DENHY: Dental Hygiene Associate in Science Degree
Diablo Valley College · Pleasant Hill, CA
- Cost
- $8,562
- Length
- 16 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
Program names and program descriptions appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Occupation titles are translated where O*NET publishes a Spanish name. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
No outcomes reported for this program
About a third of California programs report nothing. That is a fact about the program's reporting, not evidence that it works or does not.
The jobs 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.
Shrinking -2.1%
California projects this job will shrink over the next ten years. Fewer openings may mean a harder search.
Trains for more than one job. The outlook shown is the weakest of them.
Related work California expects more of
The U.S. Department of Labor lists these as related to the job above, and California projects growth in them rather than decline. Related is not the same as interchangeable: the training, the licenses and the pay can all differ, and this program does not train for these. It is a place to start asking, not a recommendation.
- Medical Equipment Repairers$74,499 · +9% · 1 program here
- Medical Appliance Technicians$52,706 · +7.1% · No programs here train for it
- Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians$48,492 · +5.9% · No programs here train for it
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic$50,312 · +2.3% · No programs here train for it
Where California publishes a separate figure for Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties), it appears beneath the statewide one. Statewide stays the headline: people who train here do not necessarily work here.
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 4 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.
- Attend continuing education courses to maintain or update skills.
What this pays in Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | $112,521 | $151,517 | $160,964 |
| Across California | $104,948 | $128,427 | $156,173 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $128,427per yearOakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: $140,917
- Projected openings
- 17,950Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 1,470
- 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.
Dental Assistants
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Dental Assistant (DA) · Oral Surgery Assistant · Expanded Dental Assistant · Surgical Dental Assistant
- Prepare patient, sterilize or disinfect instruments, set up instrument trays, prepare materials, or assist dentist during dental procedures.
- Record treatment information in patient records.
- Assist dentist in management of medical or dental emergencies.
- Order and monitor dental supplies and equipment inventory.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Expose dental diagnostic x-rays.
- Provide postoperative instructions prescribed by dentist.
- Instruct patients in oral hygiene and plaque control programs.
- Take and record medical and dental histories and vital signs of patients.
What this pays in Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | $49,014 | $65,777 | $81,232 |
| Across California | $39,773 | $51,379 | $75,567 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $51,379per yearOakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: $64,395
- Projected openings
- 81,180Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 6,280
- Projected change
- +10%
- Usually needs
- Postsecondary non-degree award
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.
Dental Laboratory Technicians
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Waxer · Ceramist · Metal Finisher · Dental Ceramist
- Read prescriptions or specifications and examine models or impressions to determine the design of dental products to be constructed.
- Test appliances for conformance to specifications and accuracy of occlusion, using articulators and micrometers.
- Fabricate, alter, or repair dental devices, such as dentures, crowns, bridges, inlays, or appliances for straightening teeth.
- Prepare metal surfaces for bonding with porcelain to create artificial teeth, using small hand tools.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Rebuild or replace linings, wire sections, or missing teeth to repair dentures.
- Place tooth models on an apparatus that mimics bite and movement of patient's jaw to evaluate functionality of model.
- Apply porcelain paste or wax over prosthesis frameworks or setups, using brushes and spatulas.
- Remove excess metal or porcelain and polish surfaces of prostheses or frameworks, using polishing machines.
- Typical pay in California
- $48,492per yearOakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: $57,792
- Projected openings
- 5,390Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 220
- Projected change
- -2.1%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- 1 to 12 months
Program details
This program provides in-person instruction only.
A two-year associate in science degree program of classroom instruction and clinical experience that prepares individuals to clean teeth and apply preventive materials provide oral health education and treatment counseling to patients identify oral pathologies and injuries and manage dental hygiene practices. Includes instruction in dental anatomy microbiology and pathology dental hygiene theory and techniques cleaning equipment operation and maintenance dental materials radiology patient education and counseling office management supervised clinical training and professional standards. Note: This is a highly competitive program limited to 20 students each Fall term. Prior to August 1st, students who have successfully passed DENHY-101 and have chosen to enroll in the program must show: 1. Proof of CPR certification; 2. required immunization/titers; 3. proof of negative one-step TB test; 4. Results of physical exam; 5. results of certified background check; 6. results of certified drug tests (reporting documents handed out during orientation meeting).
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 (2026-09-18). 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.
Ask before you enroll, not after
The order the rules set out starts at the center rather than at the school. Before a center can find somebody eligible for training services it has to gather enough to decide, at a minimum through an interview, evaluation or assessment and career planning. Referring a person to the provider they have chosen and setting up the account both come after that, and both are the center's to do — the account is a payment agreement with the training provider, and it is the provider that is paid through it. So the call belongs before enrolling and before paying. Anyone who has already done either should still ask, and ask what it means for them.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
Concord America`s Job Center of California / East Bay WorksComprehensive center
Phone: 925-671-4500
4071 Port Chicago HighwaySuite 250Concord, CA 94520about 5.1 miles away
Hours: M-F 8:30 am-5:00 pm
Has a veterans' representative
East Oakland Neighborhood Career CenterAffiliate site
Phone: 510-568-8349
7200 Bancroft AvenueSuite 140Oakland, CA 94605about 13.9 miles away
Hours: Monday - Thursday 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
The Unity Council Career & Resource CenterAffiliate site
Phone: 510-535-6101
1900 Fruitvale AvenueOakland, CA 94601about 14.2 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am-5:00pm
At a comprehensive center all the required partner programs can be reached; an affiliate site offers some of them. 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 →