What to Ask Dental Hygienist Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nNow that you have decided to become a dental hygienist in Santa Clara CA, you can start the process of comparing schools and programs. As we discussed at the start of this article, a number of potential students start by checking out the location and the cost of the schools. Perhaps they search for several online options as well. Even though these are significant initial points to consider, there are several additional questions that you should address to the colleges you are reviewing in order to make an informed decision. Toward that end, we have furnished a list of questions to help you with your due diligence and ultimate selection of the right dental hygienist program for you.<\/p>\n
Is the Dental School Accredited?<\/strong> There are many good reasons why you should only select an accredited dental hygienist school. If you are planning to become licensed or certified, then accreditation is a prerequisite in virtually all states. In order to take the National Board Dental Hygiene Exam, your dental college must be accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CDA). Accreditation also helps ensure that the instruction you get is of the highest quality and comprehensive. Santa Clara CA employers often desire or require that new hires are graduates of accredited programs. And last, if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, often they are not obtainable for non-accredited colleges.<\/p>\nIs Adequate Clinical Training Provided?<\/strong> Practical or clinical training is an essential part of any dental training program. This applies for the online college options also. Most dental hygienist colleges have relationships with local dental offices and clinics that provide practical training for their students. It’s not only important that the program you enroll in offers sufficient clinical hours but also provides them in the type of practice that you subsequently would like to work in. For example, if you are interested in a career in pediatric dentistry, check that the school you enroll in offers clinical rotation in a local Santa Clara CA dental practice that specializes in dental care for children.<\/p>\nAre Internships Available?<\/strong> Ask if the dental schools you are exploring sponsor internship programs. Internships are probably the best means to get hands-on, clinical experience in a real dental practice. They help students to transition from the theoretical to the practical. They can also help students build working relationships in the professional dental community. And they look good on resumes too.<\/p>\nIs Job Placement Help Provided?<\/strong> Most students that have graduated from dental hygienist schools need help landing their first job. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have job placement programs, and what their job placement rates are. Schools with higher job placement rates are likely to have good reputations within the Santa Clara CA dental profession in addition to large networks of contacts where they can refer their students for employment or internships.<\/p>\nAre the Classes Smaller?<\/strong> Check with the schools you are evaluating how big on average their classes are. The smaller classes generally provide a more personal setting for learning where students have greater access to the instructors. Conversely, bigger classes tend to be impersonal and provide little one-on-one instruction. If practical, ask if you can sit in on a few classes at the Santa Clara CA dental hygienist school that you are most interested in so that you can witness first hand the degree of interaction between teachers and students before enrolling.<\/p>\n <\/strong>What is the Total Expense of the Program?<\/strong> Dental hygiene training can differ in cost based on the duration of the program and the volume of practical training provided. Other factors, for instance the reputations of the colleges and whether they are public or private also have an impact. But along with the tuition there are other substantial costs which can add up. They can include costs for such things as commuting and textbooks as well as school equipment, materials and supplies. So when comparing the cost of colleges, remember to include all of the expenses associated with your education. Most colleges have financial aid departments, so be sure to check out what is offered as far as loans, grants and scholarships in the Santa Clara CA area.<\/p>\nAre the Classes Accessible?<\/strong> Before enrolling in a dental hygienist school, you must make sure that the hygienist or assistant program furnishes classes that suit your schedule. This is especially true if you continue working while getting your education and need to attend classes near Santa Clara CA in the evenings or on weekends. And even if you enroll in an online college, you will still have to schedule your practical training classes. Also, while making your inquiries, ask what the make-up policy is if you should have to miss any classes due to work, illness or family issues.<\/p>\nAttending Dental Hygienist School near Santa Clara CA?<\/h3>\nSanta Clara County, California<\/h3>
Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is California's 6th most populous county, with a population was 1,781,642, as of the 2010 census.[3] The county seat and largest city is San Jose, the 10th most populous city in the United States and California's 3rd most populous city.<\/p>
Home to Silicon Valley, Santa Clara County is a global economic center for high technology and has the third highest GDP per capita in the world (after Zurich, Switzerland and Oslo, Norway), according to the Brookings Institution.[5] The county's concentration of wealth, primarily due to the tech industry, has made it the most affluent county on the West Coast of the United States and one of the most affluent places in America.[6][7]<\/p>
Santa Clara County is part of the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA Combined Statistical Area. Located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay, the highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa Clara County is also known as Silicon Valley. Santa Clara is the most populous county in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Northern California, and is one of the most affluent counties in the United States.<\/p>
Santa Clara County was one of the original counties of California, formed in 1850 at the time of statehood. The original inhabitants included the Ohlone, residing on Coyote Creek and Calaveras Creek. Part of the county's territory was given to Alameda County in 1853.<\/p><\/div>\n