You are constantly being active “Throughout the day, sometimes sitting, standing, working with repetitive motions, and moving around the clinical environment. It is important that a dental hygienist possesses the physical stamina to keep this up throughout the entire day” (Common Traits of a Dental Hygienist). You’re always on your toes as you’re moving from room to room to check on patients, and if you’re in for a job that keeps you actively moving then a dental hygienist is a perfect balance.
Becoming a dental hygienist is easier than you think. Having a highschool diploma or a GED is required, an undergraduate degree, pass the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination, then get your state license. You are required to have an associates degree in dental hygiene and also required a state licensure. You’re required at least “Two years of dental hygienist training for an associate’s degree. Some dental hygienists may decide to obtain additional schooling, for example, four years for
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If you’re wanting to move forward from there then “Consider a bachelor's or master's degree in dental hygiene. These advanced degrees can help dental hygienists obtain positions extending outside of the dental office, such as those in teaching and research” (Path to Becoming a Dental Hygienist, a Step-by-Step Guide). So depending on what you want your future to look like in the dental field you should consider taking this path.
The first step to becoming a dental hygienist is graduating from highschool or a GED. Some classes to consider taking in highschool that will benefit you in the future are “science courses like biology and chemistry. Math courses will also help prepare for the career” (Irby). Most highschools like mine already required me to take biology and chemistry and four math courses in order to graduate. Also keep in mind having a solid GPA, SAT, and ACT scores are important when wanting to get accepted into a dental hygienist