Dental Hygiene Associate of Applied Science

Program Accreditation: Commission on Dental Accreditation

Program Overview:

The goal of the program is to provide academic and clinical educational opportunities for capable individuals to acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for the professional practice of dental hygiene. The program prepares individuals for a variety of career opportunities in private dental offices, schools, hospitals, clinics, and public health agencies. Members of the dental hygiene profession act as allied personnel to the dentist and make it possible for more complete preventive dental services to be provided to the public. The dental hygienist provides direct patient care and functions as an integral member of the dental team.

Program Outcomes:

Upon completion of the Dental Hygiene program at RCTC, students will achieve the following outcomes:

• Manage the ethical, legal and regulatory issues related to the practice of dental hygiene.
• Synthesize information in a critical, scientific and evidence-based manner.
• Promote interdisciplinary collaboration to improve the oral and general health of the public.
• Promote health and disease prevention activities for diverse populations.
• Assessment: Collect comprehensive patient data to identify physical and oral health status.
• Planning: Establish a dental hygiene care plan that reflects the realistic goals and treatment strategies to facilitate optimal oral health.
• Implementation: Provide treatment that includes preventive and therapeutic procedures to facilitate the patient’s optimal oral health.
• Evaluation: Evaluate the outcome of the preventive and therapeutic procedures related to the patient’s optimal oral health.

Additional Information:

Program Entrance Requirements

General education credits may be taken prior to entering the Dental Hygiene program. The dental hygiene courses are a four-semester sequence and must be taken without a break in registration. The Dental Hygiene Program Admission is competitive and requires a special application to apply. Dental Hygiene program admission requirements: https://www.rctc.edu/program/dh/admission/

Program Completion

Those who complete the program will be awarded an Associate in Applied Science Degree by RCTC. Graduates are eligible to take the licensure exams, which are required in all 50 states for the practice of dental hygiene.

Notice of Minnesota Background Study Requirement Minnesota Statute 245C requires that students who have contact with individuals in licensed institutions complete an annual background study with the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Individuals who do not pass the background study will not be allowed to participate in clinical activities. A list of disqualifying offenses is available at https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=245C.15. Students in the program will also be required to complete a national criminal background study. Information about completing both background studies will be available from program faculty.

DENTAL HYGIENE AAS

MINNESOTA TRANSFER CURRICULUM (MnTC)/GENERAL REQUIREMENTS (32 CREDITS)

GOAL 1: COMMUNICATION (7 CREDITS)

• COMM 1114 – Fundamentals of Public Speaking (3 cr) OR COMM 1130 – Interpersonal Communication (3 cr)
• ENGL 1117 – Reading and Writing Critically I (4 cr)

GOAL 3: NATURAL SCIENCES (16 CREDITS)

• BIOL 1217 – Anatomy and Physiology I (4 cr)
• BIOL 1218 – Anatomy and Physiology II (4 cr)
• BIOL 2021 – General Microbiology (4 cr)
• CHEM 1117 – General, Organic and Biological Chemistry I (4 cr)

GOAL 5: HISTORY AND THE SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES (6 CREDITS)

• PSYC 1611 – Psychology of Adjustments (3 cr) OR PSYC 2618 – General Psychology (4 cr)
• SOC 1614 – Introduction to Sociology (3 cr)

GOAL 6: HUMANITIES AND THE FINE ARTS (3 CREDITS)

Credits from MnTC Goal 6

PROGRAM CORE REQUIREMENTS (51 CREDITS)

• BIOL 1211 – Principles of Nutrition (3 cr)
• DH 1510 – Principles of Dental Hygiene I (2 cr)
• DH 1511 – Dental Hygiene Practice I (4 cr)
• DH 1512 – Oral Anatomy (4 cr)
• DH 1520 – Principles of Dental Hygiene, II (2 cr)
• DH 1521 – Dental Hygiene Practice II (5 cr)
• DH 1523 – Oral Pathology (2 cr)
• DH 1524 – Periodontology (2 cr)
• DH 1525 – Dental Imaging for Interpretation (3 cr)
• DH 2530 – Principles of Dental Hygiene III (3 cr)
• DH 2531 – Dental Hygiene Practice III (6 cr)
• DH 2532 – Pain Control (2 cr)
• DH 2533 – Dental Pharmacology (2 cr)
• DH 2540 – Principles of Dental Hygiene IV (2 cr)
• DH 2541 – Dental Hygiene Practice IV (6 cr)
• DH 2542 – Community Dental Health (3 cr)

RECOMMENDED COURSE SEQUENCES

No less than 8 credits of basic sciences must be completed for admission. Students with no prior college experience are NOT eligible for admission into Dental Hygiene. You must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.00 and a raw science GPA of 2.5.

FULL-TIME

• Semester 1 – Fall (13 CREDITS)
  BIOL 1211, DH 1510, DH 1511, DH 1512
• Semester 2 – Spring (14 CREDITS)
  DH 1520, DH 1521, DH 1523, DH 1524, DH 1525
• Semester 3 – Fall (13 CREDITS)
  DH 2530, DH 2531, DH 2532, DH 2533
• Semester 4 – Spring (11 CREDITS)
  DH 2540, DH 2541, DH 2542

RCTC course descriptions