QUICK FACTS: DENTAL HYGIENE

Description of profession: Dental hygienists are licensed oral health professionals who focus on preventing and treating oral diseases—both to protect teeth and gums and also to protect patients’ total health. They may remove plaque and tarter; expose, process and interpret X-rays; counsel patients; apply cavity-preventive agents such as fluoride or sealants to teeth.

Salary and employment opportunities: The University of Tennessee at Memphis reports that > 70% of their graduates make > $40,000/year working 4 days a week. Dental hygiene may provide opportunities for flexible schedules; some hygienists job share.

Education required:

Undergraduate: Usually 2 years. The University of Tennessee—Memphis requires 64 hours of undergraduate work.

Professional: Generally the programs are 2 years in length. Both UT-M and ETSU offer B.S. degrees in dental hygiene; Meharry offers only an Associate degree. (The program at ETSU is set up so that transfer into the program may be difficult.)

Admission requirements:

Required courses (UT-M): 4 hours General Biology
  4 hours Microbiology
  8 hours Anatomy and Physiology
  8 hours General Chemistry
  Psychology, Sociology, English, Speech
Grade Point Average: Minimum GPA is 2.0 with a minimum of 2.5 in the required courses. ETSU has a GPA requirement of 2.5 and Meharry has a requirement for a 2.7.