How long does it take to become a dental hygienist? Quite a lot! The long road to becoming skilled as a dental hygienist takes time. Depending on which area of employment you’re willing to enter, it may take you a whole lot for you to be prepared and to actually have both the skills and licenses to prove it. This career learning curve is not all that difficult, so all of you reading this should have no problems given you are determined enough to pull through!
The basic skills needed by a dental hygienist are dexterity, a good attention span, and solid physical stamina, as highlighted by Gabrielle in this article. If you’re okay with all of these, then the path to dentistry should be a piece of cake. If, however, you may be lacking in one of these, don’t worry! The learning process is easy and with a bit of training, you too can be a dental hygienist!
How Long Does It Take to Become a Dental Hygienist?
With an annual mean wage that rose dramatically by at least $820 in 3 years, it’s pretty clear why so many people are looking to take care of our teeth. The job outlook for this post is also appropriately high. In fact, it’s much faster than that of the average job in the U.S., going as high as 19% for the year 2014.
Do you know what time it is? That’s right! Let’s check the infographic:
As you can see, how long does it take to become a dental hygienist really mostly depends on what you want to do with your career afterward. If you would like to go into academia or to land a better-paid job, both a BS degree and an MS degree are recommended. Here are the exact steps an aspiring dental hygienist needs to take:
Steps to Become a Dental Hygienist
A dental hygienist career can only be built via long years of both study and practice in the respective area of work. So don’t be alarmed when looking at the sheer amount of what you need to do! Take it step by step and it should be a piece of cake.
Earning a degree. First off, you need to get a degree. As we’ve already mentioned in the infographic, an Associate’s Degree will most definitely land you a job. A Bachelor of Science degree will, however, grant you a better paying job with possibilities of advancement. After that, an MA will most likely quadruple your chances of earning a respectable salary as a dental hygienist. This whole process will take between 2 and 6 years, depending on your choices.
Getting a license. After your degree, you need to become a licensed dental hygienist so as to practice your job legally. Once you do, you can even open your own office if you would like that. Studying and actually taking the exam will take you 3 months at the most.
Landing a job. Finding a job should be fairly easy in such a high-growth area. All you need to do is search for some and then pick a few that you like. If you know your profession, taking the interview should be extremely easy.
This has been our guide to becoming a dental hygienist. Have you fully understood how long does it take to become a dental hygienist? Tell us if you wish to enter this fascinating line of work and what inspired you to do so!
Image source: depositphotos.com.
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