If you have committed to becoming a dental hygienist, you are now ready to investigate the programs designed to prepare you as a professional. For many people, work and family considerations make a part time program not only more convenient but also more realistic. If you want to attend dental hygiene school part time, you still need to make certain that you are attending an accredited program or else you will not be able to obtain your license.
Part time does not mean forever
Most dental hygiene programs and schools do offer some kind of part time program. Some do not, but these are pretty rare. However, that said, a part time dental hygiene program is still pretty intensive – usually extending the program length from two years to three years. There are almost no dental hygiene programs that allow you to take part time courses indefinitely and at your endless convenience – there is a timeframe and you are expected to keep it. If you do have extenuating circumstances and reason for taking longer, talk to someone in the program. There are some dental hygiene programs that will design a specific program for an individual based on unique needs.
Didactic and Clinical Programs
Any dental hygiene program is broken down into two essential parts. The first part that is completed is called the didactic part. This is where you will take all of your instructive, classroom courses. These are the courses that will look and feel like traditional education. The second part of your program, however, is your clinical/practical part. Here you will be working with actual patients in actual care environments.
Most part time dental hygiene programs only offer the first part of the program part time. In other words, you may take more time to complete the instruction portion of your training, but for the practical portion, you still must attend “full time.”
Is it worth it?
In the end, there are many people who feel that it is not actually worth is to complete a dental hygiene program part time. It tends to cost more because you are lengthening your course of study, and in truth, it is not much faster. The really time intensive, life-interrupting portion of a dental hygiene program, you can’t really take part time anyway.
Attending a dental hygiene program still may be the best route for you for a number of reasons both personal and practical. If it is, look at the American Dental Association website or the American Dental Hygienists’ Association website to find a part time program near you that is accredited. There are many wonderful programs available and no matter what course you take, the path of a dental hygienist is a rewarding one and well worth the time – full or part time.
