Dental Hygiene, A.A.S. (A45260)

Courses required to meet graduation requirements in this curriculum are offered during day hours only. Some general education courses are offered at night. Minimum time for completion: seven semesters. The Associate in Applied Science degree is awarded graduates of this curriculum.

The Dental Hygiene curriculum provides individuals with the knowledge and skills to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate dental hygiene care for the individual and the community.

Students will learn to prepare the operatory, take patient histories, note abnormalities, plan care, teach oral hygiene, clean teeth, take x-rays, apply preventive agents, complete necessary chart entries, and perform other procedures related to dental hygiene care.

Graduates of this program may be eligible to take national and state/regional examinations for licensure which are required to practice dental hygiene. Employment opportunities include dental offices, clinics, schools, public health agencies, industry, and professional education.

Criminal Background Check/Drug Screening - Criminal background checks, drug testing, and certain immunizations/vaccines are required for students to participate in some external rotations. Students are required to complete a criminal background check when applying for the North Carolina Dental Hygiene license.

General Education Courses:

Note:

General Education Course Requirements– Applicants must have completed the following courses required for the program, prior to the Dental Hygiene Program application deadline. Students must complete BIO 275 , CHM 130 & CHM 130A , COM 110 , ENG 111 , ENG 114 , Humanities/Fine Arts Elective , and PSY 150 . Grades lower than “C” will not be accepted. Students must also be accepted into the Dental Hygiene program prior to taking DEN courses.

Major Courses:

BIO 168 - Anatomy and Physiology I Credit Hours: 4
BIO 275 - Microbiology Credit Hours: 4
DEN 110 - Orofacial Anatomy Credit Hours: 3
DEN 111 - Infection/Hazard Control Credit Hours: 2
DEN 112 - Dental Radiography Credit Hours: 3
DEN 120 - Dental Hyg Preclinic Lec Credit Hours: 2
DEN 121 - Dental Hygiene Precl Lab Credit Hours: 2
DEN 123 - Nutrition/Dental Health Credit Hours: 2
DEN 124 - Periodontology Credit Hours: 2
DEN 130 - Dental Hygiene Theory I Credit Hours: 2
DEN 131 - Dental Hygiene Clinic I Credit Hours: 3
DEN 140 - Dental Hygiene Theory II Credit Hours: 2
DEN 141 - Dental Hygiene Clinic II Credit Hours: 2
DEN 220 - Dental Hygiene Theory III Credit Hours: 2
DEN 221 - Dental Hygiene Clinic III Credit Hours: 4
DEN 222 - General & Oral Pathology Credit Hours: 2
DEN 223 - Dental Pharmacology Credit Hours: 2
DEN 224 - Materials and Procedures Credit Hours: 2
DEN 230 - Dental Hygiene Theory IV Credit Hours: 1
DEN 231 - Dental Hygiene Clinic IV Credit Hours: 4
DEN 232 - Community Dental Health Credit Hours: 3
DEN 233 - Professional Development Credit Hours: 2

Other Required Hours:

MED 118 - Medical Law and Ethics Credit Hours: 2

Total Credit Hours Required: 76

Developmental Course Requirements:

Developmental coursework (both prerequisite and corequisite) will be required of students whose placement test measures indicate a need for greater proficiency in the areas of English and/or mathematics. Please refer to the Course Description section for prerequisite and corequisite course information.