Program: Dental Hygiene AAS - Northern Wyoming Community College District (2024)

FAQs

Which semester of dental hygiene school is the hardest? ›

The fourth semester was, hands down, the most challenging semester because you're getting closer to the end. It's your fourth semester; you need to start getting things ready for your boards. It would be best if you started paying your national board fees for your state board.

Since hygienists work directly with people, they may occasionally deal with challenging patients. Patients who feel anxious or have oral pain may be less cooperative with the hygienist. Working with children, patients with special needs or dental sensitivity can also make the work of a hygienist more challenging.

Program Overview & Information

The Dental Hygiene Program is a 2-year program consisting of four 16-week semesters, a 5-week summer, and a 2-week externship which is completed before classes start in the Fall. Classes are only offered through the Flagstaff Mountain Campus.

The B.S. in dental hygiene (B.S.D.H.) at UW provides educational enrichment to students' established foundations through a cooperative program with Sheridan College. Our CODA-accredited program opens new opportunities for students.

Yes, getting through dental hygiene school and board exams is tough, but if you put in the hard work and don't make excuses, you'll be rewarded. Preparing for boards is even easier for dental hygiene students who work in an Aspen Dental-branded practice.

The minimum level of education degree for a dental hygienist is an associate's degree, though bachelor's and master's degrees are also options for those who want to move up in the field. The length of time it takes to complete your education depends on the degree you choose. The typical time frame is two to four years.

Being a dental hygienist can be an especially stressful profession because hygienists often: Work in isolation in confined, small, sometimes windowless spaces. Deal with time constraints, long working hours, busy workloads, paperwork demands, economic challenges and other business-related pressures.

You'll need math to calculate medication dosages accurately, interpret patient data, and understand dental procedures. Even tasks like scheduling appointments require basic math skills. So, while there might not be a standalone math requirement, grasping math fundamentals is essential for success in dental hygiene.

The average dental hygienist age is 42 years old. The most common ethnicity of dental hygienists is White (73.9%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (12.0%), Asian (6.3%) and Black or African American (3.7%).

A Science GPA of 2.5 is the minimum required for application to the program; however, a 3.6 or higher is considered competitive.

Does NAU offer full ride scholarships? ›

As of fall 2023, NAU is guaranteeing full tuition coverage for undergraduate Arizona residents with a household income up to $65,000 who attend at our Flagstaff or statewide locations.

The acceptance rate at Northern Arizona University is 80%.

For every 100 applicants, 80 are admitted. This means the school is lightly selective. The school will have their expected requirements for GPA and SAT/ACT scores. If you meet their requirements, you're almost certain to get an offer of admission.

It shares many of the same requirements of an associate degree. However, the BS program is differentiated from an associate degree by its additional coursework. Unlike an associate program, a bachelor's allows students to take courses to support a minor.

As of May 2023, the estimated number of dental hygienists employed in the United States ranged from 230 professionals to over 24,880 by state. That year, California registered the highest number of dental hygienists, whereas the District of Columbia had the lowest.

Medical and Dental Education in Wyoming is provided primarily by the University of Wyoming through the 167 State Budget Authority to qualified Wyoming residents. This education must be viewed as a progression that ideally begins in elementary and high schools and takes the student through graduate education.

Our study showed that the the transfer of skills from the pre-clinical to the clinical phase is an important part of the dental studies curriculum. The highest level of stress was experienced by the third-year students, who had just begun classes in a clinical setting.

The second year of school was the roughest - there were many days a week where we would be in class from 8-5 and then doing lab work to finish assignments until 10 pm. How was your experience studying dentistry, was it hard?

Some of the hardest classes at dental school include oral surgery, periodontics, and prosthodontics, classes that require– once again– both a firm medical background knowledge and excellent motor skills.