Cathy Wakefield, Program Director
Allied Health 141
301-784-5580
https://allegany.edu/dental-hygiene/index.html

The Dental Hygiene Curriculum is designed as a two-year career program leading to the Associate of Applied Science degree. This curriculum is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, American Dental Association, 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611; 312-440-2568. The graduates of this program qualify as applicants for licensure to practice dental hygiene in all states. The demand for the services of the dental hygienist remains great, and the rewards for these services are at a very high level.

The Dental Hygiene program at Allegany College of Maryland has been designated as a Health Manpower Shortage Program. The Maryland State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has determined certain health occupations to be in short supply. The Maryland Higher Education Commission has designated educational programs that correspond to these health occupations to be eligible for the Health Manpower Shortage Program. Maryland residents from counties other than Allegany County who register in this eligible program will be charged the out-of-county tuition rate. However, these students may be eligible to receive reimbursement for a portion of the cost difference between the in-county and out-of-county tuition rates. Funding availability for this program is based on funding from the State of Maryland and is thus subject to change each semester. Some restrictions apply. More information can be obtained by contacting the Admissions Office.

To become eligible for the Dental Hygiene Program an applicant must satisfy the following requirements. Dental Hygiene is a competitive admission program and meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee program admission.

Additional costs to the student, beyond the cost of tuition, fees, and books are estimated to be approximately $2,500 for uniforms, instruments, and membership dues to professional organizations. This is a career program and is designed to enable students to seek employment at the program's completion. Students planning to transfer should consult with their advisor or the Advising Center staff regarding specific program and course transfer issues.

Successful completion of this program qualifies a student to apply for an Associate of Applied Science degree in Dental Hygiene.

To become eligible for the Dental Hygiene Program an applicant must satisfy the following requirements. Dental Hygiene is a competitive admission program and meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee program admission.

1. The applicant must have completed fifteen (15) or more semester hours of college level
course work beyond required developmental courses with a minimum cumulative grade
point average of 2.5 or better. Admission to the program is competitive; GPAs will be
ranked.
2. These fifteen hours MUST include successful completion (“C” or better) of the following
four courses.

1Chemistry 100 or Chemistry 101*	4 credits
1Biology 201 (Human Anatomy and Physiology) or Biology 207 and Biology 208 (Anatomy and Physiology of the Human I and II)*	4 credits
1Biology 204 (Microbiology)*	4 credits
English 101 (English Composition I)	3 credits

*Please see course descriptions for prerequisites
¹Laboratory science courses taken five or more years prior to application for admission will not be considered.

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In addition to the regular college application, all applicants must file a dental hygiene department application. Entrance into the program is competitive and applicants will be ranked by their academic performance. The deadline for filing an application (includes having all transfer credit transcripts on file in the Admissions Office) is March 31.

Students must also be BLS/CPR Certified and maintain this certification throughout their dental hygiene courses. This certification must be completed prior to entering dental hygiene clinical course work. Applicants must also meet and comply with the Performance Standards for Dental Hygiene throughout their dental hygiene course work.

Official midterm and final transcripts for all course work ‘in progress’ or completed after the date the student submits a program application must be submitted to be considered for admission. Students will be notified of acceptance throughout the month of June.

A satisfactory health record, including immunizations, must be on file prior to the clinical experience in Dental Hygiene 107. To participate in clinical experiences, students must obtain a Background Criminal Record Check. If participating in clinicals at a Pennsylvania clinical site, students must also obtain a Child Abuse History Clearance. During enrollment any official change or the initiation of any governmental proceeding affecting the information revealed by the required criminal or child abuse background check must be reported immediately by the student to the Director of the Dental Hygiene Program.

 

 

 

 

Prerequisite Coursework

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CHEM-100 or CHEM-101	Elements of Chemistry or General Chemistry I
BIO-201 or BIO-207 and BIO-208	Human Anatomy and Physiology or Anatomy and Physiology of the Human I and Anatomy and Physiology of the Human II
BIO-204	Microbiology
ENG-101	English Composition I

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Required Dental Courses

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DENT-101	Introduction to Dental Health
DENT-102	Dental Histology and Embryology
DENT-103	Oral Anatomy
DENT-104	Dental Materials
DENT-107	Dental Hygiene Techniques
DENT-108	Clinical Dental Hygiene I
DENT-109	Radiology
DENT-200	Pharmacology and Pain Management
DENT-201	Clinical Dental Hygiene II
DENT-202	Clinical Dental Hygiene III
DENT-203	Oral Pathology
DENT-204	Dental Office Management, Ethics, and Jurisprudence
DENT-207	Community Dental Health Education I
DENT-208	Community Dental Health Education II
DENT-209	Periodontics
DENT-213	Nutrition

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Required General Courses

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MATH-109	Probability and Statistics
PSYC-101	General Psychology
SOC-101	Introduction to Sociology
SPCH-101	Speech Communication

 

DENTAL HYGIENE
TWO-YEAR CAREER PROGRAM
PREPARATION FOR EMPLOYMENT

Prerequisite Coursework	Credit Hours
Chemistry 100 or 101 (Elements of Chemistry or General Chemistry I)	4
Biological Science 201 (Human Anatomy and Physiology) or Biological Science 207 and 208 (Anatomy and Physiology of the Human I and II)	4
Biological Science 204 (Microbiology)	4
English 101 (English Composition I)	3
Total:	15

FIRST SEMESTER	Credit Hours
Dental Hygiene 101 (Introduction to Dental Health)	2
Dental Hygiene 103 (Oral Anatomy)	4
Dental Hygiene 107 (Dental Hygiene Techniques)	4
Mathematics 109 (Probability and Statistics)	3
Total:	13
SECOND SEMESTER
Dental Hygiene 102 (Dental Histology and Embryology)	2
Dental Hygiene 104 (Dental Materials)	2
Dental Hygiene 108 (Clinical Dental Hygiene I)	2
Dental Hygiene 109 (Radiology)	3
Dental Hygiene 213 (Nutrition)	2
Psychology 101 (General Psychology)	3
Total:	14
THIRD SEMESTER
Dental Hygiene 200 (Pharmacology and Pain Management)	3
Dental Hygiene 201 (Clinical Dental Hygiene II)	4
Dental Hygiene 203 (Oral Pathology)	3
Dental Hygiene 207 (Community Dental Education I)	2
Dental Hygiene 209 (Periodontics)	2
Total:	14
FOURTH SEMESTER
Dental Hygiene 202 (Clinical Dental Hygiene III)	5
Dental Hygiene 204 (Dental Office Management, Ethics, and Jurisprudence)	1
Dental Hygiene 208 (Community Dental Health Education II)	2
Sociology 101 (Introduction to Sociology)	3
Speech 101 (Speech Communication)	3
Total:	14
Total Credit Hours:	70

 

This curriculum is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, American Dental Association, 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611; 312-440-2568. The graduates of this program qualify as applicants for licensure to practice dental hygiene in all states.