Dental Hygiene, A.A.S.

After successfully completing this program, you will have the ability to:

Ethics, Professionalism and Communication  

• Exemplify the American Dental Hygienists’ Association code of ethics, state and federal laws, recommendations and protocols in the provision of dental hygiene care.
• Communicate effectively using verbal, nonverbal, written, and electronic skills.

Dental Hygiene Process of Care

• Perform evidenced-based individualized dental hygiene education and care based on the periodontal condition as defined by the American Academy of Periodontology.
• Integrate methods to ensure the health and safety of the patient and the dental hygienist in the delivery of dental hygiene care.

Community Involvement

• Perform oral health services in a variety of settings.
• Assess, plan, implement and evaluate community-based oral health programs.

Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

• Evaluate elements that can be used to promote patient adherence to disease prevention and/or health maintenance strategies.
• Identify individual and population risk factors for oral disease.

Professional Growth and Development

• Exemplify commitment to lifelong learning, utilizing current scientific literature and self-assessment skills.
• Identify the role of the dental hygienist within healthcare, such as: industry, education, research and public health.

Individuals who have:

• Been reprimanded or had any type of license suspended, cancelled, or revoked by any State Board.
• Been the subject of an investigation by any State Board.
• Been summoned, arrested, taken into custody, indicted, convicted, tried for, charged with, or pled guilty to a violation of any law or ordinance or the commission of any Felony or Misdemeanor, or have been requested to appear before any prosecuting attorney or investigative agency in any manner.
• Been or are now addicted to the use of drugs, narcotics, or alcohol, in any form, or have ever been a habitual user thereof.
• Been refused membership in the American Dental Association or any state or local society.

May not be eligible for dental hygiene licensure in the state of Oklahoma. If any of these circumstances exist, the prospective student is advised to discuss this with the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry at 405-522-4844 before applying to the program.

Get started on your dental hygiene journey. Explore program prerequisites and curriculum details in our catalog for more information.

Degree Requirements

Chart your path to becoming a dental hygienist. Explore the program roadmap in our catalog for a step-by-step guide to success.

Program Map

Our Dental Hygiene Program admits a new class of 14 students yearly, beginning in August at the Metro Campus. The applicant pool is highly competitive, so meeting with a School of Health Sciences advisor and attending an orientation are essential steps in the application process.

We've got a clear path to get you started in the Dental Hygiene program:

1. Apply to TCC: First, apply for admission to TCC. This involves submitting your high school and any college transcripts, and current ACT scores. Please note that if you haven't been enrolled at TCC in the past year, you'll need to complete this application.
2. Submit the TOEFL Requirements, if applicable.
3. Contact a School of Health Sciences Academic Advisor.
4. Complete the Dental Experience Verification.
5. Review the Estimated Cost of the Dental Hygiene Program.
6. Apply to the Dental Hygiene program online by March 1.
7. Confirm the Dental Office Experience Verification Form is received by our program.
8. Eligible applicants will be notified through your TCC email for interviews. After the interview, you'll also receive notifications about whether you've been selected for the program through your TCC email.
9. Keep an eye on your application status.

We're here to help you succeed. Contact us at dentalhygiene@tulsacc.edu for more information.

Admission Requirements

To join the Dental Hygiene Program, you must meet these requirements:

• Have a minimum GPA of 3.2.
• Achieve a minimum ACT composite score of 20.
• Complete BIOL 1314 - Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology and CHEM 1134 - General, Organic and Biological Chemistry before the application deadline.
• Finish other prerequisite coursework by the end of the spring term when we review your application.
• Prepare for an extensive background check, including a seven-year county of residence nationwide criminal history check, national sexual predator screening, Social Security check, and Medicare/Medicaid fraud screening. This is required by our clinical affiliates.
• All Health Sciences students doing clinicals must complete these background checks, immunizations, and a drug screening test by the deadline set by the School of Health Sciences office before their first clinical rotation.
• Keep in mind that positive findings in the background check may be reviewed by the clinical affiliates and could potentially affect your ability to complete clinical requirements.
• We want to ensure the safety and success of all our students.

English Language Proficiency Requirements

If English is your second language and you're an international student applying for any TCC health sciences program, you'll need to show your English proficiency. Here's what you need to know:

• If you've graduated from a U.S. high school, you don't need to take the iBT TOEFL or IELTS tests.
• Your test scores must be from within the last 2 years of the semester you're applying for.

iBT TOEFL Requirements:

• Writing: Minimum score of 21
• Speaking: Minimum score of 24
• Reading: Minimum score of 20
• Listening: Minimum score of 20
• Total score: Minimum of 85

IELTS Requirements:

• Reading: Minimum score of 6.5
• Listening: Minimum score of 6.5
• Speaking: Minimum score of 7.5
• Writing: Minimum score of 6
• Total IELTS Band score: Minimum of 6.5

You must meet these minimum scores in all four sub-tests on a single exam. If your total score doesn't meet the sub-score minimums, it won't meet the requirement. In some cases, exceptions may be considered.

Note: Duolingo Test is not accepted.

To take the tests:

To find a testing site, register, and pay the test fee for TOEFL iBT, visit the ETS website.

To find a testing center, register, and pay the test fee for IELTS, visit the official IELTS website. Both tests cost around $190.

We strongly encourage you to take practice tests to prepare for these important exams.

Your official scores, including all sub-scores, must be sent directly to the TCC Registrar’s Office. We're here to help you through this process and ensure your success.

American Dental Hygienists’ Association (which includes the Oklahoma Dental Hygienists’ Association and Tulsa County Component).

Upon finishing Health Science programs, students become eligible to take national licensure exams. At TCC, Dental Hygiene students have achieved a remarkable 100% pass rate, consistently surpassing the national average.

TCC's curriculum is tailored to fulfill pre-education requirements for licensure/certification in Oklahoma. While designed for state licensure exams, students considering other states should review relevant professional licensure disclosures and consult with the respective licensing board. State boards determine eligibility for licensure based on current rules when applying.

Explore our Professional Licensure Disclosures for comprehensive details on licensing requirements and certifications. Your informed career journey starts here.

• Statement of Philosophy and Goals - Dental Hygiene Program
• Application Points Value and Acceptance Policy - Dental Hygiene Program
• Bloodborne and Infectious Disease Guidelines - Dental Hygiene Program

The Dental Hygiene Program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, Chicago, Illinois.