Become a Dental Hygienist in Wyoming
The field of dental hygiene is growing in Wyoming, offering strong salaries and a positive job outlook for dental hygienists. These trained professionals play an important role in helping patients understand how their oral health can affect their overall body health. Cleaning teeth, administering anesthesia and giving patients oral health education and advice are just a few of the many tasks dental hygienists can expect to perform.
Requirements for Dental Hygienist in Wyoming
After completing high school and turning 18 years old, anyone can begin working toward a dental hygiene career. The first step to becoming licensed as a dental hygienist is to complete a two- to three-year dental hygiene training program at a school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). Most programs require at least a year of prerequisite courses before an applicant will be considered.
After completing dental hygiene school, Wyoming dental hygienists must pass the National Board exam on dental hygiene, a regional clinical exam and a state jurisprudence exam on dental law. Dental hygienists in Wyoming are required to renew their licensing every calendar year.
Dental Hygienist Schools in Wyoming
There are not many dental hygiene programs available in Wyoming, but the few that exist offer quality educations that will lead to state licensure:
- Laramie County Community College (LCCC). Students at this school may earn their associate degree in dental hygiene in a 16-month program. The full-time classes at this school generally meet during traditional 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours, with an additional clinical night every week. Thirty credit hours of prerequisite work are required before applicants may be considered for this program.
- University of Wyoming and Sheridan College. These two northern Wyoming colleges jointly offer an associate’s and bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene. Forty credit hours of prerequisites are required, which are generally pursued at University of Wyoming before students apply to Sheridan College’s two-year dental hygiene program. After completing their associate’s degree at Sheridan, students can finish the dental hygiene bachelor’s degree at University of Wyoming.
Dental Assistant Schools in Wyoming
Dental Hygiene Licensure in Wyoming
After successfully completing accredited training and passing required exams, Wyoming dental hygienists may apply for dental hygiene licensure through the Wyoming Board of Dental Examiners. Applicants must have their National Board and regional exam scores sent directly to the Wyoming Board office from the testing agencies and must also show proof of completion of Basic Life Support (BLS) training.
Eligible applicants will be contacted to register for the Wyoming Jurisprudence exam, an open-book test on the complete spectrum of Wyoming dental law. After completing this test successfully, Wyoming dental hygienists will be issued a license to practice. Further licensing from the Wyoming Board is required for dental hygienist tasks such as the administration of nitrous oxide or working with lasers.
Dental Hygienist Salary in Wyoming
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that in 2020, dental hygienists in Wyoming made about $33.42 per hour or $69,510 annually. In total, 450 dental hygienists were employed throughout the state that year, with a 9 percent increase in that employment level projected by 2028.
Work as a Dental Hygienist in Wyoming
The city of Cheyenne employed the highest number of hygienists in Wyoming in 2017, while the Cheyenne area paid the highest mean salary to dental hygienists in 2020, at $36.18 per hour.
Not only is demand for this career growing quickly in Wyoming, but the national job outlook is predicted to increase by 6 percent as well. Whether or not you plan to stay in Wyoming, dental hygiene licensure can be transferred to other states with earned credentials and by completing additional jurisprudence exams.