Dental Hygienist Schools in South Carolina (Top Programs)

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Dental Hygienist Schools in South Carolina

Perhaps you want to work as a dental hygienist in South Carolina.

In that case, read our article to learn how to get a license in the field.

Education requirements

First of all, you need to take part in a dental hygiene program that is approved by the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).

The minimum education requirement for South Carolina is an associate’s degree.

To get this, you need to enroll in a 2-year program.

The topics you will learn in class include:

  • Anatomy and physiology
  • Chemistry: general, organic, and biological
  • Principles of dental hygiene
  • Tooth morphology
  • Head and neck anatomy
  • Dental and medical emergencies
  • Dental radiology
  • Dental pharmacology
  • Oral pathology
  • Dental health and nutrition
  • Public health dentistry
  • Clinical dental hygiene
School Name Address
Florence-Darlington Technical College 2715 W. Lucas Street, Florence, South Carolina 29501
Trident Technical College 7000 Rivers Avenue, Charleston, South Carolina 29423-8067
York Technical College 452 S Anderson Rd, Rock Hill, South Carolina 29730

Take the required exams

South Carolina requires 3 exams you need to pass before you can get licensed.

National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE)

This is the first exam, and it is offered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE).

The test has 350 questions in total, covering the general and practical aspects of dental hygiene.

Jurisprudence exam

This test needs to be passed after the National Board Exam.

It covers the state laws and regulations and is open book.

You can also choose to take it online, and can retake it if you fail.

Clinical exam

In South Carolina, you can take either of the following 2 clinical exams:

  • Southern Regional Testing Agency’s (SRTA) Dental Hygiene Exam
  • American Dental Hygiene Licensing Examination (ADHLEX) Exam

During this exam, your ability to practice your daily job duties will be assessed.

Extra permits

If you want to get more credentials, you can apply for an additional permit.

These are as follows:

Nitrous Oxide Monitoring Certification

To get this permit, you must meet the next criteria:

  • Up to date CPR certification
  • An approved nitrous oxide class
  • Take the Nitrous Oxide Monitoring Exam offered by the Board

Anesthesia Certification

To get this permit, you must comply with the following requirements:

  • Up to date CPR certification
  • An approved local infiltration anesthesia class
  • Take the Infiltration Anesthesia Certification Exam

After you get these permits, you have to renew it once at 24 months.

Apply for your dental hygiene license

To get your license, you must send in the following to the Board:

  • $150 fee
  • Official school transcripts
  • Verification of Licensure form, in case you have a license in another jurisdiction
  • National Board Dental Hygiene Examination test results
  • Test scores from the clinical test
  • Background check
  • Three references letters from practicing dentists
  • Proof of current CPR certification

Salary Information

Depending on the degree one earned and experience, their salary can be higher than the average shown below.

Annual Salary Range:
$51K
$70K
$88K
10%
50%
90%
Annual Salary by Location:
Location Avg. Annual Salary
Charleston $71,128
Columbia $70,346
North Charleston $71,128
Mount Pleasant $71,128
Rock Hill $73,724
Greenville $73,076
Summerville $70,814
Goose Creek $71,024
Sumter $66,976
Hilton Head Island $69,561

Regional Salary in South Carolina

Region Employed Avg. Annual Salary Avg. Hourly Pay Top 10% Annual Salary Bottom 10% Annual Salary
Charleston-North Charleston, SC510$82,870$39.84$105,520$64,180
Columbia, SC660$74,410$35.78$92,400$61,580
Florence, SC100$71,950$34.59$80,070$62,600
Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC770$76,850$36.95$82,840$65,010
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC110$76,680$36.87$88,550$62,840
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC280$74,620$35.88$83,140$62,390
Spartanburg, SC160$76,580$36.82$83,860$62,320
Sumter, SC50$70,390$33.84$81,670$60,850
* Salary information based on the May 2023 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey for Dental Hygienists, OCC Code 29-1292, BLS.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.

License Renewal

In order to get your license renewed every 2 years, you have to take 14 extra education hours.

Your CPR certification should also be renewed every 3 years.

USA Dental Hygiene by State


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