Questions to Ask Dental Hygienist Programs<\/strong><\/h3>\nNow that you have decided to become a dental hygienist in Prairie du Chien WI, you can start the process of comparing programs and schools. As we covered at the start of this article, many potential students begin by looking at the location and the cost of the schools. Perhaps they search for several online options as well. Although these may be significant initial considerations, there are several additional questions that you need to address to the schools you are reviewing in order to make an informed decision. Toward that end, we have supplied a list of questions to assist you with your due diligence and ultimate selection of the best dental hygienist school for you.<\/p>\n
Is the Dental College Accredited?<\/strong> There are several good reasons why you should only select an accredited dental hygienist program. If you are planning to become licensed or certified, then accreditation is a requirement in virtually all states. To qualify to take the National Board Dental Hygiene Exam, your dental college must be accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CDA). Accreditation also helps guarantee that the instruction you get is of the highest quality and comprehensive. Prairie du Chien WI employers frequently desire or require that new hires are graduates of accredited colleges. And last, if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, frequently they are not provided for non-accredited colleges.<\/p>\nIs Plenty of Practical Training Included?<\/strong> Clinical or practical training is a necessary part of any dental training program. This is true for the online school options also. A number of dental hygienist colleges have relationships with area dental practices and clinics that provide practical training for their students. It’s not only essential that the college you select offers sufficient clinical hours but also provides them in the kind of practice that you ultimately would like to work in. For example, if you are interested in a career in pediatric dentistry, make sure that the program you enroll in offers clinical rotation in a local Prairie du Chien WI dental office that focuses on dental care for children.<\/p>\nIs There an Internship Program?<\/strong> Verify if the dental programs you are considering have internship programs. Internships are undoubtedly the most effective method to obtain hands-on, clinical experience in a real dental practice. They make it easier for students to transition from the theoretical to the practical. They can also help students create professional relationships in the Prairie du Chien WI dentistry community. And they are attractive on resumes also.<\/p>\nIs Job Placement Assistance Offered?<\/strong> Many graduating students of dental hygienist colleges need assistance landing their first job. Check if the programs you are reviewing have job assistance programs, and what their job placement rates are. Colleges with higher job placement rates are likely to have good reputations within the Prairie du Chien WI dental profession in addition to large networks of contacts where they can refer their students for internships or employment.<\/p>\nAre the Classes Small?<\/strong> Ask the schools you are looking at how large on average their classrooms are. The smaller classes generally offer a more intimate setting for training where students have increased access to the instructors. Conversely, large classes can be impersonal and provide little individualized instruction. If feasible, find out if you can monitor a couple of classes at the Prairie du Chien WI dental hygienist school that you are leaning toward in order to experience first hand the degree of interaction between instructors and students before enrolling.<\/p>\n <\/strong>What is the Overall Cost of the Program?<\/strong> Dental hygiene programs can fluctuate in cost depending on the duration of the program and the volume of practical training provided. Other factors, such as the reputations of the colleges and if they are private or public also come into play. But besides the tuition there are other significant expenses which can add up. They can include costs for such things as commuting and textbooks as well as school materials, equipment and supplies. So when analyzing the cost of colleges, remember to include all of the costs associated with your education. The majority of colleges have financial aid offices, so make sure to ask what is offered as far as loans, grants and scholarships in the Prairie du Chien WI area.<\/p>\nAre the Classes Accessible?<\/strong> Before enrolling in a dental hygienist college, you need to make sure that the hygienist or assistant program furnishes classes that accommodate your schedule. This is particularly true if you continue working while acquiring your education and have to attend classes near Prairie du Chien WI in the evenings or on weekends. And even if you choose an online college, you will still have to schedule your clinical training classes. Also, while making your inquiries, ask what the make-up protocol is if you should need to miss any classes due to illness, work or family emergencies.<\/p>\nAttending Dental Hygienist School near Prairie du Chien WI?<\/h3>\nPrairie du Chien, Wisconsin<\/h3>
Often referred to as Wisconsin's second oldest city,[5] Prairie du Chien was established as a European settlement by French voyageurs in the late seventeenth century. The city is located near the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers, a strategic point along the Fox-Wisconsin Waterway that connects the Great Lakes with the Mississippi.<\/p>
Early French visitors to the site found it occupied by a group of Fox Indians led by a chief whose name Alim meant Chien in French (Dog in English).[6][7] The French explorers named the location Prairie du Chien, French for \"Dog's Prairie\". Originally this name applied only to the plain upon which the settlement is located, but it was later extended to mean the city as well. The city of Prairie du Chien is located between the Town of Prairie du Chien and the Town of Bridgeport.<\/p>
The first Europeans to reach Prairie du Chien were the French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet, who arrived by canoe on June 17, 1673, discovering a route to the Mississippi River. Later travel between French Canada and the Mississippi River passed through Prairie du Chien, although routes via the Illinois River were also used. In 1685, the French explorer Nicolas Perrot established a trading post in the area as part of the large and lucrative French fur trade industry. After Americans entered the trade in the nineteenth century, John Jacob Astor built the Astor Fur Warehouse, an important building in the regional fur trade whose business was done in Prairie du Chien. The significance of Prairie du Chien as a center of the fur trade did not diminish until the mid-nineteenth century.<\/p>
In 1763, when Great Britain defeated France in the French and Indian War (part of the Seven Years' War), it took \"possession\" of the French territory in North America, including Prairie du Chien. The British expanded the fur trade during their occupation of the area. During the American Revolutionary War, the city was used as a meeting point for British troops and their Native American allies. After the American victory, the Treaty of Paris (1783) granted the area to the new United States of America, but the British and their Loyalists were slow to withdraw. Only after the War of 1812 did the city become fully American.<\/p><\/div>\n