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Dental Hygienist Schools Orlando
As the third most populous state in the country, Florida is home to many young, ambitious professionals as well as retired senior citizens flocking to the south for a peak of the sunshine. With several major cities, including Tallahassee, Orlando, Miami, Jacksonville and Tampa, Florida has several ideal options for settling into ‘The Sunshine State’.
With climate ranging from sub-tropical in the north to tropical in the south, you can begin to understand why so many people move to Florida for the weather. The majority of the state is at or near sea level, with the entire southern, western and eastern regions serving as coastlines to the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean.
While Florida does boast several major cities, they tend to have a much different atmosphere to the more fast paced and busy lifestyles on the east and west coasts of the country. Florida has a much more casual and relaxed atmosphere, making it one of the top destinations in the country.
Become a Dental Hygienist in Florida
The US’s fourth largest state offers fantastic opportunities for dental hygienists in the coming years. [Seguir leyendo en español]
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that in the eight years to 2023, employment in dental hygienist jobs in Florida will grow by as much as 22.9%. This means that there should be an average of almost 600 job openings per year. (You can also look for Dental Assistant schools in Florida here).See popular schools in Florida
Requirements
Dental Hygienists must be at least 18 years old and complete a series of educational requirements.
Firstly, they must be either graduates of an ADA- or US Department of Education-approved dental hygiene program, or graduates of an unaccredited program but have completed 4 years of postsecondary dental education and received a dental school diploma which is comparable to a DDS or DMD.
Secondly, they must pass the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination, or, if not graduates of an accredited dental school, the National Board Dental Exam. They must also pass the American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) Dental Hygiene Exam.
You will also be required to provide proof of training in CPR at the basic support level, including one- and two-rescuer CPR for adults, children and infants, use of an automatic external defibrillator (AED) and the use of ambu-bags. Get more information on Dental Hygienist careers here.
Popular Programs
Results: 5 Matching School Ads Request InfoGwinnett College
Our mission is to provide career focused education for the purpose of gaining entry-level employment and advancement opportunities which will empower college students to positively contribute to their communities.Selected Campus Locations:
- Sarasota
Selected Programs:
- Dental Assisting – Diploma
Request InfoAmerican College for Medical Careers
Pursue your education with American College for Medical Careers.Selected Campus Locations:
- Orlando
Selected Programs:
- Dental Assisting with Expanded Functions
Request InfoUltimate Medical Academy
Ultimate Medical Academy is a nonprofit healthcare career school—and students are at the heart of everything we do. That’s why we offer exclusive student services through your career training and beyond, beginning from the time you enroll online or at our campus in Clearwater, FL. We’ll also guide you toward the right program for your goals, and help you understand the affordability of your career training. So let us know you’re interested, and we’ll discuss how UMA can help you succeed.
Gainful employment information can be found at UltimateMedical.edu/gainful-employment and includes information on tuition, loan debt, completion, placement, and occupations.Selected Campus Locations:
- Clearwater
Selected Programs:
- Dental Assistant with Expanded Functions
At Fortis Institute, you may get the skills and training you need to prepare for a career.
* Programs vary by location
* Please contact each individual campus for accreditation informationSelected Campus Locations:
- Pensacola
Selected Programs:
- Dental Assisting
Visit School SiteEducationConnection
Start 2018 with steps toward earning your degree with Education Connection!Visit www.EducationConnection.com/MoveUp Matching School Ads
Dental Hygienist Salaries by Area
Dental Hygienists in the state of Florida are reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to have earned an average annual salary of $62,990 in 2016, which is equivalent to $30.28 per hour.
| Area | Total Employed | Mean Hourly Wage | Mean Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 330 | $35.01 | $72,810 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | 200 | $30.74 | $63,930 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | 270 | $30.09 | $62,590 |
| Gainesville, FL | 230 | $29.10 | $60,530 |
| Homosassa Springs, FL | ** | $27.06 | $56,280 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 1,020 | $29.27 | $60,880 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | 200 | $32.96 | $68,560 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 3,260 | $27.95 | $58,140 |
| Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL | 280 | $33.52 | $69,710 |
| North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL | 480 | $30.73 | $63,930 |
| Ocala, FL | 160 | $29.07 | $60,460 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 1,280 | $32.44 | $67,470 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | 290 | $32.78 | $68,170 |
| Panama City, FL | 160 | $29.76 | $61,900 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | 290 | $27.93 | $58,100 |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | 200 | $31.40 | $65,300 |
| Punta Gorda, FL | 110 | $31.97 | $66,510 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL | ** | $30.14 | $62,690 |
| Sebring, FL | 50 | $29.90 | $62,180 |
| Tallahassee, FL | 150 | $26.20 | $54,500 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 1,640 | $32.54 | $67,680 |
| The Villages, FL | 70 | $31.22 | $64,940 |
1) Miami Dade College, Miami
Miami Dade College is one of the leading dental hygiene schools in the state. It trains students to be job ready with the required skills and knowledge, by combining didactic and lab sessions, with extensive clinical learning at a fully-equipped dental clinic.
The college offers an associate degree in dental hygiene that can be completed in about two years. The program is offered at the college’s Medical Campus and requires completion of 88 credits, including general education and dental hygiene courses. It starts in August each year and classes are offered full-time, during the day. General education courses that are also offered online preferably should be completed before starting the dental hygiene coursework.
The dental hygiene curriculum includes courses in dental anatomy, preventive dentistry, dental radiology, periodontology, community dental health, dental materials, and dental practice management and leadership.
2) Santa Fe College, Gainesville
Santa Fe College’s rich learning environment is complemented by a dedicated faculty, individualized attention and hands-on learning experiences at the college’s dental clinic. Additionally, clinical rotations at the University of Florida’s College of Dentistry and dental offices in Alachua further hone professional skills and knowledge.
The college offers an associate degree for dental hygiene aspirants.
To earn your degree, you will complete a rigorous curriculum that requires 35 to 37 class hours each week. You will be trained to work as a dental hygienist in a variety of work settings such as dental clinics, educational institutions, research laboratories, and public health. The coursework is broad and includes anatomic, biological, dental science and clinical courses. Upon completion of this program, you will be eligible to take the administration of local anesthesia certification exam along with the national and state licensure exams.
3) Eastern Florida State College, Cocoa
Eastern Florida State College is a dental hygiene school in Florida that strives to give back to the community by providing an effective platform, where dental hygiene students learn and serve the community through annual public dental service events and a fully functional dental clinic.
This dental hygiene program at EFSC is an associate degree that can be completed in two years of full-time study. The coursework is a blend of general education, science, and dental hygiene courses. The college recommends completing general education and science courses before starting the dental hygiene coursework. With only 12 students being selected each year, you can up your odds of admission, by completing the pre-requisite courses in nutrition, microbiology, anatomy, physiology and an introduction to healthcare with a minimum grade “C.”
4) St Petersburg College, Clearwater
For more than 50 years, St Petersburg College has trained dental hygiene students to excel in this job position. Graduates are known to have performed exceedingly well on the state and national licensure exams.
St Petersburg College offers an associate and bachelor’s in dental hygiene. While the associate allows even those without a dental background to enter, the bachelor’s requires you to be a licensed dental hygienist.
Dental Hygiene Associate in Science Degree: This two-year program serves as an academic pathway for an advanced degree in dental hygiene. The program is offered in a cohort format with sequential coursework. The 58 credits dental hygiene curriculum includes courses in oral histology, dental radiography, preventive dentistry, dental materials, dental pharmacology, community dental health, periodontics and clinical training. Additionally, if you qualify, you can even enjoy a clinical learning experience in Jamaica.
Dental Hygiene B.A.S. Degree: All the courses in this program are offered completely online. It expands on the knowledge you have gained in your associate and greatly widens career prospects in research, education, management, and sales.
5) Broward College, Fort Lauderdale
Broward College facilitates quality dental hygiene education with its student-friendly services such as a Career Center, financial aid and scholarships that go hand in hand with a job ready curriculum.
This dental hygiene course in FL is offered in a unique format where you complete one year of study in dental assisting, followed by another year in dental hygiene. Each year, in August approximately 16 students are admitted into the dental hygiene cohort. Dental Pharmacology, pain control, dental anesthesia, oral histology, and periodontology are some of the courses you will complete as part of your dental hygiene curriculum.
The advantage this program offers is that after the completion of your first year in dental assisting you can apply for internships and give your career quite a boost. You have up to three years to enroll for the dental hygiene program after you complete your dental assisting education. Some students go on to work during this period and gain valuable work experience while also earning to pay for their second year of study in dental hygiene.
6) Valencia College, Orlando
Valencia College has been offering a dental hygiene program since 1977, and its many graduates are successfully working across the country as clinicians, faculty and public health hygienists. With a fully functional dental clinic on-campus, students get an opportunity sharpen their professional skills before they join the workforce.
You can enter the dental field with this associate in dental hygiene that takes two years to complete. The program starts in summer each year and spans six semesters. This intensive curriculum includes courses in general education, dental science, and dental hygiene and well educates you to competently work in entry-level positions as a dental hygienist. You must complete all these courses with a minimum grade “C” to progress through the program. You will learn effective patient communication, evidence-based decision making and promotion of oral health in patients. Additionally, the college offers a Bachelor of Applied Science in Business and Organizational Leadership that greatly enhance your career prospects. It prepares you for management and supervisory positions in the dental hygiene field.
7) Gulf Coast State College, Panama City
Located in a picturesque location, close the beautiful beaches of the Gulf of Mexico, Gulf Coast State College has been providing dental hygiene training since 1996. The college is well-equipped with the latest facilities and its state-of-the-art dental clinic further adds to the learning curve of its students.
This two-year associate degree in dental hygiene offered by the college prepares you for the state and national licensure exams, and helps you become a vital member of a dental team. The college is highly selective in its admission policy and admits only 16 students each year for this rigorous full-time program. The 88-credit coursework incorporates courses in biological and behavioral sciences with dental and dental hygiene sciences to give you a well-rounded education. The clinical component requires you to practice professional skills, mutually on other members of the cohort. Upon graduation, you will be able to work in an array of work settings, including, dental clinics, dental schools, research, insurance, dental supply companies, and public health departments
8) Florida State College, Jacksonville
Florida State College’s excellent dental hygiene training supported by a dedicated faculty has led to students passing the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination with outstanding pass rates.
To become a dental hygienist in FL you can consider this two-year associate that starts once a year in the fall semester. The coursework comprises of 16 credits in general education courses, 12 credits in sciences and 60 credits in the dental hygiene coursework. To graduate you must complete all these courses with a minimum grade of “C,” after which you will acquire the knowledge and skills required to offer clinical and therapeutic dental services to patients to improve their oral health. The courses are offered in a sequence and include oral anatomy, oral histology, preventive dentistry, introduction to clinical procedures, dental radiology, periodontics, dental materials, community oral health, and ethics and laws relevant to your dental practice.
9) Tallahassee Community College, Tallahassee
Tallahassee Community College is a prominent community college that serves dental hygiene aspirants from the counties of Leon, Gadsden, and Wakulla.
The dental hygiene program offered by TCC is an associate degree that can be completed in six semesters, provided you complete 15 credit hours each term. To be eligible for the program you need to have a minimum grade “C” in all the pre-requisite courses. Offered in fall, this program admits only a limited number of students each year. To complete its broad curriculum, you will go through face-to-face didactic sessions, lab experiences and clinical rotations. Upon graduation, you will enhance your clinical reasoning and communication skills and be proficient in performing all the functions required of a dental hygienist working in entry-level positions.
10) Hillsborough Community College, Tampa
At its oldest and largest campus in Dale Mabry, Hillsborough Community College provides an environment that is well-equipped with state-of-the-art facilities such as labs and a dental clinic where dental hygiene students are mentored under an able faculty.
The dental hygiene program offered in fall is an associate that takes five consecutive semesters to complete. If you complete the general education coursework before starting the dental hygiene courses, then a commitment of 35 to 40 hours each week will suffice to complete the dental hygiene coursework. You will learn to perform scaling, cleaning, plaque removal, root planning, application of dental sealants, dental radiography and educating patients about oral hygiene.
11) Palm Beach State College, Lake Worth
Palm Beach State College offers a dental hygiene program in FL that is affordable and of high quality. Small sized classes, an excellent faculty, and a well-equipped dental clinic make it a rather enriching place to pursue a career in the allied dental field. The college’s transfer agreements with several other institutions make a transfer into a four-year college a hassle-free process.
The program is an associate that can be completed in just 21 months of full-time study. Beginning in fall, you must complete a total of 88 credits that comprise 18 in natural science courses, 18 in general education courses and 52 in dental hygiene courses. Upon completion of this program, you will be eligible to take the national and state licensure exams. For those aspiring broader career avenues, you can transfer credits towards a Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management.
12) Indian River State College, Fort Pierce
Indian River State College provides employment ready dental hygiene training with an affordable tuition cost. Student support services, financial aid, personalized attention, and an experienced faculty make this educational experience a rather smoother one.
By completing this two-year associate degree in dental hygiene, you will develop vital skills required for this career such as interpersonal skills, communication, critical thinking, organizational skills and a lifelong commitment to learning. Students go through practice experiences at the college’s dental clinic where they provide dental care to a diverse population under the supervision of faculty. The curriculum provides a solid grounding by integrating anatomy, physiology, chemistry, microbiology, immunology, general pathology, nutrition and pharmacology along with dental hygiene courses.
Well-known Schools
According to the US Department of Education, 19 colleges currently offer Dental Hygiene programs. (Stanford-Brown are in the process of closing their centers). Of these, 15 are public state, community or technical colleges. The average cost of studying dental hygiene at one of these public institutions is around $6,500 per year, according to the DoE’s Net Price calculations. You can find reviews of all colleges at sites such as CollegeTimes.co and SchoolsReview.com.
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