Mar 28, 2026  
2026-2027 Academic Catalog 
    
2026-2027 Academic Catalog

Dental Hygiene (A.A.S.)

Location(s): Springfield Campus


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Programs of Study by Location

A.A.S. Degree: 92 Hours

The Dental Hygiene profession offers a variety of career opportunities:  clinical practice in general and specialty dental offices; federal, state, and county health clinics; hospital-based treatment; long-term care facilities; industrial clinics; armed services; pharmaceutical sales; research institutions; and educational settings.

Contemporary dental hygiene practice requires that dental hygienists possess a breadth of knowledge and skills in a variety of areas.  Dental hygiene practice includes:  oral prophylaxis (cleaning); patient education; exposing, processing, and mounting radiographs; collecting and evaluating patient medical history information; performing head and neck examinations; periodontal assessment and non-surgical therapy; applying preventive agents; application of desensitizing and antimicrobial agents; and administering local anesthesia and nitrous oxide analgesia.

The dental hygiene program is a selective admission program.  A separate application process is required for acceptance into the program; the application deadline is May 31st.  Upon acceptance, the student may take the “program specific courses”. A grade of “C” or better is required for all DHY & DAS prefix courses. The dental hygiene program is a five-semester program which prepares the student for their national, regional, and state licensure examinations.  Contact the Health Sciences Office for an application packet.

The dental hygiene program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) of the American Dental Association (ADA), 211 E. Chicago, Suite 1900, Chicago, IL 60611, (312) 621-8099.  800.232.6108  https://coda.ada.org/

Selective Admission Program:


The information below shows the courses and requirements you need to graduate from this program. Some courses may need to be completed before you can enter the program and may have extra rules, like a required minimum grade. Please contact the Health Sciences office or visit the program page for more information on how to apply. 

Biological Clinical Sciences - 12 Credit Hours


General Education Requirements - 18 Credit Hours


Mathematical Sciences - 3 credit hours


Any higher level MTH course will satisfy this requirement. 

Written Communications - 3 Credit Hours


Oral Communications - 3 Credit Hours


Natural Sciences - 7 Credit Hours


Any higher level CHM course will satisfy the Chemistry requirement.

Social and Behavioral Sciences - 9 Credit Hours


Sociology - 3 credit hours


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Programs of Study by Location