Purpose: The curriculum is designed to prepare selected students to serve in a dynamic and growing health profession, as valuable members of the Dental Health team. At the successful completion of the program, the student will be eligible to take the National Board and Regional Board Examinations in Dental Hygiene leading to licensure as a Registered Dental Hygienist (R.D.H.). The Program is also designed to accommodate those students who wish to transfer to a four-year college or university to complete the baccalaureate degree in a health- related field.
Students must comply with all General Requirements for Health Technologies as specified in Section I.
Admission Requirements:
1. Students must pass NAS 150, Human Biology, 4 credits, with a grade of C or better prior to being admitted to the program.
2. Students may be required to repeat courses or to complete evaluative testing for credits earned more than ten years ago.
Special Program Requirements: The Commonwealth of Virginia Board of Dentistry reserves the right to deny licensure to any candidate who has been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude, the use of drugs or alcohol to the extent that such use renders him/her unsafe to practice dental hygiene. Any applicant who has been found guilty of a misdemeanor or felony must consult with the Dental Hygiene program head prior to admission.
Special Accreditation Status: The curriculum has been accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council on Post-Secondary Accreditation and by the U.S. Department of Education.
Credits
First Year 1st Sem. 2nd Sem. 3rd Sem.
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DNH 112 Oral Anat./Tooth Morphology ............. 3
DNH 113 General & Oral Histology ................ 2
DNH 141 Dental Hygiene I ........................ 5
ENG 111 College Composition I ................... 3
STD Elective .................................... 1
DNH 114 Head/Neck Anatomy ....................... 2
DNH 130 Oral Radiography for
the Dental Hygienist ........................ 3
DNH 142 Dental Hygiene II ....................... 5
DNH 145 General & Oral Pathology ................ 2
DNH 146 Periodontics for the
Dental Hygienist ............................ 2
DNH 143 Dental Hygiene III ...................... 4
DNH 150 Nutrition ............................... 2
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Total Credits 14 14 6
Credits
Second Year 1st Semester 2nd Semester
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IST 113 Computers & Information Syst. ........... 1
DNH 147 Oral Microbiology ....................... 1
DNH 215 Dental Materials ........................ 3
DNH 216 Pharmacology ............................ 2
DNH 220 Community Dental Health ................. 2
DNH 244 Dental Hygiene IV ....................... 5
(1) PED 116 Lifetime Fitness & Wellness ............. 1
PSY 201 Intro. to Psychology I .................. 3
DNH 225 Community Dental Health Ed. ............. 2
DNH 230 Office Practice & Ethics ................ 1
DNH 245 Dental Hygiene V ........................ 5
(1) PED/RPK .......................................... 1
(2) ___ Social science elective ..................... 3
SPD 110 Intro. to Speech Communication or
SPD 126 Interpersonal Communication ........ 3
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Total Credits 18 15
Total minimum credits for the Dental Hygiene major (A.A.S. degree) = 67 (71 with 4 credit NAS prerequisite).
(1) The PED requirement may be met by one of the following options: PED 116, 2 cr.; PED 116, 1 cr. plus a PED activities course, 1 cr.; or PED 116, 1 cr. plus RPK 205, 207, 208, 216, or 225. PED 116 is offered as both a 1-credit and a 2-credit course.
(2) Social science courses may be selected from the following: economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, or sociology (includes anthropology). SOC 201 is recommended.