Dental hygiene is a strong-paying Arizona healthcare career you can enter with a two-year accredited program and an Arizona RDH license. Here's the roadmap, with the Arizona training, licensing, and employers that matter.
Where to train in Arizona
Arizona has CODA-accredited dental hygiene programs at community colleges and universities. Phoenix College (a Maricopa Community College) runs a long-established program, and Pima Community College in Tucson offers one too — both pair classroom science with clinical training on real patients.
Licensing in Arizona
Arizona licenses dental hygienists through the Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners. You graduate a CODA-accredited program, pass the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination plus a clinical exam, and apply to the Board for your RDH license before you can practice.
Where the Arizona jobs are
Most Arizona hygienists work in private and group dental practices across Phoenix, Tucson, and growing communities statewide, with flexible and often part-time schedules. Community health centers and public-health programs add more options, and demand stays steady as the state grows.
Ready to start? Browse live Arizona opportunities — internships, training programs, and scholarships across the state.
An accredited program plus the board and clinical exams earn your RDH license
The path is clear: finish your science prereqs, complete a CODA-accredited program, and pass the National Board and clinical exams to earn your RDH license. It's a strong-paying healthcare credential you can earn in about two years.
Keep going: see whether the trades are worth it, compare becoming a radiologic technologist, and check if it will pay off.