Dental Hygiene: AAS (CTE)

Associate of Applied Science | 89 credits minimum, including prerequisites

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Program Description
The Dental Hygiene Program offers an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree which prepares graduates to practice entry level dental hygiene. Dental hygienists provide preventive and therapeutic health care services including oral health assessment & education, pit & fissure sealants, fluoride treatments, oral prophylaxis, chemotheraputics and advanced periodontal therapy; in addition to public dental health services.

Upon administrative approval, second-year SLCC dental hygiene students are eligible to take examinations required for licensure in all fifty states, including the written National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE) and state or regional clinical examinations, such as the CDCA-WREB-CITA exam.

Career Opportunities
Dental hygienists may secure employment in a variety of settings, including private dental offices and clinics, schools, nursing homes, hospitals, public health facilities and other government agencies. Due to the unique nature of the profession, dental hygienists enjoy a flexible work schedule ideal for balancing career and lifestyle needs.

Transfer & Articulation Information
Please refer to the Student Resources section of the SLCC University Transfer webpage.

Estimated Cost for Students
Tuition and student fees: http://www.slcc.edu/student/financial/tuition-fees.aspx
Course fees: $2,500
Books: $1,250
Dental Hygiene Instrument Kit: $6,500
Clinic attire (scrubs, embroidery, shoes): $250
Student American Dental Hygienists’ Association (SADHA): $230
Board and licensing exams:
   National Board Dental Hygiene Exam: $700
   Local Anesthesia Written Exam: $125
   Local Anesthesia Practical Exam: $370
   Clinical Board Exam: $1,150

NOTE: Fees may vary based upon specific registration and are subject to change.

PROGRAM ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

GENERAL ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

Be admitted to SLCC as a matriculated student. See http://www.slcc.edu/apply/index.aspx.
High School Graduate or equivalent.
For transfer credit, submit OFFICIAL, SEALED transcripts for ALL colleges and universities where prerequisite course work has been completed. Send to: SLCC Office of the Registrar and Academic Records, 4600 South Redwood Road, P.O. Box 30808, Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0808
Also, a request to have an OFFICIAL evaluation of student’s transcript(s) must be submitted to the SLCC Transfer Evaluation Office. The form is located at: http://www.slcc.edu/transcriptevaluation/. This process may take 4-6 weeks and must be completed before a student’s application will be considered.
Complete SLCC Placement exam, or submit current SAT/ACT test scores, if MATH and ENGL course work have not been transferred to SLCC (required before you are able to register for classes that have MATH and ENGL courses as prerequisites). See: www.slcc.edu/testing.

DENTAL HYGIENE PROGRAM SELECTIVE ADMISSONS APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

This program is selective admission and has additional requirements to be accepted into the degree program. Specific requirements and process can be found here: http://www.slcc.edu/dentalhygiene/admissions.aspx. Please contact the Health Sciences Admissions Office, healthsciencesadmissions@slcc.edu or 801-957-6253, for additional information.

Specialized Accreditation
The SLCC Dental Hygiene Program is accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), 211 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611.

Licensure Information
We have made a good-faith effort to collect state licensure requirements for the SLCC programs of study that lead to professional licensure. You can view additional information about state licensure requirements on our Professional Licensure webpage.

General Education Requirements

Complete all General Education courses. Refer to Notes for program specific requirements and recommendations.

Associate of Applied Science Degree (AAS) General Education Requirements

Program General Education Notes

REQUIRED:

Composition (EN): ENGL 1010

Quantitative Studies (QS): MATH 1010
Will also allow MATH 1040 (RECOMMENDED), MATH 1050, MATH 1060, MATH 1080, and MATH 1210

Communication (CM): COMM 1010 or
COMM 1020 or
COMM 2110

Human Relations (HR): met through the program requirements.

Life Sciences (LS): NUTR 1020

Social Sciences (SS): SOC 1010

NOTE: BIOL 1610 /BIOL 1615 , although not required for the program, are required pre-requisites for several selective admissions course requirements (BIOL 2060/BIOL 2065, BIOL 2320/BIOL 2325, and BIOL 2420/BIOL 2425). Students may transfer BIOL 2060/2065, BIOL 2320/2325 and BIOL 2420/2425 equivalents with appropriate grades without completing BIOL 1610/1615.

Program Requirements

Prerequisite Courses (20 credits)

Time to Completion & Graduation Map

Dental Hygiene AAS: Full-time
Core Program requires two academic years. Students will follow the program semester schedule. Summers are not included. Additional time is required to complete prerequisites and AAS Gen Ed requirements. Please see the Dental Hygiene academic advisor.

Program Learning Outcomes

Program learning outcome alignment with Student Learning Outcomes in brackets.

Initiate and participate in community oral health programs. [2,4,5,6,7]
Successfully complete the National Board Dental Examinations and regional/state dental hygiene licensure board examinations. [1,2,3,4,6]
Utilize the Dental Hygiene Process of Care (assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation) to positively affect the oral health status and behavior of individuals and groups. [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
Communicate effectively with patients, peers & faculty in both verbal and written forms. [1,2,3,7,9]
Utilize critical thinking skills in problem solving and decision-making. [1,3,4,6,7,8]

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