Dental Hygiene, A.S.

Location(s): Highlands Campus, Online Selective Courses

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Program Code: 1640

The A.S. degree in Dental Hygiene prepares you for licensure as a dental hygienist so you may provide quality oral health care to the public. Our four program goals are to provide an environment that fosters respect for the American Dental Hygiene Association (ADHA) Professional Code of Ethics and Conduct that supports state laws governing the practice of dental hygiene to provide high quality didactic instruction that precipitates critical thinking, teaching responsibility for evidence-based decision making and create a desire for lifelong learning, educate you in precision instrumentation that integrates didactic theory with oral hygiene therapy, and prepare you to deliver education and therapeutic services in your communities, while recognizing dental hygiene as a dynamic profession.

Once accepted into the program, the dental hygiene curriculum will prepare you for employment as a licensed dental hygienist. You will be expected to master competencies of the dental profession such as patient assessment, dental hygiene instrumentation, direct patient care services including debridement, taking, and interpreting diagnostic radiographs, oral hygiene education, special population dental care, expanded functions, office management, infection control, ethics, and jurisprudence. Upon successful completion of the program, you will be eligible to sit for the National Dental Hygiene Board Examination and the Florida State Clinical Licensure Examination. The South Florida State College Dental Hygiene Program is accredited by the American Dental Association (ADA) Commission on Dental Accreditation, 211 East Chicago Avenue, Suite 1900, Chicago, IL 60611.

Length: 88 credit hours (66 credit hours following the completion of the 22 credit hours prerequisites)

This is a limited access program. Admission to this program occurs once per year. Online applications will be accepted until the posted deadline date at 11:59 p.m. Visit southflorida.edu/healthsciences for important application information and deadlines.

Application Requirements

In addition to the admission requirements of the College, the following are requirements for admission to the Dental Hygiene Program:

I.	Satisfactory completion of ATDH Test.
II.	Completion of the seven prerequisite dental hygiene courses with a grade of C or higher in each. Prerequisite courses should be completed by the end of the spring term. An average cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher in the prerequisite courses is required. (Some of the prerequisite courses may themselves have prerequisites; verify this information with the Advising and Counseling Center at 863-784-7131 or in this College Catalog under Course Descriptions.) Laboratory science courses must have been completed within five years prior to application.

	The prerequisite dental hygiene courses are:

	Course Name	Hours Completed	Grade	Gen Ed
	BSC 1085C - Human Anatomy and Physiology I 4 cr. hrs.
	BSC 1086C - Human Anatomy and Physiology II 4 cr. hrs.
	CHM 1020 - Introducing General Chemistry 3 cr. hrs.
	CHM 1020L - Introducing General Chemistry Lab 1 cr. hrs.
	ENC 1101 - Freshman English I 3 cr. hrs.
	MAC 1105 - College Algebra 3 cr. hrs.
	MCB 2010C - Microbiology 4 cr. hrs.

	NOTE: Must earn a grade of C or higher in each of the courses listed above.

III.	Verification work experience in a dental facility.
IV.	Resident of Highlands, Hardee, or DeSoto Counties, Minimum 1 year (verified).
V.	Candidate Interview (video or in person).
VI.	Other: Certifications/Degrees. Graduate of ADA/CODA Accredited Dental Assistant Program/CDA, AA Degree, Bachelor Degree, Military Service, Minimum 4 years (verified), Community Service-Volunteering (verified).
VII.	A completed Dental Hygiene Program online application.

Admissions Procedures

You are responsible for the following admissions procedures and for ensuring that your records are complete in the Admissions, Registration, and Records Office. No application will be considered unless it is complete.

I.	Submit the following to apply to the program:
	A.	Completed online SFSC Admissions Application, select Dental Hygiene major/program.
	B.	Official high school/GED® transcript.
	C.	Official transcript from each postsecondary institution attended.
	D.	Verification from a licensed general dentist or dental hygienist, substantiating completion of at least 40 hours of observation, volunteer service, or work experience on the required form.
II.	Once accepted into the program, you will receive instructions to complete the following:
	A.	Physical health exam and a record of immunizations from a licensed physician or nurse practitioner, and a statement of satisfactory dental health from a licensed dentist (forms will be provided after acceptance into the program).
	B.	Florida Department of Law Enforcement fingerprinting (will be scheduled prior to enrollment).
	C.	CPR Certification.
	D.	You will be required to submit program documentation through a third-party compliance company throughout the program.

NOTE: Failure to complete these requirements will result in loss of enrollment into the program.

Dental Hygiene Applicant Ranking System

ATDH scores - points based on percentile for testing cohort (Points Possible = 10)

50 or greater percentile	10 Points
45 percentile	9 Points
40 percentile	8 Points
35 percentile	7 Points
30 percentile	6 Points
25 percentile	5 Points
>24 percentile	0 Points

Prerequisites GPA (Points Possible = 30)

4.0 - 3.5	30 Points
3.49 - 3.25	20 Points
3.24 - 2.75	10 Points

Work Experience Hours - Verified (Points Possible = 30)

4000 +	30 Points
3999 - 2000	20 Points
1999 - 1000	10 Points
999 - 250	5 Points

Resident (10 Points Possible)

^●	Highlands, Hardee, or Desoto County
		Minimum 1 year (verified)	10 Points

Candidate Interviews (10 Points Possible)

^●

Video/In-person

0-10 Points

Other (Points Possible = 10)

^●	Certifications/Degrees (0-6)
^●	Graduate of ADA/CODA Accredited Dental
	Assistant Program (1)/Certified Dental Assist (2)
^●	Associate Degree (3)
^●	Bachelor Degree (4)
^●	Military Service - Minimum 4 years (verified) (0-3)
^●	Community Service - Volunteering (verified) (0-3)

Total Points Available

100 Points

Residency Preference: Prerequisite Courses taken at South Florida State College (10 Points)

Required Courses

Fall Term

Total Credit Hours: 17

Spring Term

Total Credit Hours: 12

Summer Term

Total Credit Hours: 9

Fall Term

Total Credit Hours: 16

Spring Term

Total Credit Hours: 12

Note:

*	It is your responsibility to meet with the instructional supervisor or counselor to select the proper course to fulfill this requirement.
#	Computer competency skills general education requirement is covered within the Dental Hygiene curriculum for the associate degree.

General Information

1.	SFSC reserves the right to deny admission to you, if you demonstrate the lack of required qualifications for the Dental Hygiene Program.
2.	You must reapply, if you wish to be considered for a subsequent class. Each class is selected from a new applicant pool.
3.	The College adheres to federal and state laws controlling equal access/equal opportunity.
4.	You should understand that completion of all or part of the general education courses required in the degree does not guarantee acceptance into the program.
5.	If you have excessive absences, you will be dropped from the program. Excessive absences are defined as being absent from 10% or more scheduled class contact hours. If you have life or health conditions that might hinder attendance, you may wish to consider another program or delay application until a strong commitment to attendance can be made.
6.	An official criminal history background check is required for entry into the Dental Hygiene Program. Be aware that some providers of clinical experience will not allow individuals with certain types of criminal history into their facilities. This may be cause for denial into the program enrollment, because such individuals would not be able to successfully complete clinical portions of the Dental Hygiene Program.
7.	For information about the Dental Hygiene Program, application procedures, and employment opportunities, contact the dental hygiene instructional supervisor at 863-784-7023.

Approximate Program Costs

Application Fee	$ 15
CPR	65
Florida Department of Law Enforcement Background Check/Document Manager	97
Graduation Fee	15
Graduation Pin	45
Laboratory Fees which include Florida State Licensure Examination	6,180
Physical/Medical Costs	500
Resident Tuition	6,958
Textbooks	1,975
Approximate Total	$15,850

The registrar determines course equivalency of prerequisite dental hygiene courses taken at other colleges and universities. If the registrar is unable to determine course equivalency, then course equivalency will be determined by the appropriate SFSC division dean.