Dental Hygiene - Dental Hygiene AS Degree
Cabrillo College · Aptos, CA
- Cost
- $23,197
- Length
- 102 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- 90%
Program names, program descriptions and occupation titles appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
- People enrolled
- 34
Small group — treat with caution
- Finished the program
- 78%Based on 23 peopleTypical California program: 85% of 1,951 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Working 6 months later
- 90%Typical California program: 69% of 1,690 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Earnings in one quarter after
- $17,632A single quarter of earnings, roughly three months, not a yearly salary. Do not compare it directly with the yearly pay shown for the occupation.Typical California program: $10,900 of 1,339 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
The job this trains for
This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.
No regional figures for this program's city
Aptos is not one of the metropolitan or rural areas California names when it publishes wages and openings. A neighbouring area's figures would look exactly like a correct answer, so none are shown and the statewide figures stand alone. About half of California's programs are in this position.
Dental Hygienists
Job ads may call this: Hygienist · Dental Hygienist · Licensed Dental Hygienist · Pediatric Dental Hygienist
Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.
- Record and review patient medical histories.
- Feel and visually examine gums for sores and signs of disease.
- Examine gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease.
- Clean calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments.
Show 3 more things this job involves
- Provide clinical services or health education to improve and maintain the oral health of patients or the general public.
- Chart conditions of decay and disease for diagnosis and treatment by dentist.
- Expose and develop x-ray film.
- Typical pay in California
- $128,427per year
- Projected openings
- 17,950
- Projected change
- +10.7%
- Usually needs
- Associate's degree
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- None
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: Two-year degree — 48% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: Associate's degree. 12% of the people doing it went less far than that.
- No high school diploma
- 0.6%
- High school diploma
- 3%
- Started college, no degree
- 8%
- Two-year degree
- 48%
- Four-year degree
- 34%
- Master's degree
- 3%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 2%
This counts people already doing this job, across the whole United States. Every other figure on this page is California's, and the federal government publishes no state version of this one. It is what people happen to have, not a rule about who gets hired. A small row does not mean you would be turned away, and a large one is not a promise of a job.
Program details
This program provides in-person instruction only.
The Associate in Science in Dental Hygiene prepares students to be eligible to take the state and national licensing examinations. A dental hygienist is a person who is trained and licensed to provide dental hygiene therapy, expose dental x-rays, and provide preventative services, usually under the supervision of a dentist. The dental hygiene profession demands a high level of ethics, professionalism, critical thinking, and manual dexterity. The dental hygiene program at Cabrillo College is affiliated with the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, San Francisco. This Associate in Science degree requires completion of a 24 unit general education pattern. Completing the program prerequisites and additional graduation requirements will meet most areas of the Cabrillo College general education pattern. Visit Cabrillo Colleges general education page for additional information. Due to the rigorous academic nature of the dental hygiene program it is advisable to complete the general education requirements for the Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene before entering the program. The dental hygiene program follows the academic policies and procedures listed in the Cabrillo College catalog and the dental hygiene student policy handbook.
Someone else may be able to pay for this
This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-08-04). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
A comprehensive center is where all the required partner programs can be reached; an affiliate site offers some of them. California's Employment Development Department directs people to CareerOneStop's finder to locate one. Contacting a center before traveling is worth it — the state notes that its own staff are not physically present at every location.
The rule: 20 CFR 678.305 — What is a comprehensive one-stop center? · 20 CFR 678.310 — What is an affiliated site? · California EDD — Office Locator
Capitola Career Center - America`s Job Center of California (AJCC)Affiliate site
Phone: 831-464-6286
2045 40th AvenueSuite BCapitola, CA 95010about 5.5 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm
Has a veterans' representative
SCCOE - Suenos Youth Program ServicesAffiliate site
Phone: 831-466-5672
229 Green Valley RoadSequoia SchoolsFreedom, CA 95019about 6.9 miles away
Hours: Monday-Friday 9a.m.-5p.m.
Santa Cruz County, Workforce, Watsonville Career CenterComprehensive center
Phone: 831-763-8933
500 Westridge DriveCounty of Santa Cruz, South County Government CenterWatsonville, CA 95076about 7.9 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm Closed 12:00 noon - 1pm
Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.
Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List
How this gets paid for, and what to ask →
Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.
The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.
How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →