ATC Dental Hygiene Class of 2018

What is a Dental Hygienist? Dental hygienists are vital members of the dental healthcare team. They are preventive oral health professionals licensed to provide educational, clinical, and therapeutic services to the public. Dental hygienists provide comprehensive care to patients in collaboration with dentists by assessing patient needs, planning for treatment and disease prevention, implementing the treatment plan, and evaluating clinical dental hygiene services.

How do I become a hygienist? Find a school that offers Dental Hygiene as a major. (ATC) Talk with your college advisor and set up a plan to complete all core classes. Complete core classes. Usually takes approx. 2 academic years to complete core. Take pre-admission test (TEAS-V) Get observation hours at Dentist office. Apply to the Dental Hygiene program. Once accepted, complete program. Takes 2 academic years to complete program. 4 years total of schooling. Take and pass DH National Board Exam and CRDTS. Receive RDH license in mail  Apply for jobs

Classes required for admission: Core (pre-admission) classes: English 1101 Public speaking Psychology Sociology Math Modeling OR College Algebra Chemistry Microbiology Anatomy and Physiology 1 and 2 Art Appreciation/English Lit/Humanities/Music Appreciation (Pick one) First Semester Seminar Teas-V test

Career Outlook Dental hygienists held about 192,800 jobs nationally in 2012. Almost all jobs for dental hygienist were in offices of dentists. Graduates may also find employment as educators, administrators, managers, and researchers. Other options for practice settings include school systems, hospitals, correctional facilities, long-term care facilities, HMOs, dental supply and product companies, insurance companies, universities and other research centers, government agencies, community health programs, and areas of forensic dentistry. Employment of dental hygienist is expected to grow by 33 percent from 2012 through 2022.

Salary and Benefits The median annual wage for dental hygienists was $70,210 in May 2012. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $46,540, and the top 10 percent earned more than $96,280. Flexible Work Schedule Off on nights/weekends Building relationships with patients Reliable income Tons of job opportunities Health Insurance/401K

Some reasons why we chose Athens Technical College: Very Affordable Minimal Student loans/debt Scholarship opportunities 100% pass rate for 15 years from DH program Number 3 on DH national board scores in US Good learning environment Close to home Local Dentist prefer ATC grads first when hiring

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR COLLEGE JOURNEY! YOU’LL DO GREAT!