Do you need to be an assistant before you become a hygienist?

No, many community colleges offer a Dental Hygiene program of study. However, they are quite competitive programs.

You can obtain this information by going to www.collegeboard.com/splash/ and using the sites College MatchMaker search engine. You can research colleges and universities by name, or by programs of study, or by geographical location, size, or combinations of all etc. The site will provide you with a list of institutions based on your request. It will give you the schools background, accreditation, programs of study, entrance requirements, tuition and fees, etc. and a link to the institutions official web page.