Points to Ask Dental Hygienist Programs<\/strong><\/h3>\nNow that you have decided to become a dental hygienist in Lakeland FL, you can begin the procedure of comparing programs and schools. As we covered at the opening of this article, a number of potential students begin by checking out the location and the cost of the schools. Perhaps they look for some online options also. Although these may be significant initial points to consider, there are several additional questions that you need to address to the programs you are reviewing in order to reach an informed decision. Toward that end, we have provided a list of questions to assist you with your evaluation and final selection of the right dental hygienist college for you.<\/p>\n
Is the Dental School Accredited?<\/strong> There are several important reasons why you should only pick an accredited dental hygienist school. If you are intending to become certified or licensed, then accreditation is a condition in nearly all states. To qualify to take the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination, your dental school must be accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CDA). Accreditation also helps ensure that the instruction you receive is comprehensive and of the highest quality. Lakeland FL employers typically prefer or require that new hires are graduates of accredited schools. And finally, if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, frequently they are not offered for non-accredited schools.<\/p>\nIs Adequate Clinical Training Provided?<\/strong> Practical or clinical training is a vital component of every dental training program. This is true for the online college options as well. Many dental hygienist programs have relationships with local dental offices and clinics that provide practical training for their students. It’s not only imperative that the school you enroll in provides enough clinical hours but also provides them in the kind of practice that you subsequently would like to work in. As an example, if you have an interest in a career in pediatric dentistry, check that the program you select offers clinical rotation in a local Lakeland FL dental office that focuses on dental services for children.<\/p>\nAre Internships Available?<\/strong> Verify if the dental colleges you are exploring sponsor internship programs. Internships are probably the best means to receive 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 build working relationships in the professional dental community. And they look good on resumes also.<\/p>\nIs Job Placement Help Offered?<\/strong> Many graduating students of dental hygienist programs need help obtaining their first job. Find out if the schools you are researching have job assistance programs, and what their job placement rates are. Programs with high job placement rates probably have excellent reputations within the Lakeland FL dental community in addition to extensive networks of contacts where they can place their students for internships or employment.<\/p>\nAre the Classrooms Smaller?<\/strong> Check with the colleges you are looking at how big typically their classes are. The smaller classes generally provide a more personal atmosphere for training where students have increased access to the teachers. Conversely, bigger classes tend to be impersonal and offer little one-on-one instruction. If practical, find out if you can sit in on a few classes at the Lakeland FL dental hygienist school that you are leaning toward in order to experience first hand the amount of interaction between instructors and students before making a commitment.<\/p>\n <\/strong>What is the Overall Expense of the Program?<\/strong> Dental hygiene training can differ in cost depending on the duration of the program and the amount of clinical training provided. Other factors, for example the reputations of the schools and whether they are private or public also have an impact. But besides the tuition there are other significant costs 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 comparing the cost of programs, don’t forget to include all of the expenses associated with your education. Most colleges have financial aid offices, so make sure to check out what is offered as far as loans, grants and scholarships in the Lakeland FL area.<\/p>\nAre the Classes Convenient?<\/strong> Before selecting a dental hygienist school, you need to make sure that the assistant or hygienist program furnishes classes that fit your schedule. This is especially true if you continue working while receiving your education and have to attend classes near Lakeland FL in the evenings or on weekends. And even if you select an online college, you will still be required to schedule your clinical training classes. Also, while addressing your concerns, ask what the make-up protocol is if you should need to miss any classes because of work, illness or family emergencies.<\/p>\nAttending Dental Hygienist School near Lakeland FL?<\/h3>\nLakeland, Florida<\/h3>
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. The westernmost city in Polk County, it is part of the Tampa Bay Area. According to the 2013 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 100,710.[2] Lakeland is a principal city of the Lakeland\u2013Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area (coterminous with Polk County), which had an estimated population of 623,009 in July 2013 based on data from the University of Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research. It is twinned with Richmond Hill, Ontario; Imabari, Ehime, Japan; B\u0103l\u021bi, Moldova; Portmore, Jamaica; and Chongming County, Shanghai, China through the Lakeland chapter of Sister Cities International.<\/p>
Native Americans began to live in the area 12,000 years ago. European settlers arrived in Lakeland in the 1870s and the city expanded in the 1880s with the arrival of rail service. Lakeland is home to the 1,267-acre Circle B Bar Reserve.<\/p>
The first Paleo-Indians reached the central Florida area near the end of the last ice age, as they followed big game south.[23][24] As the ice melted and sea levels rose, these Native Americans ended up staying and thrived on the peninsula for thousands of years. By the time the first Spanish conquistadors arrived, more than 250,000 Native Americans were living on the peninsula.[citation needed] Some of these first early tribes were the Tocobago, Timucua, and Calusa. In 1527, a Spanish map showed a settlement near the Rio de la Paz.[23][24] The arrival of the Spanish turned out to be disastrous to these Native American tribes. Within 150 years, the majority of the pre-Columbian Native American peoples of Florida had been wiped out. Those who had not succumbed to diseases such as smallpox or yellow fever were either killed or enslaved.[23][24][25][26] Little is left of these first Native Americans cultures in Polk County except for scant archaeological records, including a few personal artifacts and shell mounds. Eventually, the remnants of these tribes merged with the Creek Indians who had arrived from the north and became the Seminole Indian tribe.[24][26]<\/p>
Florida became a state in 1845, and Polk County was established in 1861. After the American Civil War, the county seat was established southeast of Lakeland in Bartow. While most of Polk County's early history centered on the two cities of Bartow and Fort Meade, eventually, people entered the areas in northern Polk County and began settling in the areas which became Lakeland.<\/p><\/div>\n