Becoming a Dental Hygienist in West Virginia
If you enjoy working in a hands-on environment and interacting face-to-face with others on a daily basis, dental hygiene may be a rewarding career for you. Those who work as dental hygienists will typically clean teeth, perform oral examinations on patients to check for diseases and help patients understand how to maintain their own dental hygiene.
Requirements for Dental Hygienist in West Virginia
In the state of West Virginia, dental hygienists are required to complete at least a two-year degree program in dental hygiene before being eligible to practice. Next, dental hygienists must successfully complete the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE) offered by the American Dental Association (ADA), as well as a regional or state clinical exam. Finally, hygienists will need to submit an application for licensing to the West Virginia Board of Dentistry before finding employment in this state.
Dental Hygienist Schools in West Virginia
Since you will need to complete a degree program in order to work as a dental hygienist, it is a wise decision to choose one that is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). Both programs listed below are CODA-accredited.
- BridgeValley Community and Technical College. This school has campuses in the cities of South Charleston and Montgomery. Students may complete an associate’s degree program in dental hygiene, which will require about two years of study. Prerequisites to enter this program include 20 hours of dental hygiene shadowing as well as two letters of recommendation.
- West Virginia University School of Dentistry. This school is located in the city of Morgantown. Students may earn a Bachelor of Science degree in dental hygiene, which will require four years of study to complete. New student requirements include a background check, personal interview and more.
See Dental Assistant Schools in West Virginia.
Dental Hygienist Licensure in West Virginia
Before receiving your license to work as a dental hygienist in West Virginia, you will need to complete a regional or state licensing exam that is offered by one of the following testing agencies:
- Commission on Dental Competency Assessments (CDCA)
- The Council of Interstate Testing Agencies, Inc. (CITA)
- Central Regional Dental Testing Service, Inc. (CRDTS)
- The Southern Regional Testing Agency (SRTA)
- The Western Regional Examining Board, Inc. (WREB)
Dental Hygienist Salary in West Virginia
According to figures reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), dental hygienists in West Virginia earned an average of $28.85 per hour during 2020, which is equivalent to $60,000 per year. The top 10 percent of dental hygienists working in this state earned more than $83,610 per year, according to the same data.
BLS figures also indicate that there were 1,080 people working as dental hygienists in West Virginia during 2018. By 2028, the BLS expects there will be a total of 1,110 people employed in this career field in West Virginia, signifying a 3 percent expansion in the field during this 10-year period.
Working as a Dental Hygienist in West Virginia
Dental hygienists in West Virginia can expect to earn the highest compensation in cities like Falling Waters, Capon Bridge and Rio.
You can expect to work at dental clinics, hospitals, medical facilities or other places where dental hygiene services will be needed. If this sounds like a rewarding career to you, consider enrolling in a dental hygiene training program today.