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 with an extension location at the Dover campus that serves Kent and Sussex county students. Dover campus-based students complete their didactic courses at both the Dover and Wilmington campus locations and their clinical experiences at the Dover Air Force Base.

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 100First Year Seminar1
MAT 162Statistical Reasoning4
BIO 120Anatomy and Physiology I5
CHM 110General Chemistry4
ENG 101Composition I3

Semester 2

Number Course Title Credits
BIO 100Medical Terminology3
BIO 121Anatomy and Physiology II5
DHY 101Clinical Dental Hygiene I2
DHY 111Dental Hygiene Fundamentals I3
DHY 121Oral Histology/Embryology2
DHY 132Dental Anatomy1.5
DHY 133Head and Neck Anatomy1.5

Semester 3

Number Course Title Credits
BIO 125Introductory Microbiology4
DHY 102Clinical Dental Hygiene II3
DHY 112Dental Hygiene Fundamentals II3
DHY 141Oral Radiography3
DHY 151Periodontology/Cariology3
DHY 161Oral Pathology3

Semester 4

Number Course Title Credits
ENG 102Composition II3
SOC 111Sociology3
DHY 103Clinical Dental Hygiene III2
DHY 271Pharmacology for DHY1.5

Semester 5

Number Course Title Credits
BIO 115Nutrition3
DHY 204Clinical Dental Hygiene IV4
DHY 212The Compromised Dental Patient1.5
DHY 213Advanced Clinical Techniques3
DHY 290Community Dental Health2

Semester 6

Number Course Title Credits
PSY 121General Psychology3
DHY 205Clinical Dental Hygiene V4
DHY 215Practice Management1
DHY 281Operative/Specialty Dentistry1
DHY 291Community Dental Health Fieldwork1

To complete program requirements, you must pass the above courses and earn at least 88 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@dtcc.edu
(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