If you are looking to get into a dental hygiene program or are one step away from completing the requirements for your desired dental hygiene program, you know how challenging it can be to get accepted. There are many factors that go into determining if you are eligible for acceptance into a dental hygiene program.
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To learn more about the Bergen County Dental Hygiene application, Middlesex County College Dental Hygiene, Eastern International College Dental Hygiene, dental hygiene programs in NJ, and the BCC Dental Hygiene program, click here. You will also find related articles on Bergen Community College’s dental hygiene program on Collegelearners.
Bergen College Dental Hygiene Program
Department Chair: Tomira Rozar
Phone: (201) 689-7729
Department Secretary: Susan DiSanto
Room: HP-106
Phone: (201) 447-7937
Fax: (201) 447-2384
Dental Hygiene Clinic Phone: (201) 447-7180
Dental Hygiene Clinic Location: HP-103
Graduates of the Dental Hygiene AAS Program are capable of performing preventive dental care with competence. The curriculum of the program uses a variety of instructional methods, including didactic, clinical, technological, and laboratory. The dental hygiene curriculum is rigorous and offers a “hands-on” approach to learning. It also involves a range of educational experiences and venues, including the regular classroom, the laboratory, and the clinic. Everybody seeking preventative dental care is welcome at the dental hygiene clinic. The Dental Accreditation Commission has granted the Dental Hygiene program accreditation status of “approval without reporting obligations.”
Career Paths
The Associate of Applied Science degree (A.A.S.) is designed to provide students with the coursework and clinical training needed to enter into the field as a dental hygienist. The curriculum provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to pursue a pathway to careers in dental hygiene. Once students complete the program, they are prepared to take the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE) and the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments Examination (CDCA). Once students pass the licensure exam and requirements, they become a Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH). Students are strongly encouraged to consult with Bergen Community College faculty and Career Services as they begin to explore career options.
Transfer Opportunities
Students pursuing the Associate of Applied Science degree (A.A.S.) in Dental Hygiene may consider transfer opportunities into other allied health and science majors. Students are encouraged to work closely with Bergen Community College faculty and Advising Transfer Services. Students planning to transfer to a four-year institution in NJ can explore the “Transfer Programs” feature on NJ Transfer https://njtransfer.org.
The Dental Hygiene Program prepares graduates to perform competently in providing preventive oral care. The program incorporates didactic, clinical, technological, and laboratory teaching approaches throughout the curriculum. The dental hygiene curriculum is a challenging one that provides a “hands-on” approach and incorporates a variety of educational experiences and environments from the traditional classroom to the laboratory and the on-campus clinic. The dental hygiene clinic is open to anyone seeking preventative oral health care.
Program Length: 24 months; Preadmission Test: Dental Hygiene Admissions Exam; GPA for admissions eligibility: 2.50
High school applicants must attain the age of 18 by the first day of the first semester of the program.
High School prerequisite courses: Chemistry, with lab; Biology, with lab; Algebra. College requirements: BIO-109, CHM-112, and MAT-040 (if indicated by Placement Testing). Application Deadline: February 1; Program Admits: Fall semester
Eligible candidates are invited to sit for the Dental Hygiene Admissions Examination.
If a high school student is going to apply to the DHY program, they must complete CHM-112, College Chemistry, before the application deadline, Feb 1. A junior or senior high school student, 16 years of age or older, may apply for the College Experience (https://bergen.edu/college), with their guidance counselor’s or principal’s permission/endorsement. Then they can register for CHM-112 during the fall semester and successfully complete prior to the application deadline.
All core DHY courses MUST be taken in sequential order within the Bergen Community College Dental Hygiene Program. NO DHY courses may be transferred or taken at any other dental hygiene program. All core DHY courses are co-requisites for each other during every semester of the dental hygiene program.
The Dental Hygiene Program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Apply a professional code of ethics in all endeavors
- Adhere to state and federal laws, recommendations, and regulations in the provision of dental hygiene care.
- Use critical thinking skills and comprehensive problem-solving to identify oral health care strategies that promote patient health and wellness.
- Use evidence based decision making to evaluate emerging technology and treatment modalities into patient care plans to achieve high-quality, cost-effective care.
- Assume responsibility for dental hygiene actions and care based on accepted scientific theories and research as well as the accepted standard of care.
- Continuously perform self-assessment for lifelong learning and professional growth.
- Integrate accepted scientific theories and research into educational, preventive, and therapeutic oral health services.
- Promote the values of the dental hygiene profession through service-based activities and community affiliations.
- Apply quality assurance mechanisms to ensure continuous commitment to accepted standards of care.
- Communicate effectively with diverse individuals and groups, serving all persons withoutdiscrimination.
- Record accurate, consistent, and complete documentation of oral health services provided.
- Initiate a collaborative approach with all patients when developing individualized care plans that are specialized, comprehensive, culturally sensitive, and acceptable to all parties involved in care planning.
- Initiate consultations and collaborations with all relevant health care providers to facilitate optimal treatments.
- Manage medical emergencies by using professional judgment, providing life support, and utilizing required CPR and any specialized training and knowledge.
bergen community college dental hygiene program application
Admission to college programs in health professions is limited to a specific number of candidates each year because of requirements imposed by accrediting agencies and by the availability of faculty, college laboratory, and clinical agency resources. To insure that all applicants are evaluated in the same way, within each discipline, criteria for acceptance have been developed by the Division of Health Professions and Student Services. These criteria will be utilized in determining the candidates who will be offered admission. Admission will have a step process: academic eligibility will be determined, as well as a criminal history background check, basic skills testing, and admissions examination for the program.
All eligible candidates for admission to the Dental Hygiene program are required to take a national Health Professions standardized admissions examination – The Admissions Assessment Examination by HESI. There is a fee that is payable directly to the examination company. The examination is given off-campus at a testing center. All eligible Dental Hygiene candidates with a clear background report will receive an invitation to take the examination. The invitation will outline all information related to the examination.
If students have not taken the necessary high school prerequisites, the courses can be made up by substituting courses taken at Bergen. These courses must be taken before students apply to any Health Professions program. Science prerequisites must be completed within the last five years. Applicable college science courses taken more than five years ago are not transferable. All science grades must be a “C” or better.
All students applying to health professions programs must take the basic skills test and successfully complete all remedial course-work prior to application deadline February 1.
A successful candidate for a health professions program at Bergen Community College must possess certain abilities and skills necessary to provide and maintain safe and effective care administered to the patient. The candidate must be able to function on an independent level without any intermediary. These skills and abilities include: observation, communication, motor skills, cognitive and intellectual skills, behavioral, and social attributes.
Health Professions students must carry personal medical health insurance, professional liability insurance, and be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by the American Heart Association (Healthcare Provider with AED). In addition, all health professions students are required to complete health examination forms upon admission to the program and fulfill the requirement for a yearly Mantoux skin test for tuberculosis.
Students seeking admission to the Dental Hygiene program must submit completed applications including transcripts by February 1 for fall (September) admission.
Prerequisites for the Dental Hygiene program must be completed prior to the application deadline February 1.
Criminal History Background Check/Drug Screening Requirement
Clinical agencies mandate criminal history background checks and drug screenings for all individuals engaged in patient care, and all students must undergo criminal history background checks before admission may be offered. These checks are conducted by external companies, and the information is sent to the Dean of Health Professions. All background reports must be clear to be eligible for admission and to be invited to take any Admissions Examination. Any applicant with a criminal history background report that is NOT clear will not be eligible for consideration.
Drug screenings must be completed after acceptance to the program. The drug screening form will be sent with the acceptance packet and must be completed by the deadline noted. All drug screenings must be negative to be eligible to participate in the program.
Minimum Entrance Requirements for Health Professions
Degree Programs
Dental Hygiene Program AAS.HP.DENTL
Program Length: 24 months
Program Admits: Fall semester
GPA for Admissions Eligibility: 2.50
Preadmission Test: Dental Hygiene Admissions Exam
Application Deadline: February 1
High School Prerequisite Courses: Chemistry w/lab; Algebra and Biology w/lab. High School students must complete CHM-112 (College Chemistry), before the application deadline. A junior or senior high school student, 16 years of age or older, may apply for dual enrollment, with their guidance counselors or principal’s permission/endorsement. They can register for CHM-112 during the fall semester and successfully complete prior to the application deadline.
College Requirements: BIO109; CHM112 and MAT040
Prerequisite courses must be completed prior to application deadline.
middlesex county college dental hygiene program curriculum
Dental Hygienists clean teeth and examine oral areas, head, and neck for signs of oral disease. They educate patients on oral hygiene, take and develop x rays, and may apply fluoride or sealants. Starting salaries are high and there are many job opportunities in this region.
CatalogCatalog
Semester I
Credit-by-examination available if the student is licensed to take radiographs in New Jersey.
Preventive Oral Health Services I 4
Oral Histology and Embryology 1
Semester 2
Preventive Oral Health Services II 5
Human Anatomy and Physiology I 4
Summer I and/or Summer II
Principles of General, Organic and Biochemistry 4
Human Anatomy and Physiology II 4
Semester 3
Preventive Oral Health Services III 5
Local Anesthesia and Pain Control 2
Semester 4
Preventive Oral Health Services IV 5
Standards of Progress
Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0. Must achieve a “C” grade or better in all science courses to satisfy degree requirements. Must achieve a “C” grade or better in all dental hygiene courses in order to progress in the curriculum. An unsatisfactory grade (i.e. a grade less than “C”) in any first semester dental hygiene course results in dismissal from the program. The student has the option to reapply to the Dental Hygiene Program. Upon readmission, the student is required to retake DHY-107– Preventive Oral Health Services I in addition to any other failed courses. If a student earns a grade of less than “C” in any dental hygiene course other than the first semester courses, the student may retake the course the next time it is offered, and if space is available in the program for the student to return. Upon returning, the student is also required to retake the DHY-107– Preventive Oral Health Services course that is the co-requisite for the semester they return. Students retaking clinical courses must adhere to the conditions outlined in the Dental Hygiene program’s Policy for Returning Students. A student may retake a failed dental hygiene course only once; any subsequent failure(s) in the same dental hygiene course will result in dismissal from the Dental Hygiene Program. Students who are dismissed from the Dental Hygiene Program have the option to re-apply.
Total Credits: 73
Program Outcomes
Graduates of the Program will be able to:
- Prepare qualified dental hygiene students according to the competencies adopted by the Dental Hygiene Program.
- Provide individualized patient centered comprehensive dental hygiene care.
- Participate in collaborative community health promotion through diverse organized experiences. Prepare professional dental hygienists who successfully integrate into the dental community.
essex county college dental hygiene program
Dental Hygiene from Essex County College is a Campus Associate Dentistry degree that prepares you for a Healthcare career. Why major in Dental Hygiene? This associate degree program, offered jointly by Essex County College and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, prepares an individual for a career as a registered dental hygienist . Dental hygienists perform services that detect, prevent, and treat diseases of the mouth, under the supervision of a dentist. The program is accredited by the American Dental Association/Commission on Dental Accreditation (CDA). Graduates are qualified to take the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and the North East Regional Board examinations to secure a license to practice. Dental hygienists can obtain employment in private dental offices, community and school health education programs, hospital dental clinics, and private industrial employee clinics. Upon completion of this program, graduates will be able to: Perform the following duties: – Prophylaxis (clean teeth) – Administer fluoride – Provide patient education and nutritional counseling – Expose, process, and mount radiographs –
Examine head, neck and oral areas for disease – Fabricate mouth guards – Polish amalgam restorations – Work as a member of the dental health care team. – Administer local anesthesia Exhibit competency as clinicians through demonstrated performance on the North East Regional Board Dental Hygiene Examination and the National Board Examination and feedback from employers surveys; Assume responsibility for health promotion and disease prevention for individuals and communities through participation in multiple dental health education projects; Perform multiple, advanced level dental auxiliary functions as defined in the New Jersey State Dental Practice act program goals: Obtain the RDH license; Demonstrate professional development through membership in the Student American Dental Hygienists’ Association and participation in related activities; Display professionalism in the delivery of comprehensive dental health care; Prepare individuals for employment as dental hygienists; Determine student satisfaction with educations programming; Assess patient satisfaction with treatment service provided by students through data collection from the patient satisfaction survey.