between 2023 and 2033, which is considered much faster than the average for jobs.

If you’re exploring a career as a dental hygienist, then it’s important that you understand all the necessary steps to take to get there and what time and money you will need to invest.

What Does a Dental Hygienist Do?

A dental hygienist ensures patient oral hygiene by conducting oral health assessments and performing cleaning procedures tailored to the patient. While on most days, this role centers around conducting specific cleaning procedures, on others, the role may be more flexible as the hygienist handles other tasks involved with supporting patients and the practice as a whole.

The dental hygienist role involves some of the following daily tasks:

Teeth cleaning and scaling
Applying fluoride and sealants to the patient’s teeth
Conducting oral health assessments and preliminary exams
Educating patients on oral care practices and habits
Collaborating with the dentist and dental assistant to provide the appropriate care
Assisting the dental team with X-rays and other dental procedures
Documenting the patient’s treatment plans and overall care needs

Some of the important skills involved in carrying out these tasks include manual dexterity for handling dental tools, strong communication skills, attention to detail, and critical thinking.

Educational Requirements

The first step on the road to becoming a hygienist is to satisfy any necessary general education requirements, which include the following.

Earn a High School Diploma

A high school diploma is a necessary prerequisite for enrolling in any reputable dental hygiene program. Putting extra attention into your required coursework focused on science, biology, and chemistry will prepare you for your post-secondary education.

Preparing early in high school will ensure you have the foundational knowledge to pursue dental hygiene, as well as give you a glimpse into whether the subjects interest you.

Enroll in a Dental Hygiene Program

Completing a specialized dental hygiene program is a must for anyone seeking a lasting career in the field. You can find available programs at accredited community colleges, vocational schools, or specialized dental schools.

The most common types of programs include:

Associate’s degree – A two-year associate’s degree program is considered entry-level for a hygienist but provides a gateway into the profession.
Bachelor’s degree – A four-year bachelor’s program is generally geared toward individuals seeking a specialty in the care they provide.

Regardless of the program, it’s important to choose a program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), a body approved by the United States Department of Education. There are over 300 institutions across the country that fit this standard.

CODA requires that a program covers four main content areas—general education, biomedical sciences, dental sciences, and dental hygiene science. Other key subjects in these areas include oral anatomy, pharmacology, and radiology. As you look for a program, you may also consider specializing in an area of interest, such as pediatric, adult, or geriatric dental care.

Complete Clinical Training

Clinical training provides crucial hands-on training in real-world settings. Clinical training allows you to gain experience while under the supervision of other professionals, empowering you to learn and grow while making mistakes so that you can be more confident upon entering the field.

Clinical training will often be part of a dental hygiene program and completed along with the rest of one’s schooling. As a result, clinical training is considered part of the schooling timeline rather than an extension of it.

Licensing and Certification

Once you complete your general education pathway, all states require you to receive a license before you can begin employment. The process may vary slightly by state, but in general, you can expect the following steps.

Pass the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE)

The National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE) is a nationally recognized exam administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations and is crucial for obtaining state licensure. This exam assesses a professional’s knowledge in a variety of areas important to the job, including how to use preventive decay agents, interpret radiographs, and provide dental hygiene care.

The exam features 350 questions covering the following topics:

Dental hygiene practice
Clinical services
Community health and research principles
Case-based topics

Aspiring hygienists can find study materials from the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, an agency of the American Dental Association. These materials include tutorials, practice tests, and reference texts that can help professionals prepare for the exam.

State Licensing Requirements

All states may have slight nuances to their licensing requirements, so you should contact your state’s Board of Dental Examiners for a more detailed and specific list of requirements. That said, many states follow relatively similar processes overall.

Most states require:

A degree from an accredited program or institution
A passing score on the NBDHE
A completed state or regional clinical board examination

Once you obtain your license by submitting proof of the above steps to your state licensing board, you will be considered a licensed and registered dental hygienist. You will then be able to proceed with applying to jobs and practicing dental hygiene.

After obtaining your license, you will likely need to renew it every one to three years, depending on your state. Some states may also set requirements for pursuing continuing education in order to maintain licensure in the future.

Optional Certifications

Dental hygienists may also consider additional, optional certifications to hone their craft. Advanced certifications may provide dental hygienists with increased expertise to add to their resume and demonstrate a wider skill set to potential employers.

Advanced certifications that may be beneficial include local anesthesia certifications, periodontics, and more. Extra credentials and certifications are especially valuable if you are considering branching out into not only practicing dental hygiene but also researching or teaching in the field.

How Long Does It Take to Become a Dental Hygienist?

In general, it takes about 2-4 years to become a fully practicing dental hygienist. However, this number can change depending on the program you follow, your desired certifications, and the state requirements where you live.

Generally speaking, this process can be broken down into the following commitments for each step:

High school: 4 years
Dental hygiene program: 2-4 years
Clinical training: Often part of the hygiene program
Studying for and taking the NBDHE: About 2 months, but it will vary depending on the person

Becoming a registered dental hygienist can be a long and tedious process, but it isn’t as hard as other programs with the right mindset. Because of the technical skills you must learn and the potentially stressful workload, it’s important to be dedicated to the process. However, with strong time management skills, organizational skills, and a commitment to success, any aspiring professional can succeed.

How Much Does It Cost to Become a Dental Hygienist?

On average, the cost to become a dental hygienist ranges from about $20,000 to$ 40,000. However, the costs to become a dental hygienist can vary depending on the type of program you pursue and the state where you are located. The following costs are the most important.

Tuition and Fees for Dental Programs

The most significant share of the costs to become a hygienist is the tuition fees for the program you choose. According to the American Dental Hygienists Association, programs have the following costs on average:

Associate Degree: $22,692
Bachelor’s Degree: $36,382
Master’s Degree: $30,421

Keep in mind that these costs will vary depending on the type of program you attend and the cost of the school. Whether you attend an in-state or out-of-state program will also make a crucial difference, with in-state tuition often being significantly cheaper.

Additional Fees

Aspiring dental hygienists must also consider often-overlooked fees, which extend beyond the cost of programs themselves. These costs can add up to anywhere from an additional few hundred to a few thousand dollars on top of program tuition.

These costs often include:

Exam fees for the NBDHE or individual state exams
Textbooks and school supplies
Dental hygiene tools and instruments
Clinical uniforms
Additional fees related to clinical training
Room and board on or off campus
Transportation to and from school and clinicals

Financial Aid Options

Financial aid is an important consideration for helping reduce the costs of becoming a hygienist. Aid options such as scholarships, grants, and loan opportunities can all make a dental hygienist career more attainable.

For those who qualify, work-study programs might also help supplement the costs. To qualify for financial aid, it is important to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and research as many scholarships as possible.

Career Outlook and Salary Expectations

An important consideration in the path to becoming a dental hygienist is the career outlook. As of today, becoming a dental hygienist is still a promising career choice.

The career outlook for dental hygienists is strong, as the field is in constant need. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows a projected 9% growth between 2023 and 2033, which is considered much faster than average for other occupations. With a growing social awareness of the importance of oral health and an aging population, the value of dental hygienists is crucial and unlikely to dwindle any time soon.

The median salary for hygienists nationwide, according to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data, is $87,530 per year, or about $42.08 per hour. However, specific salary will depend on location, experience, and education levels. Dental hygienists can also advance their career by extending past practicing and into opportunities such as teaching or management roles.

Success Tips for Aspiring Dental Hygienists

Although the pathway to a dental hygienist career involves clear steps, the road is often not linear. There are ways that individuals taking this route can get themselves a step ahead. With some mental preparation and a few additional tips in mind, aspiring hygienists can stand out amongst the crowd and boost their career potential.

Aspiring dental hygienists should consider the following:

Gain experience through internships or volunteer work
Stay up-to-date with continuing education to advance your skills and keep your license current
Networking with professionals in the dental field to expand your contacts
Enter the field by picking up flexible work opportunities in offices around your home market

The above tips will help you stand out and help you jumpstart your career beyond simply fulfilling your educational requirements and increase longevity in the profession.

Kickstart Your Dental Hygienist Career with Toothio

To become a dental hygienist, you’ll need to navigate pursuing an accredited educational program, completing a clinical training program, and obtaining state licensure. By following these steps with discipline and commitment, you can propel yourself into a promising career.

Get your dental hygienist career rolling with Toothio, a one-of-a-kind dental staffing platform that can connect you with flexible work that fits your schedule. As part of the Toothio network, you will have access to on-demand shifts in dental practices looking for your skills. We operate in eleven regions, providing dental hygienists from across the country with the ability to find opportunities that meet their needs.