Set your heart for a career in dental hygiene but do not know the right school yet? The Carrington College dental hygiene program in Sacramento may be the right school for you! Thier dental hygiene program can be completed in less than 2 years.
Carrington College is considered by many to be “the hub” of health care career education! Carrington College equips their students with quality education. More so, it promises to help their student change their life for the better with the education they receive. Carrington College is strategically located in eight western states; Phoenix, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oregon, Washington and Nevada. Currently, Carrington College has 18 campuses throughout out the aforementioned states. In California, the campuses are in Sacramento and San Jose.
Some might say that Carrington College is quite small compared to other colleges and universities. Well, this is true but there are many advantages of having a small school. For instance, Carrington College is involved with their students’ academic and financial status. They help their students find loans, scholarships, grants and other possible sources. Aside from this, you can easily talk to instructors in Carrington and since this is not a big college, rest assured that your instructor knows you not only by your name but also knows your potential and you as a person.
Rest assured that when you enter Carrington College, you will not only receive quality education, but you will also be prepared for the so called “real world”. The instructors at Carrington College Sacramento bring real world experience to the classroom and clinic. Carrington believes that hands-on education is the best way to learn. Constant training coupled with high-end technologies and other processes that are being used in your chosen career, such as dental hygiene, will also be used. Hence, your knowledge as well as your confidence will be boosted while learning it first-hand! In addition, Carrington College knows that some courses are tough, which is why they offer services like tutorial assistance and advising that will aid you in your college life. These services are accessible to all students. What more can you ask for? Additionally, Carrington College will help you connect with the health care community. Clinical rotations and externships will help you expand your networks to local medical professionals.
Carrington College offers associate degrees and certificate programs in dental hygiene, health care, wellness, legal, business and technical fields. Carrington also recognizes that not every student can commit to an onsite education. Their students may opt for a hybrid, combination of onsite and online or pure online education.
As we all know, no matter how great an institution is accreditation is still the most crucial and important factor that should be considered. It is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges or ACCJC, Western Association of Schools and Colleges. This said commission “accredits community colleges and other associate degree granting institutions in western region of U.S.”. (ACCJC, 2012). The said accrediting commission is authorized by the Department of Education with the higher education opportunity act of 2008.
Carrington College goes to great lengths to assist their students to achieve the highst possible potential while keeping their career goals in sight. The college strives for excellence and quality in everything it does and instil in its students the same aspirations.
After setting your eye for the school you want, comes the next important question. What course to take? There are many courses to choose from but if you want to provide dental services, then the associate’s degree in dental hygiene is a great option for you.
Dental hygienists deliver services such as cleaning teeth and examine patients for possible oral diseases like gingivitis. Dental hygienists also do preventive dental care. Sometimes, they also help or educate their clientele on how to maintain and improve their oral health.
Registered Dental Hygienists also take and develop dental x-rays, remove tartar, stains and plaque, assess patients’ oral health and report it to dentists, apply sealants and much more. Subsequently, dental hygienist used several types of tools to deliver their job. Dental hygienists utilize hand power and ultrasonic tools. They use air polishing devices (remove stains) and powered tool (polish teeth). Hygienists also use x-ray machines to check jaw and tooth problems.
Accordingly, most dental hygienists work in dental offices and a small percentage of them work in a physician’s office, outpatient clinics and schools. It is also said that most dentists hire dental hygienists to work for a specific days in a week. Hence, some hygienists may opt to work with more than one dentist. As reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual median salary of a dental hygienist in California is $72,330. This means that half of workers in this said occupation earned more than the average amount and half earned less. Consequently, some dental hygienist enjoy benefits (depends on employer) like paid vacation, sick leave and more.
Unlike other associate programs, a dental hygiene program typically takes three years to complete. A bachelor’s and master’s degree are also available in this field. The aforementioned degrees are a must if you want to be a researcher, teacher or do clinical practice in public and school health programs. Other dental hygiene schools in California, such as West Coast University dental hygiene program, offer Bachelor’s degrees.
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, students or anyone who wants to become a hygienist must be critical thinkers, compassionate, detail oriented, have proper dexterity and good with interpersonal communication. These aforementioned qualities are said to help the dental hygienist students at Carrington College Sacramento succeed in their chosen career.
On the other hand, it is important to note that dental hygienists are mandated by law to be licensed. Hence, choosing the right school is a must! Carrington College Sacramento offers a dental hygiene program that can be completed in less than 2 years. This program is available at Carrington College’s Sacramento campus. The dental hygiene program at Carrington College Sacramento is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. This is the commission that is recognized and authorized by the United States Department of Education. All dental hygiene schools in California are accredited by the CDA.
Carrington College graduates, specifically in Sacramento are awarded an Associate of Science degree in Dental Hygiene. Carrington’s dental hygiene program is calibrated to meet the expectations and needs of dentist’s offices, clinics and hospitals. More importantly, they prepare their students for the Dental Hygiene Board and state licencing exams.
Individuals who are interested in the dental hygiene program at Carrington College must first pass the college entrance exam. They also need to complete a dental hygiene observation, have health care provider CPR certification, verification of seminars attended, completed prerequisite courses with a minimum grade of C and a GPA of 2.75 or higher.
Before proceeding to dental hygiene courses, students must first finish their prerequisite subjects. These prerequisite subjects can be divided into general education and science. The courses that can be categorized in general education are speech or oral communication, introduction to sociology, English or writing and composition and general psychology. On the other hand, the courses under science are organic chemistry with laboratory, inorganic chemistry with laboratory, microbiology with laboratory, human anatomy with laboratory, physiology with laboratory and general Nutrition.
These prerequisites can be taken at the closest Caifornia Community College. As an example, students at the Cerritos College dental hygiene program are able to take their prerequisites at one of many schools. The prerequisites are also available at Carrington College Sacramento. These courses in general education are known as English Writing and Composition (ENG 101), Principles of Mathematics (MAT 101), College Algebra (MAT 151), Intermediate College Algebra (MAT 201), Principles of Nutition (NUT 200), Introduction to Psychology (PSY 101), Interpersonal Communication (SPH 205), Introduction to Sociology (SOC 101) and Computer Literacy (CLT 100). Subsequently, the courses in Science are Microbiology (BIO 104), Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 with lab (BIO 25), Human Anatomy and Physiology 2 with lab (BIO 26), Inorganic Chemistry with lab (CHEM 6) and Organic Chemistry with lab (CHEM 8).
The lecture hours for all these courses excluding laboratory is 705 hours. The laboratory hours are 150. The complete number of units for all needed prerequisites is 47.
Subsequently, students who are qualified for the degree are then selected through a point system based on the GPA of all the prerequisite courses, dental related experience and other supplemental education. Prospective students who are admitted to the Carrington College dental hygiene program in Sacramento are also required to submit a proof of immunization status for communicable diseases, proof of TB clearance, Physician clearance for working in dental hygiene.
According to Carrington College, the tuition for the dental hygien program is approximately $55,600. This amount covers the entire tuition fee for the program, given that the student finishes the program on time. The books and other supplies that are needed are roughly at $4,200. The tuition fee and other expenses should not discourage you from pursuing a career as a dental hygienist. There are financing options that are available to help you pay for this degree. As indicated in the previous section, you may opt for a scholarship, grants, loans and institutional financing plans. Accordingly the median debt of graduates in this program is $22,760 for federal loans and $14,219 for private education loans.
The other expenses are Registration fee ($100), Student-service fee ($75-$150), Technical fee ($80), Background Check and Drug Screening ($106-$331), Uniforms ($40), and other associated costs. With the starting salary of dental hygienists in California approaching $70,000, loans can be paid back quickly.
Upon entering Carrington College, students are encouraged to talk with a Student Finance representative before enrolling. This way, the student may know if he or she is eligible for financial assistance. It is also important to note that Carrington College can participate in Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Direct Student Loan, Federal Parental Loan for Undergraduate Students (FPLUS) and Federal Work Study Program.
High school graduates or graduating high school students can also avail the Carrington High School Scholarship. This scholarship awards $1,000 to eligible students. This amount can be applied towards the dental hygiene program tuition. Scholarship aspirants must meet the following criteria: complete Carrington admission requirement, high school transcript with a combined GPA of 2.0 or better, maintain a combined GPA of 2.0 or better, complete the scholarship application, a personal essay and two recommendation letters.
Carrington College Sacramento is also a participant of the Imagine America Scholarship Program. This scholarship awards $1,000 to eligible students.
Carrington College Dental Hygiene Program 916-585-7770 8909 Folsom Blvd Sacramento, CA 95826
There are many benefits of being a dental hygienist. Aside from great salary, roughly around $72,330 annually or $34.77 per hour, only an Associate’s degree is required. Since some dentists only require dental hygienist to work at certain days, their time is flexible. In addition, they can work with other dentists! It also offers personal satisfaction, especially if you enjoy working with people. Dental hygienists are respected and valued because of their skills.
Aside from this, dental hygienists are in demand. Meaning, you will have a secure job so long that you finish your degree. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics “employment of dental hygienists is projected to grow 19 per cent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations.” The BLS also posited that most of the elderly people of the baby boom population retain their original teeth. Hence, the need to maintain and treat their teeth is in demand and will drive the dental care.
A great dental hygienist salary, flexible time, valued work and personal satisfaction is waiting for you at the Carrington College dental hygiene program.