Dental hygiene has been around since the late 1800s, and is still evolving today, due to new technological advancements. Dental hygiene work began in the 1880s, when women given the title “dental nurses” were hired by a man named Alfred C. Fones, and began treating people's’ teeth in an attempt to prevent disease. It wasn’t soon after that other hirees began polishing and cleaning teeth, similar to the practice that is done today by hygienists. The typical job of a dental hygienist is to clean teeth, examine oral areas for disease, and take X-rays. Along with …show more content…
There are two options for dental hygiene, those being an associate’s degree, or a bachelor’s degree. Both require students to study at a higher institution that specializes in dental hygiene. Prior to this, students must take prerequisites in college that are needed before applying to a dental school. Once a degree is obtained, hygienists must also register in the state they intend to work in before beginning their career. An example of this schooling would be UNMC, specifically the dental hygiene program. Approximately two years of prerequisites are required before applicants can apply. If selected, students study at the dental school for two years minimum at a different location than where their pre-reqs were taken. A possible path is a student studying the first two years at UNL in Lincoln, NE, and then transferring over to the UNMC Dental Hygiene college at another part of the UNL campus. Tuition for the program only is around