Dental Hygiene
Wayne County Community College District’s Dental Hygiene program strives to create a learning environment in which each graduate is instilled with the knowledge, skills and values to provide dental hygiene care to patients, as well as a sense of responsibility to self, the community and the profession. The curriculum for dental hygiene students provides a progression of knowledge and skills as demonstrated by competencies, which are the abilities required by the new dental hygiene graduate to enter the healthcare field as competent entry-level oral healthcare providers.
The Professional Track Program is two years in length, and there are a limited number of openings each year. Prior to acceptance, required prerequisite college courses must be completed. The program begins each fall semester with a cohort of students, and upon successful completion, the college awards an Associate of Science Degree.
We welcome your interest in the dental hygiene program and invite you to stop by the college and visit our dental clinic, or better yet, become a patient and learn more about the program. Appointments may be made by calling (313) 943-4010.
Dental Hygiene Application
Admissions, Accreditation & Curriculum Overview
Successful completion of the following requirements is required for eligibility and acceptance into the program. The Professional Track program is 83 total credit hours.
- Eligible applicants must meet with the Dental Program Dean prior to the application completion deadline, which is May 15th of each year.
- Admission to Wayne County Community College District and declare intent to enter the dental hygiene program. See the current college catalog for specific college admissions procedures, which include providing a high school transcript or G.E.D. and any related college transfer transcripts. Demonstrate reading comprehension at the freshman level via the ACCUPLACER Test.
- Demonstrate successful completion of the required pre-requisite courses: DEN 100; ENG 119; ENG 120; BIO 155; BIO 295; BIO 240; BIO 250; CHM 105; CHM 155; and PHL 201; SOC 100; SPH 101; PS 101; PSY 101; and a Humanities elective course. Natural science courses (BIO and CHM designations) will expire after 5 years. Those science courses that are greater than 5 years at the start of the program must be repeated.
- DT 130 and ALH 230 must be completed to receive an associate's degree from the college, but they may be taken during the professional dental hygiene track. It is highly recommended to take the courses PRIOR to entry. These grades will not be utilized in the selection of students for admission into the dental hygiene program.
- Pre-program students must earn a minimum of 2.0 in each required pre-requisite course listed above. Courses may be retaken as needed. Students are responsible for their financial aid information in this regard. There is no penalty to re-taking a course. However, in the case of a tie score between two applicants for the limited enrollment dental hygiene program, the number of repeats of the natural science courses (BIO and CHM designations) will be used as the initial tie breaker for entrance.
- All transfer credits must be from an accredited institution.
- A minimum of 12 credits must be obtained from WCCCD prior to applying. These can be obtained by taking the necessary pre-requisite courses. If a student is interested in a future Bachelor Degree program, and their pre-requisites are already taken, it is recommended they take these 12 credit hours in classes that could potentially be utilized for degree completion purposes.
- Completion of a current (between January 1st and May 15th of application year) WCCCD Allied Health Application by May 15th.
- Completion of a current (between January 1st and May 15th of application year) and acceptable criminal background check by May 15th, for the purpose of identifying any student who could not continue in the program due to a felony conviction (within the last 15 years) or misdemeanor conviction (within the last 1, 3, 5 or 10 years) in accordance with State statutes and laws it applies too. Students will be required to have an additional criminal background check at the time of application for licensure as required by the board of Dentistry. The cost of the criminal background check is the responsibility of the student.
- Submission of 3 current (between January 1st and May 15th of application year) letters of recommendation in sealed/signed envelopes.
- Completion of the California Achievement Test with scores of 12.9 on vocabulary and reading comprehension.
- Following acceptance, documentation of a physical exam with required immunizations prior to entry is required.
The Dental Hygiene Program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation and by the United States Department of Education. The mailing address and other contact information, listed below:
American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation
211 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611
Telephone: U.S. 312-440-4653
E-mail: accreditation@ada.org
National and Regional Board Examinations/Licensure
Graduates from this program are eligible to take the National Board Dental Hygiene Eexamination and the Commission on Dental Competency Assessment (CDCA) examination. These exams are required by states for licensing to practice as a dental hygienist. Additionally, students may sit for two optional regional exams on local anesthesia and nitrous oxide sedation.
Dental Hygiene Program Related Links
Occupational Outlook Handbook
United States Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-hygienists.htm
American Dental Association
211 East Chicago
Chicago, IL 60611-2678
http://www.ada.org/
Michigan Dental Hygienist's Association
http://www.mdhatoday.org
American Dental Hygienist's Association
http://www.adha.org
Commission on Dental Accreditation, American Dental Association
http://www.ada.org
The curriculum is taught using small group instruction with experienced faculty providing hands-on training within our own on-campus patient care dental clinic. The course of study in the Dental Hygiene Program provides a broad based education in the social, behavioral, and biological sciences with special emphasis toward teaching, community health and research. Although legal dental hygiene functions vary from state to state, some of the functions routinely performed by a dental hygienist include, but are not limited to:
- Calculus and plaque removal (hard and soft deposits) from above and below the gum line
- Examination of the teeth and oral structure, including a soft tissue exam
- Exposing and interpreting dental radiographs – Digital
- Plaque control instruction and developing personal oral hygiene programs for home care
- Dietary and tobacco use counseling
- Applying caries-preventive agents, such as fluorides and pit and fissure sealants
- Educating the individual patient and the general public about the importance of good oral hygiene habits
- Oral cancer and blood pressure screening
- Providing pain control measures through the use of local anesthesia and nitrous oxide sedation
- Designing community dental health programs
- Working with special population groups (minority groups, geriatric, mentally/physically disabled persons)
