Dental Hygiene

Quick Facts

Pathway: Health Science
Campus: Northeast

Dental hygienists are licensed oral health professionals who focus on preventing and treating oral diseases to protect patients’ teeth and gums.

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Job Titles & Career Info
Our Program
Degrees & Certificates
Accreditation
Note About Program Policies
How Much Time & Money to Finish?
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Start on Your Pathway!

Job Titles & Career Info

Our Program

Why Choose Dental Hygiene?

Build ongoing relationships with patients while giving valuable oral health care service
Have flexibility in where you work because dental hygienists are needed everywhere
Enter a high-demand field with a bright job outlook

Prepare for What You Will Do at Work

Take & develop dental x-rays
Use a variety of tools to clean & polish patients’ teeth
Talk to patients about their oral health & report the information to dentists
Teach patients good oral hygiene practices

Marketable Skills You Will Learn

Critical thinking
Reasoning
Communication
Personal & social responsibility
Teamwork
Computer literacy

Before You Enroll, Think About:

Selective Admission

Dental Hygiene is a selective admission program.

After being accepted to TCC, you must meet the selective admission requirements to be eligible to submit a separate application to our Dental Hygiene program.

Get the Details on These Pages:

Licensing Notice: Texas House Bill 1508

This program prepares you for an occupational license. However, you may not be eligible for licensing if you have a prior criminal history.

For more details, see Texas House Bill 1508 Licensing Requirements

Need a boost to get ready for college?

Talk to your advisor about Developmental Studies if your TSI scores say you need some help in math or reading and writing.

Degrees & Certificates

Degree

Dental Hygiene, AAS

Continuing Education Courses

See About Our Dental Hygiene Program: Professional Development for details.

Coronal Polishing Certificate Course
Nitrous Oxide Course & Exam
Pit & Fissure Certificate Course
RDA Course & Exam

Accreditation

Our Dental Hygiene Program has been granted the accreditation status of approval without reporting requirements by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (ADA CODA), based on the 2017 Program review. The next Program site visit by the Commission is scheduled for 2025.

The ADA CODA will accept comments from students and patients about our Program. All comments submitted must pertain to the standards relative to the Program or policies and procedures used in the accreditation process.

A copy of the Dental Hygiene Educational Standards, the Commission's policies and procedures used in the accreditation process, and the policy on third party comments are available for review. You may contact the Commission:

American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)
211 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611-2678
1-800-621-8099 ext. 4653 or 1-312-440-2500

Note About Program Policies

Individuals who provide dental hygiene services may be exposed to blood-borne pathogens that may result in human disease.

If you are a student or faculty member who experiences an exposure to potentially infectious materials (needle stick, mucous membrane or non-intact skin) or airborne inhalation, you will require specific follow-up.

As a student in the dental hygiene program, you are required to have health insurance to cover the costs of tests and treatment should you have an exposure incident.

For more information on the policies on blood-borne and infectious diseases: Policy on Blood-borne Infectious Diseases.