Health careers are booming nowadays, even recession-proof during these times of crisis. Health careers are stable and respected jobs, and dentists are no different. If you wanted a sure bright future and stable income, then becoming a dental hygienist or dentist is one of the best careers out there for you—and you can only be a dental hygienist if you get your schooling from accredited dental hygiene schools around the United States of America.

The dental hygienist’s job is to ensure the health and hygiene of their patient’s teeth and gums. This can be done through regular check up, using many procedures and teaching the patients how to better take care of their teeth and gums against disease.

What does a dental hygienist typically do? Some of the hygienist’s usual procedures include:

* Diagnosing any dental health problems through x-ray. If problems are found, they can refer patients to other dentists for further treatment.
* Cleaning the plaque, tartar, stains and residue build up on the teeth through rotary & ultrasonic devices.
* Applying anti-cavity treatments like fluoride and sealants
* Educating their patients properly on dental health care and hygiene through models, charts and pictures.

According to United States’ Bureau of Labor Statistics, the dental hygienist career will grow to 36% in the next eight years. A hygienist practicing in the US earns an average of US $66,570 a year in 2008, and is expected to increase steadily over the years. Some are members of dental offices, hospitals, and clinics, while others have their own practices. Moreover, the dental work mostly has part time or flexible schedule basis.

What are the educational requirements to become a dental hygienist? Of course, a respected profession like this requires a medical degree from any accredited dental hygiene schools in the US. Some states, such as Florida and others, also allow foreign trained dentists, making it an appeal career option for many foreigners.

Training will take around two years to complete, and it requires one to submit a high school diploma and must have passed the college entrance test score. As of this year, there are 313 accredited dental hygiene schools in the United States. They train students with the necessary health science subjects such as microbiology, nutrition, anatomy and chemistry; as well as dental health related subjects like periodontology, dental radiology, clinical dental hygiene, etc.

After completion of the course you are required to take a written exam by the Nadional Dental Exams of the American Dental Association. If you are considering this career path, here are some of the accredited dental hygiene schools in California:

* Cabrillo College, Carrington College, Concorde College, Cerritos College, Chabot College, Cypress College, Diablo Volley College, Fresno City College, Foothill College, Loma Linda University, Oxnard College, Pasadena City College, Riverside Community College, San Joaquin Valley College, Sacramento City College, Santa Rosa Junior College, Southwestern College, Shasta College, Taft College, University of Southern California, University of the Pacific, West Los Angeles College and West Coast University.