The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Dental Hygiene degree prepares students to become primary care oral health professionals. A licensed dental hygienist may provide education, assessment, diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic services, research, and administrative services that support overall health through the promotion of optimal oral health. Hygienists may be employed in general or specialty dental practice in private or public healthcare settings. The program also prepares students for university transfer.
The dental hygiene program offers a rigorous, intensive, science-based curriculum. Students will provide services in clinical settings and will develop a commitment to the community through enrichment experiences serving diverse populations. Successful students will develop and demonstrate critical thinking, as well as ethical and professional behaviors required by the field.
Applicants should possess hand-eye coordination, manual dexterity, and attention to detail. Students in an MCCCD Dental Hygiene program will be exposed to blood-borne pathogens and infectious diseases. The program strictly adheres to established policies and procedures regarding infection control as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Dental Association, the Organization for Safety and Asepsis Procedures, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association (211 E. Chicago Ave., Suite 1900, Chicago, IL 60611-2637; (312) 440-4653) grants accreditation to the Phoenix College, Rio Salado College, and Mesa Community College programs. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. Graduates are eligible for board examinations and licensure in all fifty states.
Details
This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:
- Adhere to state and federal laws, recommendations, and regulations in the provision of oral health care.
- Systematically assess comprehensive data on the general and oral health needs of patients from diverse populations.
- Use critical decision making to interpret data and create a dental hygiene diagnosis.
- Design and present a patient-centered dental hygiene care plan utilizing evidence-based research and professional standards.
- Evaluate the outcome of dental hygiene care during active and maintenance treatment phases and refer to appropriate healthcare providers if indicated.
- Record accurate, consistent, and complete documentation throughout the process of care.
- Employ effective interpersonal communication with patients, families, and the healthcare team in a culturally competent, ethical, and professional manner.
- Practice professional and ethical behaviors as accepted by healthcare professionals.
- Demonstrate self-assessment and self-regulation strategies for lifelong learning.
- Advocate for healthy communities through the provision of community-based preventive and therapeutic oral healthcare services.
Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based annual median wages* for this program. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information.
Dental Hygienists
$87,460 Show expanded career information for Dental Hygienists
High school diploma or GED equivalency is required.
Completion of program prerequisites.
Program applications will not be accepted without a copy of an Arizona Department of Public Safety Level One Fingerprint Clearance Card.
Acknowledgement of ability to fully participate in classroom, laboratory, or clinical setting program activities.
Formal application and acceptance to the program is required.
After being placed in the program, the following are required:
Admission to an Allied Health program requires that students be in compliance with the Maricopa County Community College District Supplemental Background Check policy. Upon conditional program admission, the student must comply with all requirements of the current MCCCD background check policy.
Complete and submit the required proof of immunity and health declaration form signed by a licensed health care provider.
Submit to a drug screening and demonstrate negative results.
Submit current CPR card for Health Care Provider and maintain current status throughout the program.
The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:
- Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Pathway Planner tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
- The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
- Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
- Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include AAA/CPD150, AAA/CPD150AC, CPD104, and AAA115/CPD115. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.
- Consult with your faculty mentor or academic advisor to determine educational requirements, including possible university transfer options, for your chosen career field.
Full-time Sequence
Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.
Term 1 - Program Prerequisites
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
AAA/CPD115 or AAA/CPD150 or AAA/CPD150AC or CPD104 | Creating College Success or Strategies for College Success or Educational and Career Planning or Career and Personal Development | 0–3 | |||
ENG101 or ENG107 | First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL | Critical course | FYC | 3 | |
CHM130 and CHM130LL | Fundamental Chemistry and Fundamental Chemistry Laboratory | SQ | 4 | ||
SOC+++ | Any Sociology course with the [SB] designation; | Recommend SOC101 for students completing the Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP). |
Term 2 - Program Prerequisites
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
ENG102 or ENG108 | First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL | FYC | 3 | ||
CRE101 | College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking | Critical course | L | 0–3 | |
BIO156 or BIO181 | Introductory Biology for Allied Health or General Biology (Majors) I | Or HighSchool biology. BIO156 recommended | SQ | 0–4 | |
PSY+++ | Any Psychology course with the [SB] designation | Recommend PSY101 for students completing the Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP). | 3 | ||
MAT112 or MAT140 or MAT141 or MAT142 or MAT145 or MAT146 | Mathematical Concepts and Applications or College Mathematics or College Mathematics or College Mathematics or College Mathematics with Review or College Mathematics with Review | MAT14X or Higher course with the [MA] designation is required for students pursuing a Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP) or AGEC-A transfer. | MA | 3–6 |
Term 3 - Program Prerequisites
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
COM100 or COM110 or COM225 or COM230 | Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication | COM225 is recommended for students pursuing a CEP or to complete the AGEC-A to meet the Oral Communication and the Literacy [L] designation. | SB or L | 3 | |
HU | Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design | Recommend MHL155 OR PHI133 for Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP). | 3 | ||
BIO201 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | Critical course Gateway course | SG | 4 | |
MAT206 or PSY230 | Elements of Statistics or Introduction to Statistics | MAT206 or PSY230 is required for students pursuing a CEP or baccalaureate degree to meet the [CS] designation. | CS | 3 |
Term 4 - Program Prerequisites
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
BIO202 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | Critical course | SG | 4 | |
BIO205 | Microbiology | Critical course | SG | 4 | |
HU | Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design | Recommend additional HU course for AGEC-A transfer students; MHL155 OR PHI133 recommended for Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP). | 0–3 | ||
HCC109 or RES109 | CPR for Health Care Provider or CPR for Health Care Provider | 0–0.5 |
CEP Summer 1
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DH372 | Summer Term is only for MCC and PC students. DH372 Required for students pursuing the Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP) at NAU. NAU DH372 equivalent to DHE127. This course is to be taken in the summer. | 0–3 | |||
DH456 | Summer Term is only for MCC and PC students. Required for students pursuing the Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP) at NAU. This course is to be taken in the summer. | 0–3 |
Term 1 - Core Program
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DHE115 | Emergency Medicine | 2 | |||
DHE117 | Dental Radiography | 2 | |||
DHE120 | Pre-Clinical Dental Hygiene | 6 | |||
DHE121 | Dental Anatomy, Embryology and Histology | 2 | |||
DHE125 | Dental Radiography Laboratory | 1 | |||
DH371 | Required for students pursuing the Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP) at NAU. | 0–3 | |||
DHE127 | Prevention of Dental Disease | Required for students pursuing the Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP) at NAU in the previous Summer. | 0–3 |
Term 2 - Core Program
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DHE110 | Pharmacology | Required for PC and MCC | 0–3 | ||
DHE112 | Oral Pathology | required for RSC and PC | 3 | ||
DHE119 | Head and Neck Anatomy | 3 | |||
DHE132 | Dental Hygiene Theory I | 3 | |||
DHE133 | Dental Hygiene Clinic I | 3 | |||
DHE201 | Dental Materials | Required for MCC and RSC | 0–2 | ||
DHE202 | Dental Materials Laboratory | Required for MCC and RSC | 0–1 | ||
DH450 | Required for students pursuing the Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP) at NAU. | 0–3 |
CEP Summer 2
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DH486 | Required for students pursuing the Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP) at NAU. Will be taken in the Summer. | 3 | |||
DH440 | Required for students pursuing the Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP) at NAU. Will be taken in the Summer. | 3 | |||
DH436 or DH476 or DH446 | DH436 or DH476 or DH446 | Required for students pursuing the Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP) at NAU. Will be taken in the Summer. | 3 |
Term 3 - Core Program
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DHE110 | Pharmacology | Required for RSC | 0–3 | ||
DHE112 | Oral Pathology | Required for MCC | 0–3 | ||
DHE212 | Dental Hygiene Theory II | 2 | |||
DHE213 | Dental Hygiene Clinic II | 5 | |||
DHE225 | Periodontics | 3 | |||
DHE227 | Dental Anesthesia | 2 | |||
DH373W | Required for students pursuing the Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP) at NAU. | 0–3 |
Term 4 - Core Program
Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Area | Credits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DHE219 or DH416 | Practice Management or DH416 | Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP) students take DH416; those not pursuing a CEP take DHE219. | 2 | ||
DHE201 | Dental Materials | Required for PC | 0–2 | ||
DHE202 | Dental Materials Laboratory | Required for PC | 0–1 | ||
DHE229 | Community Oral Health | Required for MCC and RSC | 0–3 | ||
DHE232 | Dental Hygiene Theory III | 2 | |||
DHE233 | Dental Hygiene Clinic III | 5 | |||
DH474C | Required for students pursuing the Concurrent Enrollment Program (CEP) at NAU. | 0–3 |
Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.
Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.
- CS = Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application
- FYC = First Year Composition
- HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
- L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
- MA = Mathematics
- SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
- SG = Natural Sciences General
- SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative
Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.
Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.
View MCCCD’s curriculum website for the Associate in Applied Science in Dental Hygiene (http://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm3?id=155160).
At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.