Texas Dental Hygiene Programs
If you desire to become a dental hygienist, you will need to study Dental Hygiene in an accredited education program. Luckily, Texas has many options throughout the large state for furthering your education. Here are some of the best colleges that offer dental hygiene programs.
| Institute | Address | Website | Program |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amarillo College | P.O. Box 447 Amarillo, TX 79178 | www.actx.edu | AAS |
| Austin Community College District | Eastview Campus, 3401 Webberville Road Austin, TX 78702 | www.austincc.edu | AAS |
| Blinn College | P.O. Box 6030 Bryan, TX 77805 | www.blinn.edu | AAS |
| Coastal Bend College | 3800 Charco Road Beeville, TX 78102 | www.coastalbend.edu | AAS |
| Collin College | 2200 W. University Drive McKinney, TX 75071 | www.collin.edu | AAS |
| Concorde Career College-Dallas | 12606 Greenville Avenue, Suite 130 Dallas, TX 75243 | www.concorde.edu | AAS |
| Concorde Career College- San Antonio | San Antonio Campus, 4803 NW Loop 410, Suite 200 San Antonio, TX 78229 | www.concorde.edu | AAS |
| Del Mar College | 101 Baldwin Corpus Christi, TX 78404 | www.delmar.edu | AAS |
| El Centro College | 301 North Market Street Dallas, TX 75202 | www.elcentrocollege.edu | AAS |
| El Paso Community College | P.O. Box 20500 El Paso, TX 79998 | www.epcc.edu | AAS |
| HCC Coleman College for Health Sciences | 1900 Pressler Street Houston, TX 77030 | www.hccs.edu | AS |
| Howard College | 1001 Birdwell Lane Big Spring, TX 79720 | www.howardcollege.edu | AAS |
| Lamar Institute of Technology | P.O. Box 10061 Beaumont, TX 77710 | www.lit.edu | AAS |
| Lone Star College Kingwood | 20000 Kingwood Drive, HSB-118-E Kingwood, TX 77339 | lonestar.edu | AAS |
| Midwestern State University | 3410 Taft Blvd. Wichita Falls, TX 76308 | www.mwsu.edu | BS-DH |
| Pima Medical Institute-Houston | 10201 Katy Freeway Houston, TX 77024 | pmi.edu | AAS-DH |
| Tarrant County College | 828 W. Harwood Rd. Hurst, TX 76054 | www.tccd.edu | AAS |
| Temple College | 2600 South First Street Temple, TX 76504 | www.templejc.edu | AAS |
| Texas A&M Health University, College of Dentistry | 3302 Gaston Ave. Dallas, TX 75246 | www.dentistry.tamhsc.edu | BS-DH |
| Texas State Technical College | 1902 N. Loop 499 Harlingen, TX 78550 | www.tstc.edu | AAS |
| Texas Woman's University | Box 425796 - TWU Station Denton, TX 76204 | www.twu.edu | BS-DH |
| Tyler Junior College | P.O. Box 9020 Tyler, TX 75711 | www.tjc.edu | AAS BS-DH |
| U of Texas Health Science Center at Houston | 7500 Cambridge Street, Suite 6470 Houston, TX 77054 | dentistry.uth.edu | BS-DH |
| U of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio | 7703 Floyd Curl Dr. San Antonio, TX 78229 | www.periodontics.uthscsa.edu | BS-DH |
| Wharton County Jr. College | 911 Boling Highway Wharton, TX 77488 | www.wcjc.edu | AAS |
License Requirements
To be considered for a dental hygienist license in Texas, you must submit an application and meet the following requirements:
- If you have been a licensed dental hygienist in a state outside of Texas for two years or more, you can gain licensure by way of credentials, rather than examination.
- Verification of graduation from an American Dental Association Accredited dental hygiene school. A transcript as well as a copy of your diploma is necessary for your application.
- American Dental Association National Boards, I and II.
- Verification of dental hygiene practice for at least 3 of the 5 years preceding your application to Texas; or verification of your employment as a dental hygiene educator for five years preceding your application to Texas.
- Verification of dental hygiene clinical examination (state or regional).
- Must submit fingerprints along with application for examination.
- Current cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) Certification in basic life support.
- Two letters of character reference (author signature must be notarized).
- Verification of licensure in all other states in which licensed (previously or currently), regardless of the status of the license.
Dental Hygienist Salary in Texas
Dental Hygienists are expected to become more in demand in the years to come, as oral healthcare is linked to general healthcare more and more. Thanks to scientific studies, the career field continues to need more qualified individuals to join the professional community. With a projected 20% growth rate over the next seven years, dental hygienists demand is much higher than the average for other career fields.
The average annual salary in 2018 for dental hygienists in Texas was $75,300, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This salary ranges, depending on the location in the state, with the salary rising alongside the cost of living. You will find higher salaries in the major cities, with the townships garnering lesser wages.
More than half of dental hygienists work as part time professionals, so it is important to note that salaries are often calculated into hourly rates. In the state of Texas, the average hourly rate for a dental hygienist was $36.20, in 2018. In addition to the salary packages, most dental hygienist professionals also receive benefit packages that include healthcare, retirement plan, pension, disability and time off options.
| Area Name | Employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene | 100 | $38.72 | $80,540 |
| Amarillo | - | $34.61 | $72,000 |
| Austin, Round Rock | 1200 | $39.41 | $81,980 |
| Beaumont, Port Arthur | 190 | $31.06 | $64,610 |
| Big Thicket Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | - | $36.99 | $76,940 |
| Border Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 50 | $36.03 | $74,940 |
| Brownsville, Harlingen | 130 | $26.91 | $55,960 |
| Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 160 | $34.08 | $70,900 |
| College Station, Bryan | 140 | $37.04 | $77,030 |
| Corpus Christi | 170 | $35.93 | $74,730 |
| Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington | 4760 | $38.27 | $79,610 |
| El Paso | 270 | $29.59 | $61,540 |
| Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 240 | $36.59 | $76,120 |
| Houston, The Woodlands, Sugar Land | 2780 | $33.65 | $70,000 |
| Killeen, Temple | 190 | $33.27 | $69,200 |
| Laredo | 70 | $39.31 | $81,760 |
| Longview | 150 | $31.21 | $64,910 |
| Lubbock | 90 | $32.38 | $67,360 |
| McAllen, Edinburg, Mission | 240 | $35.16 | $73,130 |
| Midland | 120 | $38.76 | $80,620 |
| North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 380 | $33.98 | $70,680 |
| Odessa | - | $33.67 | $70,030 |
| San Angelo | - | $33.86 | $70,420 |
| San Antonio, New Braunfels | 1430 | $37.25 | $77,480 |
| Sherman, Denison | 100 | $40.39 | $84,010 |
| Texarkana | 60 | $34.71 | $72,190 |
| Tyler | 210 | $31.79 | $66,120 |
| Victoria | - | $36.92 | $76,800 |
| Waco | 150 | $33.38 | $69,430 |
| West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | - | $33.45 | $69,580 |
| Wichita Falls | 80 | $29.55 | $61,470 |
Living in Texas
As the second largest and most populous state in the country, Texas has earned the slogan, ‘everything is bigger in Texas’. With several major cities, including Houston, Dallas, Austin, El Paso and San Antonio, Texas is a very economically enhanced state.
Contrary to popular belief, Texas is not a desert state. Instead, only 10% of the state’s land mass is actual desert, with the rest ranging from rolling plains to former prairies, grasslands, forests and coastlines.
Texas is one of the most varied states in the country, with its options for different terrains and communities. There are many small townships scattered throughout the state, dotting the landmass between the major cities. So whether you’re looking for a busy fast paced lifestyle, or the slower, more local experience, Texas has something for you.
States neighboring Texas
If Texas is not home to your perfect school, then may be one of these neighbors can excite you as the home for your studies. The Lone Star State, as Texas is also known, borders New Mexico in the west, Oklahoma in the south, Arkansas in the east, and Louisiana in the east.