Looking for a rewarding career with high demand?
Dental hygienists are health care professionals who detect, prevent and treat diseases of the mouth.
The dental hygienist works as a team member with dentists and dental assistants as well as work in public health settings. Dental hygienists are in great demand and the salaries are excellent.
Employment of dental hygienists is projected to grow 20 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations. The demand for dental services will increase as the population ages and as research continues to link oral health to overall health.
Read success stories from former students
Career Paths
Most dental hygienists work as oral health prevention specialists in a private dental practice. Others join the public health field. Some dental hygienists continue their education to become licensed as advanced practitioners who establish their own business. Dental hygienists work also as business representatives, dental hygiene educators, national speakers, dental researchers, oral health advocates, and entrepreneurs in dental hygiene product development.
For more information on dental hygiene careers, licensure, and accredited Dental Hygiene Programs, consult the American Dental Hygienists' Association.
Our Program
Our primary function is to provide education to students desiring to become dental hygienists. We also have certificate programs for dental front office specialist, dental technician, and infection control coordinator. We also conduct a board approved course for dental hygiene expanded functions which allows dental hygienists to gain board required training in local anesthesia, nitrous oxide sedation and soft tissue curettage.
The College Dental Hygiene Program has placed a high value on educational excellence at the core of its curriculum since 1967. You’ll enter an affordable program that has great transfer rates to four year colleges and universities, a 100% pass rate on the National Board DH Exam, and a 100% pass rate on the Regional Board Exams.
A dental hygiene degree from Cabrillo cost less than other dental hygiene programs. At Cabrillo the cost is about $19,000 for the entire two year program.
Licensure/Nolo Contendere
The Dental Hygiene Board of California (DHBC) requires all applicants for the Registered Dental Hygienist Examination and Licensure divulge and explain any history of being convicted of, plead guilty, or plead nolo contendere to any criminal, offense, other than a minor traffic violation in any state, the United States, or a foreign country. Applicants must report any convictions or pleas of nolo contendere even if a subsequent order was issued which expunged or dismissed the criminal record.
Additionally, applicants must also divulge and explain the use of illegal controlled dangerous substances, provide the section of law violated, the nature and circumstances relating to the violation, the location and date of the violation, the penalty or disposition including a certified copy of the Judgment of conviction, and any evidence of rehabilitation.
Cabrillo College Dental Hygiene Program is accredited by the Commission of Dental Accreditation (CODA) and follows the guidelines of the Dental Hygiene Board of California (DHBC), the DH program's licensing body. Read about Licensure/Nolo Contendere.