Dental Hygiene

Associate Degree Program

A registered dental hygienist is an integral part of the dental team and is qualified to provide comprehensive therapeutic oral care and preventative education directly to diverse population groups in both clinical and community environments. Dental hygienists provide valuable oral health care services which may include oral assessments, oral cancer screenings, removing deposits from the teeth, exposing and processing dental radiographs, nutritional counseling, sealant placement, fluoride treatments and preventative education. There are many areas of specialization in the field, including research, sales, and clinical. The Dental Hygiene program will offer you many opportunities for educational advancement, as well as prepare you to be eligible for national, regional and state licensure examinations.

Academically ready students can apply to the program following the guidelines of the Allied Health admissions process. Interested applicants should review the information provided here and contact their program advisor for application requirements.

The program includes didactic, laboratory, and clinical experiences and is based at the Wilmington Campus.

Offered at the following campus(es): Wilmington

What You Can Do

In this program, you will gain the knowledge and skill to prepare you for careers in:

  • Private dental practices
  • Schools
  • Hospitals
  • Nursing homes
  • Public health clinics
  • Education
  • Research
  • Office management
  • Business administration
  • Dental companies

What You Will Learn

Program Graduate Competencies

The Program Graduate Competencies listed below identify the major learning goals related to your specific program of study and identify the knowledge and skills you will have when you graduate to be successful in your chosen field.

  1. Collect and analyze baseline data in a critical and scientific manner regarding the patient's health status to determine dental hygiene treatment needs.
  2. Utilizing professional communication skills and behaviors, initiate and responsibly advocate health care promotion and disease prevention for diverse populations.
  3. Provide dental hygiene care in a safe manner.
  4. Utilizing self-assessment skills, evaluate clinical performance and the effectiveness of dental hygiene treatment.
  5. Accurately document information related to dental hygiene care through proper record keeping.
  6. Recognize and manage the professional and ethical issues of dental hygiene practice in a dynamic environment.

Core Curriculum Competencies

The Core Curriculum Competencies listed below identify what you will be able to do as a graduate, regardless of your program of study. You will acquire these core competencies through general education courses and program-specific coursework. You will be expected to use relevant technology to achieve these outcomes:

  1. Apply clear and effective communication skills.
  2. Use critical thinking to solve problems.
  3. Collaborate to achieve a common goal.
  4. Demonstrate professional and ethical conduct.
  5. Use information literacy for effective vocational and/or academic research.
  6. Apply quantitative reasoning and/or scientific inquiry to solve practical problems.

Suggested Pathway to Graduation

Semester 1

Number Course Title Credits
SSC 100 First Year Seminar 1
MAT 162 Statistical Reasoning 4
BIO 120 Anatomy and Physiology I 5
CHM 110 General Chemistry 4
ENG 101 Composition I 3

Semester 2

Number Course Title Credits
BIO 100 Medical Terminology 3
BIO 121 Anatomy and Physiology II 5
DHY 101 Clinical Dental Hygiene I 2
DHY 111 Dental Hygiene Fundamentals I 3
DHY 121 Oral Histology/Embryology 2
DHY 132 Dental Anatomy 1.5
DHY 133 Head and Neck Anatomy 1.5

Semester 3

Number Course Title Credits
BIO 125 Introductory Microbiology 4
DHY 102 Clinical Dental Hygiene II 3
DHY 112 Dental Hygiene Fundamentals II 3
DHY 141 Oral Radiography 3
DHY 151 Periodontology/Cariology 3
DHY 161 Oral Pathology 3

Semester 4

Number Course Title Credits
ENG 102 Composition II 3
SOC 111 Sociology 3
DHY 103 Clinical Dental Hygiene III 2
DHY 271 Pharmacology for DHY 1.5

Semester 5

Number Course Title Credits
BIO 115 Nutrition 3
DHY 204 Clinical Dental Hygiene IV 4
DHY 212 The Compromised Dental Patient 1.5
DHY 213 Advanced Clinical Techniques 3
DHY 290 Community Dental Health 2

Semester 6

Number Course Title Credits
PSY 121 General Psychology 3
DHY 205 Clinical Dental Hygiene V 4
DHY 215 Practice Management 1
DHY 281 Operative/Specialty Dentistry 1
DHY 291 Community Dental Health Fieldwork 1

To complete program requirements, you must pass the above courses and earn at least 87 credits. The number of courses and credits required for graduation may be more depending on college readiness and the elective courses offered in your program major (if electives are a part of the program).

AHTAASDHY

Pursuing a Bachelor's Degree?

This is a Connected Degree program that enables you to complete your associate degree and then transfer to a four-year degree program as a junior. See a program advisor for details!

Alumni | Delivering Excellence, Changing Lives

Campus-Specific Program Information

This program is offered at the Wilmington campus.

This program is offered at the Wilmington campus.

This program is offered at the Wilmington campus.

Contact Wilmington:

Sharon Mossman
Department Chair, Instructor,
and Program Advisor
smossman@orkexpo.net
(302) 657-5177

The program in Dental Hygiene is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation and the United States Department of Education.

Commission on Dental Accreditation
211 East Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL  60611
(312) 440-2718
www.ada.org/coda