By earning an associate's degree in our dental hygiene program, you'll be ready to enter the work force immediately upon graduating from Iowa Western. However, the credits you earn at Iowa Western can be transferred to another institution and applied toward a bachelor's degree in a related area of study. There is a strong demand for trained dental hygienists, due in part to the large number of middle-aged and elderly people who have retained their natural teeth. As dentists' workloads increase, they are expected to hire more hygienists to perform preventative dental care, freeing themselves to devote more time to other dental procedures. Private dental offices employ most dental hygienists, with many hygienists working part-time.
Flexible scheduling is a distinctive feature of the job.
Earnings for dental hygienists are affected by several factors, such as geographic location, education and experience.