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Dental Hygiene

Transfer to Dental Hygiene

PPSC students can take prerequisites for Dental Hygiene programs and then transfer. General education requirements for Dental Hygiene are different from and more extensive than Dental Assisting. See more about this below.
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Student working on dental patient

What is a Dental Hygienist?

A dental hygienist is a licensed healthcare professional that is skilled and an essential member of the dental health care team in the delivery of preventive dentistry. They have more extensive skills than Dental Assistants and, therefore, have more training requirements. In the traditional role of dental hygienist training includes
  • prophylaxis
  • patient data gathering for diagnosis and treatment planning
  • fluoride treatment
  • sealant application
  • radiographic examination
  • nutritional counseling
  • periodontal diseases prevention and treatment
  • treatment of handicapped, institutionalized, and other medically compromised patients
  • administration of local anesthesia and nitrous oxide
In the expanded role of the dental hygienist training includes Interim Therapeutic Restorations (ITR).

You may be employed in any of the following areas upon completion of a Dental Hygiene Associate of Applied Science degree:

  • General Practice
  • Periodontic Practice
  • Pediatric Practice
  • Independent Practice
  • Public Health Setting

Explore more through the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

NOTE: This profession is not the same as being a Dental Assistant.

Dental Hygiene Education Requirements

It is very important that you consult with your choice of Dental Hygiene programs to take the correct general education requirements and to understand their application requirements and deadlines. Review the PPSC Medical Science Biology Sequence chart in the tab at the top of the page.

Dental Hygiene programs are competitive entry programs. Most have annual application dates and very specific course sequences. Be sure that you are taking the correct courses for your target program.

Dental Hygiene programs typically include the following requirements:

Colorado Public Institution Programs

Colorado Northwestern Community College

Community College of Denver

Pueblo Community College

What to Do Now

  • Review application requirements for the colleges in which you are interested.
  • Make note of the application dates for each.
  • Feel free to contact each college for specific questions.
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