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LCCC Catalog 2022-2023 
    
    Dec 12, 2024  
LCCC Catalog 2022-2023 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Dental Hygiene, AAS


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The dental hygienist is a preventive oral care professional licensed to provide educational, clinical, and therapeutic dental hygiene services to the public. This unique 16-month program combines academic study with supervised clinical experience. Graduates of the program receive an Associate of Applied Science degree and are eligible to take the appropriate national, regional and/or state examinations. Applicants are encouraged to contact the state boards of dentistry in the states in which they wish to practice for individual licensing requirements and circumstances for licensure denial.

The dental hygiene program is a vigorous study of advanced science classes offered in an accelerated format. General education and basic science courses are essential to prepare students to succeed. Therefore, applicants are required to complete pre-dental hygiene course requirements. Each prerequisite course must be completed with a grade of “C” or higher. Completion of the prerequisite coursework does not guarantee admission into the dental hygiene program. Additionally, LCCC’s academic skills assessment and placement policy apply.

The Dental Hygiene program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at 312.440.4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611.

Contact Information

Contact information is available on the Dental Hygiene program website.

Map your individual academic plan of courses with your College Advisor.

If students choose to transition to another program within the Health Sciences & Wellness pathway, they should be particularly aware of the choice points that indicate when a decision to branch off into another program must be made to ensure credits and time are not lost.

Coursework common to all degrees within this pathway is indicated by CAC, Common Academic Coursework, in the program map. 

Competencies


Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

  1. Provide evidence-based dental hygiene care.
  2. Practice informed decision-making to function as an integral member of the dental health team.
  3. Exhibit professional behavior consistent with legal and ethical standards of the dental hygiene code of ethics.
  4. Educate patients in all aspects of oral health care.

First Semester - Prerequisites


Choice Points


  • Students pursuing Dental Hygiene must take either ZOO 2010  OR ZOO 2015  within the last 5 years.
  • Students pursuing Dental Hygiene should complete the prerequisite courses listed here during their first semester to avoid losing credits and to stay on track to apply to the program.

Semester Total: 19 Credits


Second Semester - Prerequisites


Choice Points


  • Students pursuing Dental Hygiene must take either ZOO 2020  OR ZOO 2025  and MICR 2240  within the last 5 years.
  • Students pursuing Dental Hygiene are required to take SOC 1000  or ANTH 1200 ; however, SOC 1000  is strongly recommended.
  • Students may choose to take an approved HSI course at any time throughout the Dental Hygiene program. Student are encouraged to take this course prior to program entry.

Course Requirements


Milestones


  • Students are eligible to apply to the Dental Hygiene program during this semester.

Semester Total: 18 Credits


First Semester - Spring I


Milestones


  • Students are eligible for clinical learning.

Semester Total: 14 Credits


Second Semester - Spring II


Milestones


  • Students are eligible for clinical rotations for on- and off-site patient care rotations.

Semester Total: 15 Credits


Third Semester - Fall I


Fourth Semester - Spring I


Milestones


  • Completion of Dental Hygiene, AAS.
  • Upon successful completion of the program, students are eligible to take national and regional clinical boards. Boards are required for licensure within the field based on each state’s statute.

Semester Total: 12 Credits


Program Credit Hour Total: 93.5 Credits


Program Comments

Students planning to apply to a specific closed program should work closely with their Advising Team regarding course sequence options required for completion prior to program application. Some program applications are points based.

The information below is intended to be a guide, and does not guarantee regional job placement, job availability, or a specific wage after completion of the program. Dental Hygienists may work in private dental practices, community health settings, nursing homes and hospitals. Many hygienists work part-time in multiple offices, particularly in rural locations. Students are required to pass the national and regional boards required for licensure according to each state’s statutes.

Additional information on careers in Dental Hygiene is available through Career Coach.

Transfer Information

The AS Dental Hygiene program is well suited for transfer to a Bachelor of Dental Hygiene degree. LCCC courses may transfer to institutions in addition to those with formal articulation agreements. Students are strongly encouraged to determine the degree requirements and transfer policy of the specific college/university and program to which they plan to transfer.

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