For dental students in Dallas, the Baylor College of Dentistry offers a variety of degree programs at all levels, including a BS or an MS in dental hygiene, MS in oral biology, MD in oral surgery, DDS, and a post-doctoral curriculum covering several dental specialties. Students focused on dental hygiene should know that Texas Women’s University Department of Dental Hygiene has a degree program in north suburban Denton. Just west of Dallas is Fort Worth, the other half of the metro area, and not to be ignored by students seeking educational opportunities in dentistry. In the community of Hurst, adjacent to Fort Worth, a dental hygiene program is available at Tarrant County College. Additionally, dental students also can choose the two-year dental hygiene program leading to an associate of applied science degree at Tyler Junior College, just east of Dallas in Tyler.
Opportunities for dental professionals in Dallas are expected to grow, according to the Texas Workforce Commission. The commission projects that between 2002 and 2012, job openings for general practitioner dentists will increase by almost 4%, adding 50 new openings for a total of 1,350 dentists in Dallas. In the same ten-year period, 400 new jobs for dental hygienists are expected to be created, from 1,100 to 1,500 positions, an increase of more than 36%. Jobs for dental assistants are also expected to increase by more than 35% over current levels, with 800 new jobs added, bringing the total number of dental assistants in Dallas to about 3,050.
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