Dental Hygiene (9310)

The dental hygienist is a licensed member of the dental health team dedicated to helping patients maintain good oral health and prevent diseases and disorders. The dental hygienist is highly skilled in providing direct patient care and preventive procedures. Most dental hygienists are employed in private practice dental offices. However, hygienists are involved increasingly in other areas of preventive dentistry such as dental health education, community health, and public dental health.

The dental hygiene program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association. Upon satisfactory completion of the Dental Hygiene National Board Examination, Commission on Dental Competency Assessments Board Examination, and the Ohio Laws Test, graduates are eligible to apply for an Ohio Dental Hygiene License. Fingerprinting and a background check is a component of the application for licensure. Any student who has been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor related to substance abuse, or crime involving moral turpitude, may be denied licensure by the Ohio State Dental Board. Students requiring further clarification are encouraged to contact the Ohio State Dental Board at 614.466.2580.

All students enrolled in a nursing or allied health program/certificate must complete a criminal background check. In accordance with clinical site requirements, students with a criminal record may be ineligible to participate in a clinical course/rotation/practicum. Delays, for any reason, in obtaining background results may cause an interruption in the clinical rotation sequence or inability to complete program requirements. Additional background screening may be required by individual facilities.

Drug testing may be requested in accordance with clinical affiliation requirements and/or for patient/student health and safety.

A minimum GPA of 2.0 and a "C" grade or higher is required in all dental hygiene and general education courses as listed in the curriculum guide for the AAS degree in dental hygiene. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grades may not be used to fulfill health program requirements.

Admission Procedures

Students must meet specific admission requirements for this program. Listed below are requirements for admission to the Dental Hygiene Program:

Option 1: High School Option

This option is for current high school seniors or high school graduates who apply to the program within two years of high school graduation.

  • Complete college application(s).
  • Composite score of 21 or higher on the American College Test (ACT) or combined score of 940 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).
  • Place into MATH 1330 Statistics for the Health Sciences or higher or pass MATH 0850 Beginning Algebra.
  • Complete high school algebra, chemistry, and biology with a "C" grade or higher.
  • An overall high school GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale or equivalent.
  • Meet with the program director and counselor to review program prerequisites and requirements.

Upon successful completion of the above criteria, the applicant will be admitted into the program. Students must complete HLTH 1215 Medical Terminology for Health Professions with a "C" grade or higher prior to enrolling in their first health technology course.

Option 2: College Option

This option is for students who do not qualify for admission under Option 1.

  • Complete college application(s).
  • Submit high school transcript as well as any college transcript(s).
  • Successful passing score on the required program pre-admission test.
  • Meet with the program director and counselor to review program prerequisites and requirements.
  • Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher in program applicable courses. The following courses, or equivalent courses from other regionally accredited colleges, must be completed with a combined minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher and a “C” grade or higher. See program director for specific grade policy.

NOTE:  Students must meet one of these requirements to take BIOL 2210 Anatomy and Physiology I with a "C" or higher:

  1. High school biology within last five years and high school chemistry.
  2. High school biology within last five years and CHEM 1100 Elementary Chemistry I: Intro to Inorganic Chemistry.
  3. BIOL 1200 Fundamentals of Biology for the Health Technologies.

Students are required to take the Math Placement Test and be placed into MATH 1330 Statistics for the Health Sciences or complete MATH 0850 Beginning Algebra with a "C" grade or higher.

Option 3: Advanced Education Option

Students pursuing this option must have an Associate of Applied Science degree in Nursing or Allied Health, an Associate of Science degree, or a bachelor degree to be waived from the pre-admission testing. All other Option 2 requirements apply.

Plan of Study Grid
First SemesterCredit Hours
BIOL 2210 Anatomy and Physiology I 4
DNHY 1110 Introduction to Preventive Oral Hygiene 5
DNHY 1111 Anatomy of Orofacial Structures 4
DNHY 1112 Dental Radiology 3
FYEX 1000 First Year Experience 1
 Credit Hours17
Second Semester
BIOL 2220 Anatomy and Physiology II 4
DNHY 1122 Nutrition and Preventive Oral Hygiene Concepts 2
DNHY 1123 General and Oral Pathology 2
DNHY 1124 Periodontics I 2
DNHY 1125 Dental Hygiene Practice-Clinic I 3
DNHY 1126 Dental Hygiene Practice-Seminar I 1
DNHY 1127 Current Concepts in Dental Materials 2
 Credit Hours16
Summer
Summer I
CHEM 1100 Elementary Chemistry I: Intro to Inorganic Chemistry 4
DNHY 2005 Pain Management for Dental Hygienists 2
PSYC 1500 Introduction to Psychology 3
Summer II
BIOL 2700 Microbiology 4
ENGL 1110
or ENGL 1111
 English Composition I (A) 1
or English Composition I (B)
 3
 Credit Hours16
Third Semester
DNHY 2110 Periodontics II 1
DNHY 2111 Dental Pharmacology and Pain Control 2
DNHY 2112 Community Dental Health I 1
DNHY 2113 Dental Specialties and Extended Dental Hygiene Functions 1
DNHY 2114 Dental Hygiene Practice-Clinic II 4
DNHY 2115 Dental Hygiene Practice-Seminar II 1
SOCY 1150 Principles of Sociology 3
 Credit Hours13
Fourth Semester
COMM 1050
or COMM 1150
 Fundamentals of Public Speaking
or Fundamentals of Interpersonal Communications
 2
DNHY 2126 Practice Management 1
DNHY 2127 Community Dental Health II 2
DNHY 2128 Dental Hygiene Practice-Clinic III 4
DNHY 2129 Dental Hygiene Practice-Seminar III 1
Select any Mathematics course from MATH 1330 or higher 2 3
 Credit Hours13
 Total Credit Hours75
1

 English course selection is based on placement test results (ENGL 1111 English Composition I (B) is 4 credits, only 3 credits apply to the degree).

2

Students planning to transfer to a four-year college should take a sequence of math as advised by their counselor.

Technical course
This course is designated as a technical course in the program. Students must earn a "C" grade or higher in the course to fulfill the college's graduation requirements policy.