Forbes recently ranked Dental Hygienist as the #1 best job in health care in Canada.
Are you looking for a new career? Have you considered dental hygienist jobs?
On average, they make $34.64 per hour. Experts predict a 285% job growth following the upward trend over the past 4 years.
Do you enjoy working with people? Are you interested in a career in the dental field? Would you like to be ready to enter the job market in as little as 2 years?
If you answered yes, continue reading to learn more about how to become a dental hygienist.
What Does the Dental Hygienist Role Involve?
Many people think dental hygienist jobs only involve cleaning teeth. This is not the case.
Dental hygienists are responsible for the following:
• Patient education
• Checking for mouth cancers
• Applying sealants to prevent cavities
• Administering fluoride treatments
• Checking gums for signs of disease
• Assessing a patient’s overall health status
Oral health impacts our whole body. Disease in the teeth and gums can contribute to heart disease and cause sepsis, an infection in the blood. Both conditions, if untreated, can cause death.
The dental hygienist may find signs indicating anemia, poor nutrition, or immune system deficiency.
Yes, the dental hygienist does clean and floss your teeth. While he/she completes this work, they are also watching for other conditions. A visit to the dental hygienist may save your life.
What Education Is Required to Become a Dental Hygienist?
In Canada, you have 3 options to complete your education to practise as a dental hygienist:
1. Diploma Programs. There are programs offered through many colleges. Some require 2 years and others 3 years for completion. They include classroom and clinical experience throughout the program.
2. Bachelor of Dental Hygiene. Several Universities offer the bachelor’s degree. With this degree, you’re licensed to practise dental hygiene. You are also allowed to teach dental hygiene.
3. Private college programs. These programs offer various levels of dental hygiene training.
Questions to Ask When Deciding on a Dental Hygiene Program
When you begin exploring programs to become a dental hygienist, you will want to start with a list of questions.
- What are the prerequisites to enter the program?
- How long does it take to complete the program?
- How much on-hands clinic experience time do you receive during the program?
- What type of certification or degree will you have upon completion of the program?
- What is your job placement rate?
- Is your program accredited?
- How much does the program cost?
- Is there financial aid available?
- What days and times do classes and clinicals meet?
Add further questions to be sure that you understand the requirements. This will help ensure your successful completion of the program.
Are You Ready to Look for Dental Hygiene Programs?
We provide excellence in dental education. Our program has been fully accredited by five Canadian regulatory bodies.
Our dental hygiene program offers an innovative curriculum focused on maximizing hands-on experiences. We strive to create highly skilled graduates committed to lifelong learning.
We pride ourselves on a 99% graduation rate. Among our graduates, 95% achieve employment in dental hygienist jobs.
Our students apply what they learn in class in our state-of-the-art clinic. The college provides dental services to over 680 clients in the clinic. The curriculum includes topics such as:
- Professional jurisprudence
- Health Informatics
- Orthodontics
- Community practice
- Inter-professional practice
Contact us today and chat online to find answers to your questions and learn how to get started.