Online Dental Degree Programs and Courses

Skilled Dental Professionals Land Great Careers

If you’re like me you might have thought the only option for dental degrees was the Doctor of Dental Science or DDS. Unfortunately you won’t find an online DDS program, but the dental field is an amalgam of other specialties that do, in fact, provide distance-learning options. Earn a degree in an online Dental Hygiene program or get the professional training necessary to launch yourself instantly into a dental office management position.

Dental Degrees Online

My article, Vocational, Professional & Technical School Programs supports the growing body of evidence that suggests professional careers are growing rapidly. The dental field offers students and professionals a number of very specialized career opportunities that fall into this category. These positions typically require concentrated career training that is perfectly suited to an online or distance learning environment.

Associates Degree in Dental Hygiene

Professional dental assistants, students and career changers are all attracted to these well-paying jobs. Now it’s easier than ever to earn a degree through online coursework. An associates degree in Dental Hygiene is a two-year program. Students engage in curriculum that includes anesthesia, patient privacy, anatomy, dental hygiene theory, oral diseases, and courses such as sociology that provide a human factor.

Online Associates in DH programs are not nearly as prevalent as are the degree completion programs for the Bachelor of Science. I’m not an expert in dental programs, but it seems as though the biggest reason is that the Associates program is technically heavy and therefore completely unwieldy in an online environment. However, for two-year Dental Hygienists that wish to upgrade to a BS degree, many programs offer an online AS to BS program.

Bachelors Degree in Dental Hygiene, or AS-to-BS Degree

Practicing dental hygienists with a two-year Associates degree may undertake an online Bachelor of Science program that provides the last two years of a four-year degree. Such programs are often known as degree completion and are popular in this sector of the industry. Working professionals pursue the program at their own pace and on their own time. In most cases students must be available for a certain number of clinical hours for advanced technical courses. Overall the BSDH curriculum includes a selection of liberal arts courses that round out what is traditionally a component of any Bachelors degree. Additional advanced coursework includes research and theory of the field.

Dental Office Management

Dental Assistant programs and Dental Office Management Programs, as they are fast becoming known, package a career-oriented suite of courses that train students and professionals to properly and efficiently manage the typical dentist office. From phone etiquette, to complex computerized scheduling and financial management to patient privacy and health record keeping, the aspiring dental professional will discover a fast growing arrangement of courses, standalone or as part of a comprehensive certificate program.

If you are scoping around for a well-paying professional career with good hours and benefits, explore the dental field.