Rewarding, engaging, and challenging hands-on classroom and clinical experiences make Oregon Tech’s Dental Hygiene graduates highly prepared, highly paid, and in-demand.

Oregon Tech Offers:

With built-in opportunities to constantly stretch yourself, learn and grow, the Dental Hygiene Degree Program at Oregon Tech has a strong history of service learning and innovative educational methods that prepare students as dental hygienists, or as a stepping stone for advanced dental practice.

Extensive hands-on dental clinic experience right on-campus and opportunities for off-campus rotations provide students with high impact learning and practice of dental hygiene skills. Students work alongside licensed dental professionals in state-of-the-art facilities. Students treat their own patients using the latest technology:  

  • Digital radiography
  • Laser cavity detection
  • Oral cancer screening using light fluorescence
  • Diode lasers for lesion disruption and periodontal therapy
  • Electronic health records

 

Active involvement in planning and managing community oral health programs — such as designing and implementing oral health promotion programs for under-served communities – prepare Oregon Tech students with three terms of valuable, real-world experiences.

Oregon Tech students earn enough clinical hours to be a licensed dental hygienist with an Expanded Practice Permit when they graduate. Students can take elective courses, or even a Business Minor to help them pursue a career in independent practice utilizing their Expanded Practice Permit.

Graduates are prepared for entry into the dental profession, eligible for state, regional and national exams leading to licensure as a registered dental hygienist, and/or an expanded practice dental hygienist in Oregon. All clinical board exams are hosted on site, so students do not have to travel to complete their required board exams.

Multiple campus sites to give you options - Oregon Tech offers its Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene in two locations; at the Klamath Falls Residential Campus (southern Oregon); and in Salem in collaboration with Chemeketa Community College (45 miles south of Portland). Both locations prepare the students for entry into the dental hygiene profession, and have the same curriculum requirements and application process.

Degree Completion for Licensed Professionals - For those who have completed a dental hygiene degree at the associate degree level, Oregon Tech's Online Campus offers a completion degree option for those who want to return to school to earn a bachelor's degree.

 

DH Faculty Advisors

Oregon Tech Students
 

Pre-Dental Hygiene students who are actively taking pre-requisite courses from Oregon Tech are assigned to faculty advisors. If you are an Oregon Tech student and need an advisor, please contact the Department Chair, Paula.Russell@oit.edu to be assigned. Be sure to include your student ID number.

View the list of Dental Hygiene academic advisors.

Transfer students
 

If you are only taking the required DHE 100 course online, or are taking pre-req's at another school in preparation for the Dental Hygiene application please contact the  Academic Advising and Retention Office for assistance.

 

 

Outstanding Return on Investment!

Well Paid, Highly Satisfying Work

Dental hygienists are well paid for their work. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2018:

  • Average salaries for dental hygienists in Oregon was $85,280.
  • Average salaries for dental hygienists in the Medford area was $87,230 and $86,800 in the Bend-Redmond area.
  • In Washington, dental hygienists earn an average of $90,690, in California $100,830, and in Idaho $74,430.

The top 25 percent of earners in Oregon in 2018 made annual salaries at or above $96,130, and the top 10 percent made annual salaries at or above $102,130.

Our Graduates Work For:

Willamette Dental Group
Precision Dental
Dental Professionals
Advantage Dental
Community Health Centers such as La Clinica; Salem Free Clinic; Klamath Open Door Clinic; Klamath Tribal Health
Many private practice dental offices
Salem
Heather Wilson
Student, Class of 2025
“I have learned that I am capable of more than I ever thought possible. Becoming a full-time college student in my 30s has been a challenge, and I have learned that it's never too late to change career paths and earn a meaningful education!”
86%
Employed
7%
Continuing Education
$66,500
Starting Graduate Salary