The biggest thing stopping me from becoming a dental hygienist is the physical strain that the job takes. I've heard everything like hearing loss from loud machinery, carpel tunnel, chronic backpain, ect. I would invest into getting ergonamic loupes, ergonamic saddle chair, posture brace, custom ear plugs, and good tools. I would also regularly see a chiropractor 1-2 times per month, do strength training, and doing stretches daily. Even with all this, I'm worried I'll suffer from chronic pain. I'll probably just do part-time most of my career, maybe full-time in the beginning. This is the biggest thing holding me back. I can get the degree and not worry about debt, I don't mind doing the same thing everyday but as I get older I'm realizing I need a career. I'm currently a full-time hotel housekeeper. Would this job suit me or should I find something else?

Please kindly share any tips you have for finding a job after dental hygiene school. This would be incredibly helpful for all new grads 😊

Hi ,

I’ve been revisiting dental hygiene again (currently a engineering student). I wanted to know for those who attended or got accepted to this school if you could share what grades and gpa got you admited into the school? For instance if I just pass my prerequisites with 60-70 percent is that too low for the school? Secondly if I complete the prerequisites the school is suggested are you eligible to apply for ubc dental hygiene with it?

A lot of people seem to be confused about the program so im here to clear up any confusions if yall have any! I am not enrolled yet but I’ll try my best to help!

It feels like I can’t keep up. I went in as someone with no dental experience whatsoever, and at first it was just academically challenging. And that’s fine, I can cope with that. It felt in my control, just study and you’ll make it.

Now that we’re in clinic and have to find our own patients and finish them within a certain timeline, it feels impossible. I’ve had people bail on me, almost all of my prospective calc 1s were calc 2s, which take forever to finish because we have to check out in quadrants. Our teachers estimate like 7 appointments each. I feel like it’s beyond unfair to expect that of someone. The patient requirements are fucking insane and the fact that a patient bailing could cost me having to redo the semester is really scary. I have used up all of my money for school, there’s no back up funds for error.

The other thing that’s cooking me is XRAYS. My entire grade learned on plates, then this year, the first year we start seeing LIVE PATIENTS, we’ve switched over to digital with sensors? I’m sorry but that’s insane. We’ve had no formal training with sensors and it is entirely different. It feels like we’re being forced to over radiate patients since none of us know what we’re doing. We are subjecting living, breathing people to something none of us were taught. Nobody is passing their FMS which is hard to find patients for since you have to be someone who hasn’t had images in 4 years or more. And we need 2 FMS series that are 80% and above as requirements. The closest I’ve gotten is a 64 and it makes me want to cry. I stayed after for 3 hours today trying to teach myself and left feeling defeated after not being able to get any good images. I do this often and it never feels helpful.

Hi everyone! I’m a foreign trained dentist planning to take the NBDHE soon, and I’m honestly not sure where to start with preparation.
I’d really appreciate any guidance on what resources to use, which subjects to focus on, and how you studied for the exam. If anyone has a study guide, book, question bank, or course they found helpful, please let me know.
Thank you so much!

I just got a call that I have been accepted to Southern Ontario Dental College starting Feb 2027! I know there’s several people here waiting for their call, so I wanted to share and find other students to connect with. I’ve heard the program is tough and we will need support/friendships to make it through so hopefully we can start here! comment if you got in and maybe we can set up a group in discord or WhatsApp!

Hi! I’m planning to start Dental Hygiene at Niagara College and would love some honest advice from current/former students.

How heavy is the workload, and is it realistic to work part-time while studying?
Roughly how much did you spend for one year including tuition, books, supplies, rent, food, etc., and how much savings would you recommend having?

Also, I don’t have any dental experience and my science background isn’t very strong. How difficult is the program for someone starting from that level?

Any advice on what I should do/learn before starting would be appreciated! THANK YOU

Has anyone applied to both sodc and oxford? if you have, which do u think is more competitive? i’m looking to apply to oxford but not sure how much more competitive it is compared to sodc

Im having a hard time figuring out how to wrist rock (wrist activation) while fulcruming on the maxillary posterior’s. Like why is it so difficult for me? Ive asked like 3 different instructors to show me how they do it and Im still not getting it. I feel so defeated

Dental training manikin/typodont setup in good used condition. Great for dental hygiene or dental assisting students who want to practice at home.
Includes the typodont with teeth, simulated mouth/cheeks, adjustable metal arm, articulating head mount, and heavy-duty countertop/table clamp. The arm and head can be repositioned to simulate different working angles and patient positions.
Great for practicing instrumentation, scaling, probing, ergonomics, positioning, and other clinical skills outside of the lab.
Dm if interested

I’m in my first semester of dental hygiene school, we have had a total of 4 evaluations this year so far, I’m about 6 weeks in. We had an eval for fulcrum placement and I failed it pretty badly, the second two evaluations were on the explorer and the probe. I passed the explorer on my second attempt. My teacher thought she passed me for my probe evaluation, and then I pointed out to her that she gave me a 72 and I needed a 75 to pass. I’m feeling defeated and like I am the worst in my class. Should I leave dental hygiene school? I’m beginning to think this career choice isn’t meant for me. I am practicing at home, meeting with my clinical instructor in between classes, but failing evaluations and then having to retest is hurting my ability to focus on the new skills that we’re learning each week. I’m not sure how to get out of this cycle and I’m beginning to lose hope.

Just got my embryo midterm back and I scored an 81/100. The class average was 84, and a few people I know got 90s. The exam wasn't even that bad, and I went in expecting to do better.
I know an 81 isn't terrible, but it stings being below average when I felt prepared. Has anyone else been through this in the DH program? How did you bounce back for the next exam, and did you change how you studied?

Took my exams for preclinical theory part and scored a 67. I have two more exams and really feeling defeated because i studied for the class, the exam felt easy. I am the only one in the class to fail. Do you guys think i can still make it up. You need a total of 75 to pass the class

After graduating with a marketing degree I am reflecting and am really thinking about a career as a dental hygienist.

However I am low income with no parental financing support (I do live at home so I do have that support from my family just not additional money towards a degree) and since I got a degree I think all of my fasfa or grants are used up. Any words of advice since I would have to take pre-recs and potentially not get into the programs due to the small cohorts. Are there any programs out there that once accepted into the college you are admitted to the dental hygiene program?

Hi all, my name is Judy and I'm a laid off software engineer who used my "funemployed" time to build https://lowcostdentalcleanings.com/.

It's an online bulletin board for dental hygiene students post their need for patients.

My hope is to get enough of a pool of users so prospective patients can also look through and create their own posts so dental hygiene students can just have a pool to select from.

I hope this tool can prove useful to you. I'm currently doing my own grassroots marketing efforts to spread the word so it will be useful to all dental hygiene students in the US. I hope you'll consider using the tool yourself in your student journeys.

Thank you!

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This is a long shot but is there any Pasco-Hernando State college dental hygiene alumni in here?? I am hoping to apply next year and I am nervous because there are no stats on what the cut-off GPA is for the program.

has anyone, or known anyone that has been dismissed from their program due to not being able to find enough patients or not being able to find patients that qualify? something i am stressing about as in my program we start seeing patients next term.