Dental hygienists are in more demand than they ever have been before. In fact, this year marks the year that there have been more opportunities for people to get an education in the field, and it has never been easier to find a job and start a path for a great career in the dental field. You can go to school to be a dental hygienist both in person and through online dental hygiene schools, which offers hands-on training in places other than traditional dental offices, which will end up giving you more options when you finish your education and start out on a career path.

Dental hygiene is a rapidly growing field, and there are several steps you need to be aware of when you decide to start working towards being a licensed dental hygienist, either online or on a brick and mortar campus:

1. Areas of specialty
In order to get your license, you must at least have an associate’s degree and depending on where you want to take your career, you may want to pursue a bachelor’s degree or even a master’s degree. Whatever type of degree you choose to get, online or traditional dental school, you still have to go through an accredited program that is approved by the Commission on Dental Accreditation in order to become a licensed hygienist. During this program, you will study general education, biomedical sciences, dental sciences, and the science of dental hygiene. It typically takes people 2-4 years to finish the program online or at a technical or community college to get their dental hygienist license.

2. Oral hygiene skills and tools
The dental hygienist program teaches them how to work side-by-side with dentists and be their right-hand man or woman. Dental hygienists are the primary source of preventative oral cleaning and healthcare for the patients they work with. They clean teeth, check the gums for diseases, and educate their patients on how to take care of their teeth properly. Dental hygienist programs or dental hygiene schools online teaches hygiene students how to use teeth cleaning tools like scrapers and polishers to get rid of tartar and plaque on teeth and make hard stains disappear. They learn how to do preventative treatments on their patients like sealants and fluoride, and they can take mouth X-rays for the dentist to look at. They also record any suspicious findings that they come across during regular cleanings, and are there to help the dentist during any procedures he needs to do.

3. Biomedical studies
The general education portion of the program will teach you oral and written communication skills as well as touch on some psychology and sociology subjects. When you study the biomedical science portion, you will learn anatomy, physiology, microbiology, pathology, and nutrition specific to the mouth.

4. Dental science studies
The dental science studies will teach the aspiring hygienist about tooth morphology, oral embryology, histology, oral pathology, radiography and even more parts about dental materials. Whether you have an associate’s degree or a Ph.D., you will have to learn all of these things through the program in order to become a licensed hygienist.