Not a Dental Assistant, but a Dental Hygienist. I know Baylor has a 4 yr program, but I am looking for a 2 yr program. \n\nThanks!
130761
Here is a link foro Dental Hygienist Schools in your area! \n\n\nhttp://www.tsbde.state.tx.us/schoolsPrint.htm
498961
University of the pacific is one of the best. It is in Stockton, California. It is competitive to get in but with grades like that you should be fine. http://www.uop.edu/ is the website. You should check it out. Other than that UCLA is good for almost everything but extremely hard to get into. the CSUs are good also but some are better than others. You should look for a list ranking the best schools for dentistry or at least science. Besides that it is good to look for a school that is well rounded in case you find dentistry is not the thing for you. Also environment. If you want a college by the beach or not. University of the pacific is not by the beach i'll tell you right now. But it offers great training and has a clinic on campus to get hands on experience . Students and people in the community can go for teeth cleanings etc. for a nominal fee while students get the opportunity to learn from experience. i know I enjoyed the school and my friends in the dentistry program, while challenging felt that they were learning skills that would prepare them.
625516
You might want to check dental/assistance schools....some offer excellent discounts for dentist who are training or must preform a certain amount of such surgeries to become certified..my daughter is a hygienist and when her dentist began dental implants they offers 60-70% discount...so I imagine somewhere would offer gum graph surgery discount..good luck.
174067
Check your local area for a 'College of Dentistry and/or 'Dental Hygienists'. Schools are usually looking for patients for their students to practice on. The appointment time will last longer than a fully-trained Dentist, however there is usually little or no charge. The student will also be under the guidance of their instructor, so no, you won't be left with someone 'unqualified'. Good luck!
525418
Hello,\n\nWell there are different types of programs, and the shortest program is a combined BS and MD program.\nGraduating early may not be to your benifit if you are interested in this program.\nE-mail me at \nadmissioncounseling@yahoo.com\nif you have any questions, I am a college counselor with over 13 years of field experience
590167
I would recommend the following:\n1) Do a survey of some of the best dentists in the San Diego Area.\n2) Do a survey of some of the students currently enrolled in the program. \n\nBased on my personal experience, I've found both of the above to be pretty effective.  Professionals are well aware of the best programs because they tend to work with a lot of the programs' graduates and have a good take on how well they were taught in school.  And the students, who are 3 to 4 years into the programs (or close to graduation), are very aware of the pros and cons of their programs and what the competition in other schools are like.  Visit the schools, and get permission from the departments to sit in a couple of the advanced classes.  Before or after the class, talk to the students.  You'll be surprised at how candid they are.\n\nCriteria to determine in putting together your surveys are:\n-- Is the equipment that is used to teach in these schools the latest and greatest in technology? or is it something that was used 10 years ago?\n-- What are the credentials of the professors.  Have they been in academia for their entire professional career, or do they have experience as practitioners (the latter is VERY important, because that means what they teach is grounded in reality)\n-- Is the curriculum well-rounded? Meaning does it provide a good foundation of basic courses/knowledge, as well as courses focusing on specialized or advanced topics.\n-- Is there any assistance with helping you get placed in good jobs.\n-- Do you know where you want to work once you graduate or at least the type of working atomosphere you prefer?  If you do, find out which programs/schools these professionals got their training from.\n\nGood luck!
179211
Go to any Universities near your town.  Quite a few of them have students who do the work for not as much as a licensed dentist.  And they should always have a licensed dentist at their side observing the whole procedure to make sure they don't do anything incorrectly.
650782
Try your local Dental clinic,,they are really good,Also the University's have programs for students and it's based on income.
266693
A lot of universities will do it for little to no money. They take in people so their students can learn, using real patients. Not to worry the students are in advanced standing and always supervised. They usually do excellent work because they are enthusiastic and working toward a degree. Call the closest dental college and ask.
21081
Usually you can contact the local colleges..unless there is an actual dental school around you.  I live in Ohio, and we can go to OSU medical to the dentist.  I know a lot of people who do and say it's much cheaper!  Good luck!
118333
if you have a school of dentistry near your home, try going to them and see if they will allow a senior student to "practice" on you as a volunteer. That is what I do here in the US and so far I have not had much problems. they appear to know what they are doing.
25450
Medicaid will not pay for braces because they consider it cosmetic. Sad, I know. Other options are maybe finding a dental college that will do the work (under close supervision) for pretty low cost. The only other thing I know is to take out a loan. I've got two kids that are going to need braces in the next 1-2 years and I'm taking them to the nearest dental college. If you are old enough, you can help your mom out by getting a part-time job or baby-sitting and help pay for it. You'll get something you need, help relieve your Mom of some of the financial burden, and have a sense of accomplishment.
608016
Hands down, dental hygiene!!  I've been a dental hygienist for 18 years and have never regretted it.  The salary and benefits are great for a 2 year degree and you can choose your hours which is not as easy in nursing. I know many nurses just starting out have to work nights and holidays. That never happens with d. hygiene.  I work 4 days weekly now but have worked as little as 2 days when my son was small.  I've worked for the same dentist for 12 years--many of my patients are old friends now.  It is very gratifying to help patients maintain their dental health and spend time with them also.  Many patients share their personal lives and thoughts as well.  So you get to spend time with other adults and earn money as well.  When you have small children, I know how important that can be!!
178611
Hi,I have been a dental hygienist 20 years.Dental assistants duties they can perform by law vary state to state.In my state,Louisiana,a EDDA or expanded duty dental assistant can polish teeth,but cannot scale or remove calculus(tartar).Your best bet is to contact your state board of dentistry and find out what an expanded duty dental assistant can do.Most pediatric dental offices mainly employ EDDAS and not hygienists because most pediatric dental patients have little if any tartar and they just need a polish and fluoride treatment.EDDAs can also apply pit and fissure sealants,make temporary crowns,etc..The EDDA course is usuallly just a weekend course and well worth your time to take it if you plan on being an assistant.Since hygienists scale calculus,do deep scaling and root planing and in my state can administer local aneshtesia our pay scale is quite higher than an assistant,but you can work your way up the pay scale in assisting pretty quickly.Let me know if you have more questions.
203203
McIntosh Dental Centre- Henderson. We have an interest in Functional Orthodontics. As far as possible non-extration. \nGood Luck
470785
I say I hear your pain!!!\nI have worked in the dental field first as a dental assistant for many years then as a Hygienist. I have only worked in a few offices. The office I work now, the dentist comes in late, has the front desk many times move patients up then runs behind all day. Drives us NUTS. She want to get out early. I only work with her one day a week. Usually no lunch and makes her Hygiene patients wait many times for 30mins or more.\nLast man I worked for ran on time, rarely did we miss lunch-rarely-there is NO excuse for this happening over and over. Sometimes yes, all the time NO! Selfish.\nI don't have a cleaning lady, or someone to do my wash. Homework every night....I hear ya sister. BUT there are Dentists out there that don't do this...Where are you?? lol
484562
The first step is to find a school which has a dental hygiene program and overview their program requirements.  Class requirements vary by individual academic institutions, so it is difficult to answer your question.  \n\nMost schools, however, have on-line course overviews which you may view to figure out what prerequisites you will need in order to get into a dental hygiene program.  Most prerequisite classes are science based (chemistry, anatomy, physiology, statistics...).  Good luck on your educational endeavors!