Aspiring to become a dental hygienist but can’t figure out where to begin? Well, you may have just bumped into the solution you have been looking for: the Dental Hygiene Program at Concorde College-Garden Grove. When researching the dental hygiene schools in California, there’s something that typically stands out: A LOT of prerequisites before you’re allowed to even apply to the program.
With the Concorde Career College dental hygiene program, your dream of becoming a professional and joining the specialty of your dreams is only 70 weeks away. There are Pros and Cons to private dental hygiene programs, which we’ll go over shortly. But first, some basic information about the program at Concorde’s Garden Grove campus.
If you ultimate goal of enrolling for a dental hygienist program is to have the proper training, skills, and licensure to begin a great career, you need to find a California college that is dedicated to helping you achieve your goal. Concorde Career College in Garden Grove offers just that: knowledge and practical skills that translate into a great paying career in a field that continues to grow.
For just about everyone I meet who’s interested in a career in dental hygiene, the question of cost of the program comes up. And it should. A serious financial commitment on the part of the student is necessary, whether you’re applying at one of the California Community College programs, or one of the private colleges such as Concorde Career College. The Financial Aid office at ANY school you’re considering should have a robust amount of information available to best assist you in finding a way to finance your education.
Concorde Career College in Garden Grove is able to provide you with the resources you’ll need to access financial assistance, whether it’s in the form of scholarships, grants, and/or college loans. The sticker price on all of the private dental hygiene schools in California is higher than their Community College counterparts. More than 90% of students attending Concorde Career College receive some type of financial aid.
As the names suggests, yes. A dental hygienist has advanced training that allows them to performing oral cleanings and educating patients on how to go about maintain dental health. Their title is RDH(Registered Dental Hygienist). They have, at the very least, an Associate’s degree. Many have a Bachelor’s degree. A dental assistant offers administrative, clinical and subordinate assistance in the dental clinics through file management, scheduling of patient appointments, sterilizing dentistry equipment and other responsibilities that may be required of them. An RDA(Registered Dental Assistant) usually completes an RDA program that lasts anywhere from 8 months to 1 year.
Typically, an accredited dental hygiene program in California runs through two to four years, but that’s not the case with Concorde Career College. The institution offers its course at a condensed span of 70 weeks which is approximately 17 months.
According to the latest statistics as published in BLS.gov, the dental hygiene job field is projected to grow by a staggering 33 percent by 2022. A couple of reason for this are a rapidly aging population, and the public’s increased awareness of the importance of proper oral health.
Besides becoming part of a field that specializes on a very critical aspect of the general population, you will also be crafting yourself for a job market that critically needs your expertise. The increase in demand for dental hygienists is constantly increasing.
Concorde includes hands-on practical sessions in real-world labs as a core aspect of the whole curriculum.
Concorde tones your dental hygiene degree with a number of other sub-courses that have conventionally been considered prerequisites of all clinical-related programs. The typical prerequisites you see at the California Community College dental hygiene program are taken while actually IN Concorde’s Garden Grove program. So yes, you’ll still be taking your Microbiology, Chemistry, A & P, and other general and science classes. The difference is, at Concorde you’ll be taking them while in the program. So, as opposed the the Cerritos College dental hygiene program where you have to complete your prerequisites before even being able to apply, you can apply to Concorde before you've done the prerequisites!
For some of the science courses, the student will have to maintain at least a “C” average. These courses are: Chemistry, Microbiology, and Anatomy & Physiology.
The whole 70-week program comes to a total of $67,420 which can be broken down as follows:
Comparing with what the California public colleges out there charge for the same degree, this is quite a bit higher But when you calculate in how quickly you can get into the job market, this additional exense is worth it for many students.
The college is fully certified to offer the dental hygiene program by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). The course is considered completed once the student takes and passes the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE).
Concorde Career College Dental Hygiene Program 657-667-2904 12951 Euclid St Garden Grove, CA 92840
Apart from a dental office, there is quite a number of other places where your skills as a dental hygienist can apply. You can for instance perform clinical trials in a research center or just in any department in a manufacturing, selling and/or marketing company dealing with dental tools. Also, your skills can come in handy in another institution like Concorde College where you can become a tutor or a lab assistant. In a nutshell, there are lots of establishments out there that will happily welcome you and your dental hygiene degree into their workforce with the very first application.
In California, it’s not unusual for dental hygienists to work at several different offices. Some dentist offices may only need the services of an RDH a couple of days a week. I know several dental hygienists who work 2 days at one dentist’s office, 1 day at another office, and a 4th day at yet another dental office. This can be either good or bad, depending upon your needs as a dental hygienist. It can be hard to find employment with benefits. On the plus side, RDH’s have a wide variety of experiences, and are able to network with other dental professionals.
According to the U.S. News and World Report, the dental hygienist has the seventh best job in the healthcare sector. The dental hygienist salary is expected to continually rise as the population continues to age. This, coupled with an increased awareness of the importance of proper dental care helps ensure the career of a dental hygienist will remain in demand, valuable, and financially rewarding.