Dental Hygiene, AS

The Dental Hygiene Program is designed to prepare the student to practice as a licensed dental hygienist. A graduate of the program is eligible to take the Dental Hygiene National Board and, upon successful completion of that board, is eligible to take a state board to obtain a state license.

The program annually recruits a freshman class to begin in the Fall term. The program is comprised of general education courses, dental hygiene courses, and clinical practice. The general education course work is acceptable from any accredited college. The dental hygiene core courses are offered only on the Lee Campus.

The Dental Hygiene program has limited enrollment due to clinical facilities and accreditation standards. Each applicant must meet specific criteria which are listed in the admission policies. The Criteria for Admission Policies are available through the program office or through the Health Professions office at (239) 489-9255. The applicant must have completed three of the following sciences classes by the records check appointment: BSC 1093C, BSC 1094C, MCB 2010C, CHM 2025 with CHM 2025L or any higher-level Chemistry course with its accompanying lab (for example, CHM 2032 and CHM  2032L). Information packets with application to the program may be downloaded by visiting www.edison.edu (go to Programs of Study and click on your program of interest to download).

The program is fully accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation.

The student must purchase uniforms, an instrument kit, liability insurance, and books. There are fees for tuition, graduation, laboratory, clinic, licensure exams, and association dues.

Dental Hygiene Graduates Typically Earn:

The starting salary for a dental hygienist is approximately $35,000-$40,000 annually.*

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there are 5,000 national openings per year. Consistently, 100% of Edison State’s graduates from the Dental Hygiene program are locally placed.*

*Source: http://www.bls.gov

Dental Hygiene Career Opportunities:

• Private Dental Office
• Public Health
• Dental Hygiene Education
• Sales
• Consulting
• Marketing

Continuing Toward a Bachelor’s Degree?

You may want to consider earning your bachelor’s degree with Edison State College or looking into our academic partnerships with many universities and colleges. For information about bachelor’s degree opportunities at Edison State College, please contact the program advisor at (239) 489-9067.

First Round Application Deadline: December 15

Course Prerequisites:

Refer to specific course descriptions listed in this Catalog.

Program Prerequisites:

The program prerequisites encompass successful completion of a program acceptance process including program-level admissions points, competition with all other applicants based on academic transcript evaluation, and affective skills demonstration. The admissions process requires satisfactory completion of a College-approved criminal history background check and drug testing completed at the applicant’s expense. The clinical enrollment process requires satisfactory completion of an immunization and health report.