The student must complete all the prerequisites with at least a “C” letter grade. Although some of the prerequisite courses can still be in progress at the time of application to the Foothill College dental hygiene program, all courses must be completed by the time the hygienist program begins. The administrators at the program highly recommend that ALL prerequisites be completed at the time of application. The Dental Hygiene and Healthcare Career Orientation courses are available online every quarter, and must be completed at Foothill College.
There is no waiting list for the dental hygiene program at Foothill College. It is a highly competitive program to get into, so the higher GPA, the better. An overall GPA of at least 2.5 and a GPA of 2.75 for the science prerequisites are required for consideration for the Foothill College dental hygiene program. The dental hygiene program begins in July, and applications are accepted from September through mid February for the upcoming program. The dental hygiene program at Foothill College in Los Altos accepts 24 students. The program is now a Bachelor’s degree, which began in 2016. The Foothill College dental hygiene program has been one of the highest rated programs since its inception.
The dental hygiene program at Foothill College in Los Altos is now a Bachelor’s degree. Fortunately, the tuition is still the same as it is at any other community college in California. The tuition, enrollment, and fees portion is approximated at $10,000. In addition, the “Dental Hygienist Student Kit” is approximately $5,000. Add to that uniforms, shoes, books, and other fees, the entire program is still under $20,000 for the entire degree.
Although it’s a large amount of money, there are always grants and scholarships available. Those financial assistance programs, together with enrollment waivers, can significantly reduce the costs to the student. Many students have taken classes at other colleges, and many of those courses will be accepted. So the tuition may be less than the full amount. As with the other dental hygiene schools in California, the program administrators keep the costs as low as possible.
Foothill College Dental Hygiene Program 12345 El Monte Rd Los Altos Hills, CA 94022 650-949-7777
Work as a dental hygienist is both rewarding, in-demand and potentially lucrative. Because dentistry is essential not only for good oral health but overall health, this healthcare sector remains strong, even in difficult economic times. Becoming a dental hygienist is a excellent way to enter the field of dentistry. It only requires two years of education and the pay is good.
So how much do dental hygienists make? The average dental hygienist salary is about $62,144 a year. This figure will depend on a variety of factors, amongst them how much experience a person has, their education and where they work. Dental hygienists who work on the coasts, East and West, tend to earn more than those in the Midwest, though this isn’t always true.
On the low end of the pay scale, a dental hygienist can expect to earn at least $20 an hour. On the high end, this amount jumps to about $43 per hour. That’s a pretty wide range. The reason why the pay, although still very good, can vary so much, is because the industry places high regard on experience. The more experience a person has in this profession the more they will be paid.
A dental hygienist who has been working in this field for at least 8 years can earn up to $100,000, that is, if he or she has proven to be an excellent hygienist. Conversely, someone just breaking into the field with minimum experience will be paid a salary commensurate to that amount of experience. A dental hygienist with 2 years or less experience will on average, earn around $40,000. Dental hygienists with between 5 and 7 years of experience earn around $60,000.
The states with the highest dental hygienist salaries are Washington, California, Nevada and Alaska. Alaska and California lead the way in salaries at up to $90,000 in annual pay. Washington is next ($87,000 per year) and Nevada trails them at $77,000 annual pay, amongst the states listed above. Hygienists that work at private practices tend to earn more then those that work in public health care facilities.
Dentistry is one of the bedrocks of this country’s medical sector. Work in this field is not only essential, it’s rewarding and it pays well. Again, the questions how much do dental hygienists make, will largely depend on the education level of the hygienist. On average, it is about $62,000 a year, but that figure can vary wildly depending on a person’s level of experience as well and the state in which they work.