I always talk to my dental hygienists to understand their backgrounds. One of the most interesting backgrounds I’ve heard was from a dental hygienist who was in the military at one point and did her dental hygiene work at Midwestern University. She got a full bachelor’s degree and was thinking about becoming an instructor in this field. She was extremely enthusiastic about what she did, obviously super well suited for it, too.
Here is a link to information about her school’s program. I don’t know how many universities offer a degree in this field, but dental hygienists are often better paid than some nurses and seem to be in good demand. Good luck to you.