Education experience of a dental hygienist

To pursue a life in the world of dental hygiene, some educational milestones first must be reached:

1. The completion of high school
2. The completion of a dental hygiene training program (at the associate, bachelor’s or master’s level)
3. A passing score on the written and clinical examinations that grant a hygienist a State license to practice dental hygiene

Dental hygienists have a thorough educational background with diverse coursework in many areas, including:

• Anatomy
• Physiology
• Chemistry
• Microbiology
• Pharmacology
• Nutrition
• Radiology
• Histology (the study of tissue structure)
• Periodontology (the study of gum diseases)
• Pathology
• Dental materials
• Clinical dental hygiene
• Social and behavioral sciences