Programs - General Description

National Avg. Salary: (Hourly)
- Starting:
  $23
- Experienced:
  $30
Local Avg. Salary: (Hourly)
- Starting:
  $17
- Experienced:
  $23
Completion Time
(in months)
- 24
Waiting List:
- No

Susan Cochran

Program Director

Current Program/Catalog Information

To view current program information, select a program (or "ALL" for all programs) from the drop-down menu.

Dental Hygiene Degree

Health and Sciences Division

General Description | Semester Layout | Course Requirements | Printable Checklist

Mission

To provide students with a comprehensive technical education that will prepare them to graduate with the knowledge, skills, and values needed to begin the practice of dental hygiene.

Description

Dental Hygienists perform a variety of duties including those relating to prevention of oral and dental diseases and direct patient care. Dental Hygienists must be reliable, have good manual dexterity, and be able to communicate and work effectively with patients and other members of the dental office staff. Dental Hygienists are employed primarily in private dental offices, although some employment opportunities are available in public and government facilities. The annual income for Dental Hygienists is approximately $30,000 plus available benefits. As the population grows and as emphasis on prevention of oral diseases continues to be a priority, job prospects for Dental Hygienists are expected to continue to grow.

Accreditations, Approvals, and Certifications

This program has been accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (American Dental Association 211 East Chicago Avenue Chicago, IL 60611 312.440.2500 ) .

Program Entrance Requirements

Course Level	Required Courses
High School	Algebra I, Biology, Chemistry
College	BIO 210, ENG 101, PSY 201, MAT 165
NOTE: A grade of "C" or better is required for each prerequisite course.

Other	Required
Diploma or GED	Yes
Approval/Permission Needed -- Application Process Departmental Approval	Yes
Prior Experience/Observation Minimum fifteen hours of observation in a dental office preferably with a RDH, or experience working in a dental office	Yes
Minimum Cumulative GPA of 2.5	Yes
Current CPR Certification by American Heart Association or American Red Cross	Yes
First Aid Certification	No
Hepatitis B Immunization or Signed Informed Refusal or Titer	Yes
MMR Immunization or Titer	Yes
Chicken Pox Vaccination or Titer	Yes
Two-step PPD / Chest X-Ray	Yes
Medical Examination Forms are provided by the college and should be current (within one year) and complete.	Yes
Dental Examination Forms are provided by the college and should be current (within one year) and complete. Dental health must meet departmental standards.	Yes
Technical Standards Forms are provided by the college and should be current (within one year) and complete.	Yes
Negative Drug Screen	Yes
Satisfactory Background Check	Yes
Other Diplomas, Licensures, etc.	No
Recent Photograph Photograph will not be returned.	No

Academic Standards

Standard Criteria	Required
Courses requiring a grade of "C" or better Any course with one of the following prefixes: AHS, BIO, CHM, DAT, DHG, ENG, Humanities, MAT, PSY, SOC, SPC	Yes
Courses that may not be attempted more than twice Any course with one of the following prefixes: BIO, CHM, DAT, DHG, ENG, MAT, PSY, SOC	Yes
Complete or Maintain CPR Certification by American Heart Association or American Red Cross	Yes
Curriculum Completion Requirement 36 months	Yes
Drug Calculation Competency Students must demonstrate drug calculation competency each semester in order to progress in curriculum courses.	No
Dismissal Policy A student must maintain a 2.0 GPA or better each semester. Failure to comply with this standard will result in the student being placed on academic probation. Two consecutive semesters in which the GPA is less than 2.0 will result in the student being withdrawn from curriculum courses. If a student fails to earn a "C" or better in DHG prefix courses or AHS 113, they are withdrawn from the AAS.DHG curriculum. If a student fails to earn the minimum required grade in the following courses in two attempts by the end of the accompanying listed semester, they are withdrawn from the AAS.DHG curriculum: BIO 211 (1st semester), CHM 105 (2ND semester), BIO 115 (3rd semester), SOC 101 (5th semester), Humanities/Fine Arts Elective (5th semester).	Yes
Re-entry Policy	No

Agency Requirements

Students in health majors must meet the published clinical agency requirements when participating in assigned labs. Requirements include immunizations, background checks, and drug testing. To be in compliance with Article, 23, Section 44-7-2920 of the S.C. Code of Law, all students enrolled in AHS 141, DAT 154, DHG 154, HIM 102, MED 102, MLT 110, NUR 160, NUR 201, PNR 110, RAD 101, RES 101, and SUR 101 must complete the requirements listed above prior to being assigned to any direct care entity. Results of the background check/drug screening could affect the student's ability to complete required clinical rotations and/or become credentialed. For example, a felony conviction could make a student ineligible to take the licensing exam(s) required by the profession or prevent the student from participating in the clinical training component.

Graduation Requirements

Complete all required courses specified in the curriculum.
Fulfill all financial obligations to the College.
Achieve a cumulative final GPA of 2.0.
Earn at least 25 percent of the total credit hours of his/her curriculum at FDTC. Exceptions can be made only by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Program Specific Notes

AAS.DHG students are defined as those students who are actively enrolled in the Dental Hygiene required Major Core Curriculum courses (DHG prefix courses and AHS 113). Only AAS.DHG students may enroll in DHG prefix courses and AHS 113.

AS.AS.DHG students are defined as those students who meet entrance requirements and are taking required, related courses prior to enrollment into the AAS.DHG curriculum. AS.AS.DHG students may enroll in BIO, CHM, ENG, SPC, PSY, SOC, MAT, and elective course in the curriculum. All AAS.DHG standards apply to AS.AS.DHG students. Failure to meet these standards will result in the withdrawal from the AS.AS.DHG program. Once withdrawn, a student must petition in writing to the Dental Department Head for reinstatement/enrollment into the AS.AS.DHG curriculum. At the end of DHG 165 an exit exam is given and the students are required to pass at a score of 75 or above (in 2 attempts) in order to proceed into DHG 175.

Application available on www.fdtc.edu March 1st for Fall Admission.