Is Dental Hygiene a good career field to get into? Please be detailed & spec!
Question:
Is Dental Hygiene a good career field to get into? Please be detailed & specific?
I`m very seriously thinking about becoming a dental hygienist. My mother & father, however, keep encouraging me to do something else. They insist that dental hygiene is not such a good idea.
Everywhere I`ve researched the career has shown that the pay is excellent, the hours/schedule is flexible, and the field is rapidly growing. I`m almost conviced that it`s what I want to do, but I wanted to get some further information and opinions to share with my parents.
So please be detailed, specific, and provide as much information as you possibly can!
Thank you.
Answers:
Yes it is a great career! However not many colleges teach it, therefore demand to get into a program is high. So it can take years to get into a DH program. You have to apply ASAP. And some colleges require MANY courses that you have to have already taken just to even apply! So visit the ADA.org website and search for list of DHY programs in your state. Then go to the colleges websites and read all about what you need to do to get into a program.
I started applying for DH program in 2003 and didnt get into a program until 2006! And mind you I applied to over 7 (and another one outside of NE, so 8 all together) colleges in New england and it still took that long to get in! So if you want to get in a program you must start actively applying to all colleges in your area and check to see what courses you need to have completed already to apply.
The DH program is very competitive and difficult. Plan to have no life because you will spend it studying hours on end. Also if you want in a DH program plan to not work or only work parttime. One college I applied to actually TOLD their applicants that they are not allowed to work because the DH program is like a fulltime job and if they have a job they will probably fail the program.