Dental Assistant to Dental Hygienist
Use your chairside experience to enter a dental hygiene program and double your earning power.
Your path
Start in dental assisting, work chairside, and move into a dental hygiene degree. Hygienists clean teeth, take X-rays, screen for disease and earn roughly double what assistants do.
- Listed timeframe
- 2 years
- Programs to explore
- 334 RDH programs
- School locations
- See individual programs
Before you start
- 18 or older
- High school diploma or GED
- US citizen or eligible to work in the US
- Social Security number
- Criminal background check
- Drug screen
- Immunizations and TB test
- Physical exam
- CPR or BLS certification
- Entrance exam (TEAS or HESI)
- Prerequisite courses (anatomy and physiology, microbiology)
- Minimum GPA
More about this path
Requirements. Dental hygiene programs usually require anatomy and physiology, microbiology and chemistry with a minimum GPA.
Timeframe. 2 years is the timeframe listed for this path. Confirm the full timeline, including prerequisites and application waits, with your schools.
Locations. Programs are drawn from the credential directory. Check each school’s location, attendance, and residency requirements.
Annual pay by credential. Catalog averages for each credential, not one salary range.
- DA-associated roles: $45,000/year
- RDH-associated roles: $87,000/year
Tuition, admission requirements and total time vary by school. Completing this path does not guarantee admission.
Programs on this path
Compare programs and keep your application steps in one place.
Albany State University
Albany, Georgia
RDH Dental Hygiene
Allegany College of Maryland
Cumberland, Maryland
RDH Dental Hygiene
All-State Career School
Essington, Pennsylvania
RDH Dental Hygiene
Amarillo College
Amarillo, Texas
RDH Dental Hygiene
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
Asheville, North Carolina
RDH Dental Hygiene
Athens Technical College
Athens, Georgia
RDH Dental Hygiene
Atlanta Technical College
Atlanta, Georgia
RDH Dental Hygiene
Augusta University
Augusta, Georgia
RDH Dental Hygiene
Showing 8 of 334 programs
How this path works
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Compare RDH programs
Compare the connected programs and check prerequisites, costs and dates.
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Complete your DA training
Pick a provider and finish the program and credential steps.
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Meet entry requirements
Prepare the experience, exams, and prerequisites your chosen programs require.
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Apply
Gather your documents and check each program’s requirements before you apply.
Completing this path does not guarantee admission. Each program sets its own requirements.
Common questions
Do I need to be a dental assistant first?
No, but this path starts there. It gets you paid experience in a dental office, which hygiene programs value.
How long does the hygiene program take?
About two years for the associate degree, after the prerequisite courses.
What exams are at the end?
The National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and a state or regional clinical exam.
How competitive is it?
Hygiene programs are small and selective. Prerequisite grades and assisting experience matter.
Similar paths
Other routes students explore alongside this one.