How to Become a Dental Hygienist in New Jersey

The New Jersey State Board of Dentistry licenses and regulates the field of dentistry and its related fields in the New Jersey. It issues licenses to a variety of professions under the umbrella of dentistry, including dental hygienists, residents and registered dental assistants. The Board also issues several registrations and certifications. The Board also issues several permits relating to dentistry, such as enteral sedation, general anesthesia, local anesthesia and parenteral conscious sedation.
However, before you can get to the licensing stage, you will have to meet a series of requirements, in terms of experience and education. Let’s take a look at the process to become a dentist in New Jersey.

To practice as a dentist in New Jersey, you will have to go through the following steps:

1. 1. Get a Bachelor’s Degree

This 4-year long degree is a precursor to the professional degree that follows. Nearly all colleges in New Jersey and beyond require candidates to have an undergraduate degree, though no specific major is required.

2. 2. Pass the Dental Admission Test (DAT)

This standardized test is used as a judgment measure by most medical colleges across the country. It is a multiple-choice exam meant to determine your aptitude in fundamental medical knowledge.

3. 3. Get a Dental Degree

This would be a four-year long intensive program, covering a wide variety of subjects relating to dentistry. Courses taught at this stage would include oral pathology, periodontics, orthodontics, radiology and pharmacology. The first two years would be classroom and lab-based studies, while the later two years would involve clinical experience in a healthcare facility.

 

4. 4. Obtain your Licensed

Once you have graduated from dental school, you will have to get a license before being authorized to practice in New Jersey. The first step would be to download and thoroughly review all the license application requirements. Applicants are advised to begin this process when they are nearing their graduation. You must graduate from a Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) recognized college. Once you graduate, sealed transcripts showing the completion of your degree must be mailed to the Board. You will also be required to submit your fingerprints and pass a criminal history background check. An application fee will be charged and should be sent with the application package.

5. 5. Consider a Specialization

Dentists have several specialization options to choose from. These would require additional education, experience and licensing. You can choose to become endodontists, periodontists, pediatric dentist and orthodontists etc.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, general Dentists in New Jersey made an annual mean income of $169,990. The amount of money earned would vary according to the specialization, number of years of experience and education attained.