Study and train in North Carolina for a career in dental hygiene.
Students interested in the field of dental hygiene may appreciate knowing that employment in the profession is expected to grow 36 percent through the year 2018, according to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dental hygienists may find work in dentists' offices, walk-in clinics and emergency rooms. To become a dental hygienist requires specialized training and education. Throughout North Carolina, students may earn short-term, associate degrees and bachelor's degrees in the field of dental hygiene.
University of North Carolina
The University of North Carolina School of Dentistry offers two options for programs in dental hygiene: a bachelor's degree and a certificate. The certificate is a two-year program, with coursework including preclinical dental hygiene, periodontology, clinical dental hygiene, oral microbiology, special care in dentistry, histology and dental radiology. The bachelor's degree is also two years, but requires completion of two years of general electives first, either at the school or an applicable transfer university. Coursework includes dental anatomy, dental materials, community dental health, radiographc interpretation and special care in dentistry. Applicants to either program must undergo two tuberculosis skin tests and three hepatitis B immunizations.
University of North Carolina
School of Dentistry
Manning Drive & Columbia Street
CB #7450
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7450
919-966-1161
dent.unc.edu
Wake Technical Community College
Earn an associate degree in dental hygiene in 2.5 years at Wake Technical Community College, with courses including dental pharmacology, general and oral pathology, orofacial anatomy, general microbiology, dental office emergencies, nutrition and dental health, dental hygiene theory and community dental health. All students will participate in both classroom lectures and laboratory experience, plus perform real-world procedures at the Wake County Human Services Dental Clinic. Only 24 students are accepted per year to the program; applicants must submit to a criminal background check.
Wake Technical Community College
Department of Dental Hygiene
2901 Holston Lane
Raleigh, NC 27610
919-747-0126
dentalhygiene.waketech.edu
Halifax Community College
Halifax Community College offers a two-year associate degree in dental hygiene, with classes such as materials and procedures, dental hygiene theory, infection/hazard control, dental radiography, dental hygiene clinic and periodontology. Students will have the opportunity to gain real-world experience by working in the Halifax Community College Dental Hygiene Clinic, open to members of the public who receive discounted treatments such as cleanings, scalings, occlusal films, bitewing x-rays and sealants. Applicants must provide proof of having observed dental office procedures and performed dental assisting work.
Halifax Community College
200 College Drive
P.O. Drawer 809
Weldon, NC 27890
252-536-7219
halifaxcc.edu/
Tags: Community College, North Carolina, dental hygiene, dental hygiene, Halifax Community, Halifax Community College, dental health
