From Prophy to Practice: My Definitive Guide to Becoming a Dentist as a Dental Hygienist

Table of Contents

• Step 1: Academic Prerequisites
• Step 2: The Dental Admission Test (DAT)
• Step 3: Building the Best Application
• Step 4: The ADEA AADSAS Application
• Step 5: Interviewing with Confidence
• Step 6: Succeeding in Dental School

Introduction: Yes, Your Path to Dentistry is Open

As someone who went from dental hygienist to dentist, I really can say: Yes—you absolutely can make this career move. The road isn’t always short, and it does take time, effort, and money. Still, becoming a dentist after being a dental hygienist isn’t just a dream. It’s something you can really do.

In this guide, I’ll share everything I learned and what people like Dr. Joe Dental told me is best to do. I’ll give you clear steps, tips, and honest thoughts about this journey. If you’re a dental hygienist thinking about this next step, you’ll find encouragement, facts, and help right here.

Why I Chose the Dentist Path: Motivations and Rewards

You might ask, “Why did you do it?” or “Is this change worth it?” When I started as a hygienist, I liked helping people. But over time, I wanted to do more. Here’s what pushed me:

Bigger Role and More Control

Being a dental hygienist gave me good contact with patients, but as a dentist, I could decide what’s wrong, make treatment plans, and lead the care team. I wanted to build my skills and have more say in what happened to my patients.

Better Pay

Let’s be real—money is part of the decision. Most hygienists earn about $81,400 per year in the US, while dentists earn about $163,920. That’s a big difference, and it helped me think about things like starting a family, taking trips, or even one day opening a private practice.

Room for Learning and Leading

As a dentist, I got chances you just don’t have as a hygienist: being a leader, joining study groups, teaching others, and maybe picking a specialty later on.

Feeling Good About My Job

I wanted harder work. I wanted to take care of tougher cases, be in charge of a whole office, and get to know my patients better. For me, being a dentist gave me that good feeling at work.

The Roadmap: Steps I Took to Move from Hygiene to Dentistry

At first, this path looked huge and scary. Here’s how I broke it down, and how you can too.

Step 1: Academic Prerequisites

Checking My Classes

Dental schools want certain classes: biology, chemistry (regular and organic), physics, and sometimes English and math. My degree in dental hygiene gave me some, but not all. If you have a bachelor’s already, you still might need some more science classes.

Getting a Bachelor’s Degree

Most dental schools want a bachelor’s. If you started like me with an associate’s, you’ll have to transfer credits and finish your BA or BS. Some colleges have special “post-bac” programs for healthcare workers, and these can help raise your science grades.

Keeping My Grades Up

I found out fast dental schools really care about your grades. Keeping a science grade point average above 3.2 opens more doors. I had to work hard, retake a few classes, and meet with school advisors a lot.

Step 2: The Dental Admission Test (DAT)

Knowing the Test

The DAT is tough: biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, reading, and visual skills. I hadn’t done organic chemistry in a long time, so I had to study a lot.

How I Got Ready

I used practice tests, review books, and joined groups with other people like me. There are support groups for hygienists and people changing careers online—they really helped.

What Score Do You Need

I shot for a score of at least 19, which is about normal for most dental schools. A higher number made up for my just-okay grades.

Step 3: Building the Best Application

Working with Patients

As a hygienist, I already had a ton of hands-on experience. But I also watched general dentists, specialists, and even helped part-time at a digital dental lab to learn new things in the field.

Volunteering and Joining Clubs

I helped at community health events and joined my school’s pre-dental club. Dental schools like people who get involved.

Research

I wasn’t big into research, but I helped a teacher with a small study. Even if you don’t want to do research later, helping out with a project—or even just seeing a dental ceramics lab—shows you like to learn new things.

Step 4: The ADEA AADSAS Application

Writing Your Story

This is where you get to stand out. I wrote about what I learned as a hygienist, how I care about patients, and how I want to grow.

Who to Ask for References

I asked a dentist I worked with, a science teacher, and a volunteer leader to back me up. What they said about my work mattered more than their job titles.

Getting Through the Application

This part is a pain—lots of papers, test scores, and essays. Start early and check everything twice.

Step 5: Interviewing with Confidence

Interviews can be scary. But being a hygienist helped me a lot—I could talk about real patient care, working with people, and the difference between jobs in dentistry. I turned my start in hygiene into something good.

Step 6: Succeeding in Dental School

Classes in School

Dental school is four years: two on classwork and hands-on labs, the last two treating patients. I used my clinical background to help, but still had to get used to tough science classes.

Getting Your License

After you’re done, you have to pass written and hands-on tests, and do what your state asks. My hygiene work made infection control and working with patients a lot easier.

Time and Money: The Real-World Commitments

Let’s really look at what you’re signing up for.

How Long Did It Take Me?

• Preparing My Classes: Since I started with an associate’s, I spent two years finishing a bachelor’s and other science classes.
• Application Process: One year—getting ready, then waiting for a reply.
• Dental School: Four years.
• Total Time: Seven years, from starting to becoming a dentist. If you’ve got more of the right classes already, it could take less.

What Does It Cost?

• Tuition and Fees: My public school cost about $65,000 a year. Other places can cost anywhere from $40,000 to $100,000 a year.
• Living and Other Costs: Add $15,000–$20,000 more per year for living expenses. Test and application fees add up, too.
• Loans and Help: Like most, I had federal loans and grabbed a couple small scholarships for health workers.

Is It Worth the Money and Time?

That depends on what you want. For me, higher pay and job security (dentist jobs are still growing, about 4% over the years) made it worth it. The debt was scary, but good planning and advice got me through.

How My Hygiene Experience Helped Me

Moving from hygiene to dentist wasn’t just about a new title. I brought along a toolkit that helped a lot:

• Hands-On Skills: I already knew teeth, tools, and how to read patients’ moods. This made patient care in dental school much less scary.
• Talking to Patients: Hygienists handle all kinds of people—nervous, worried, or even difficult. That helped me more than my classmates who’d never worked with patients.
• How Offices Work: Knowing how the office runs—from making appointments to cleaning tools and working with crown and bridge labs—made practice management classes easier.
• Knowing People: Keeping friendships with mentors and coworkers helped me get chances to shadow, ask advice, and stay focused on my goals.

Dr. Joe Dental once told me, “The best dentists I’ve hired already cared about patients. That’s something you can’t teach—you have it.” I remembered that.

What Made This Change Hard—And How I Handled It

A lot of people find out this road is not always easy.

Tough Classes

Dental school is hard. I hadn’t done chemistry or biochemistry in a long time, so I had to learn new ways to study. I made friends with others who also changed careers, and we helped each other.

Worrying About Money

Student debt kept me worried sometimes. I worked part-time during the years before dental school and saved what I could. Careful budgeting got me through.

Changing My Thinking

Going from respected worker to being a new student again was tough. I had to remind myself everyone starts at the bottom and focus on learning, not comparing myself to others.

Life Balance

Dental school doesn’t leave much free time. I planned how to keep up with friends, family, and my own health before starting. My family and friends helped me a lot.

Being Older

If you’re not in your 20s, don’t stress. Dental schools now like “older” students, too. My life experience made me better at teamwork and decisions with pressure.

The Payoff: Was It All Worth It?

Looking back, I can say every minute, every dollar, and all the hard work was worth it. Here’s why:

• Better Pay and Stability: The jump in pay and job stability means a lot for my family and me.
• Freedom in My Career: I can now make my own choices, maybe even own a removable denture lab or start my own clinic one day.
• Making a Bigger Difference: Helping patients with all parts of their smile—fixing, prevention, making things look better—feels really good.
• Growing as a Person: This journey pushed me. I’m not the same person now—I grew stronger.
• More Options: Dentistry gives you lots of places to go—public health, specialty care, teaching, research, or something else.

Conclusion: Your Next Steps in Dentistry

If you’re a dental hygienist wanting to become a dentist, I promise—the door is wide open. The steps can look big, but you do them one by one.

Start by looking honestly at your school record. Talk with advisors and mentors. Watch dentists work. Study for the DAT. Remember, your background as a hygienist is not just helpful; it could be your best tool.

Be patient with yourself. Save some money, set reasonable goals, and find the people who support you early. Every challenge is easier with a team. If you still have questions, ask professionals, teachers, or working dentists. Watch resources like Dr. Joe Dental’s talks and meet others who did what you want to do.

Dentistry needs skilled, caring people—and you’re already halfway there. The path from prophy to practice is real, and you can do it. Good luck—I’m cheering you on.

Reviewed by: Dr. Joe Dental, DDS – Clinical Educator and Dentist