AAS in Dental Hygiene

As a licensed health care professional, the dental hygienist becomes an integral part of the patient care team. The range of services may include providing preventive dental care, educating patients about oral health, cleaning teeth, taking dental x-rays, placing dental sealants, providing fluoride treatments, administering local anesthetics, and more. Most of all, hygienists manage patient treatment and information while ensuring confidentiality and compliance with ethical responsibilities.

The curriculum for NCC's two-year program includes a combination of sciences, lectures, labs, and direct involvement with patient care at the on-site dental hygiene clinic. The program prepares graduates to be competent oral health clinicians with the ability to develop effective oral health programs that can be utilized in practices, schools, private businesses, and a variety of private and public settings in the community.

NCC's dental hygiene program is among the most respected and competitive in Pennsylvania and is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

This is a selective program, please carefully review all provided information and requirements.

Transfer Potential: Penn College of Technology, West Virginia University, Farmingdale State College, University of Bridgeport, St. Petersburg College

State licensing

If you are a Northampton Community College student living outside of Pennsylvania or intending to complete an internship or clinical placement outside of the state in an NCC program leading to professional licensure, you should review the requirements on the state board website to make sure that the program qualifies.

Licensure requirements vary from state to state and you may require additional authorization from the professional licensing agency in that state. Participating in a program from outside of Pennsylvania, if not properly authorized by that state's professional licensing board, could result in loss of licensing eligibility. If you need help or have questions, please contact the Program Director for more information.

Summer II Session

• COLS101College Success
• CHEM135Chemistry of Life
• ENGL101English I

First Semester

• BIOS160Human Biology
• DENH103Pre-Clinical Preventive Oral Health Services
• DENH104Foundations of Preventive Oral Health Services
• DENH105Oral Histology
• DENH106 Oral Anatomy
• DENH110 Oral Radiology

Second Semester

• BIOS202Microbiology for Allied Health
• DENH109Oral Radiology Laboratory
• DENH150Clinical Preventive Oral Health Services I
• DENH152Preventive Oral Health Services I
• DENH153Periodontology
• DENH154Oral Care for Medically Complex Clients
• DENH155General and Oral Pathology
• ENGL151LEnglish II

Summer I Session

• DENH212Pharmacology
• CMTH102Introduction to Communication

Third Semester

• DENH205Nutrition for the Dental Health Care Provider
• DENH206Local Anesthesia
• DENH210Clinical Preventive Oral Health Services II
• DENH211Preventive Oral Health Services II
• DENH220Community Dental Health I
• PSYC103Introduction to Psychology

Fourth Semester

• DENH240Community Dental Health II
• DENH250Clinical Preventive Oral Heal Services III
• DENH251Preventive Oral Health Services III
• SOCA103Principles of Sociology
• General Education Elective

For the General Education Elective, students must choose one course from the list of approved courses in one of the following categories: Arts and Humanities (AH); Social Science: Societies and Institutions over Time (SIT).

The free elective requirement has been waived for this program.

Computer competencies and writing-intensive work are included in various courses in this program. Thus, completing the program automatically satisfies the computing and writing intensive requirements for this program.

Healthcare Provider CPR and Basic First Aid certifications are required immediately prior to Fall Semester - First Year.

Students must earn grades of "C" or better in all DENH courses to qualify for semester promotion/graduation.

1. Students will be competent with respect to the Northampton Community College's Dental Hygiene Department document, "Competencies for Entry into the Profession of Dental Hygiene".
   Students must demonstrate competency in the following:
   • Core Competencies
     • Model professional behavior.
     • Adhere to state and federal laws, recommendations, and regulations in the provision of dental hygiene care.
     • Gather, evaluate and use information effectively.
     • Reflect on personal performance through self-assessment.
     • Communicate effectively with individuals and groups from diverse populations both verbally and in writing.
     • Use evidence-based decision-making to evaluate products and existing emerging therapies.
   • Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
     • Identify risk factors and develop, implement, and evaluate strategies to promote health and prevent disease.
     • Utilize methods to ensure the health and safety of the client and the dental hygienist in the delivery of dental hygiene services.
     • Foster interprofessional relationships and collaborate on strategies for health promotion and disease prevention for individuals and communities.
   • Community Involvement
     • Assess the oral health needs of the community and plan, implement and evaluate programs to address those needs.
     • Provide community oral health promotion and disease prevention activities in a variety of settings.
   • Client Care
     • Systematically collect, analyze and record data on the general, oral and social health status of a variety of clients to identify risk factors, clients' needs, and oral health problems. (Assess)
     • Use assessment data and critical decision-making skills to reach conclusions about clients' oral health needs. (Diagnose)
     • Collaborate with clients and other health professionals to formulate client-centered, comprehensive dental hygiene care plans that are based on current evidence-based practices and that acknowledge clients' informed consent. (Plan)
     • Provide specialized treatment that includes preventive and therapeutic services designed to achieve and maintain oral health. (Implement)
     • Evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented clinical, preventive, and educational services and modify them as needed. (Evaluate)
2. Students will be prepared to successfully complete the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and the clinical board examination administered by the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments (CDCA).
3. A relevant, current dental hygiene program will be maintained with a curriculum that reflects the standards of clinical practice, education, and research.
4. Quality individualized client-centered dental hygiene care will be provided.
5. Students and faculty will engage in interprofessional collaboration to enhance learning experiences, interpersonal skills, and interactions with diverse populations and health care teams.
6. Students and faculty will participate in community service and professional association activities.

Graduates with an associate's degree in dental hygiene are qualified to work as dental hygienists. Dental hygienists are responsible for a variety of tasks in dental practices, including collecting patients' health information, performing teeth cleanings, and taking x-rays. Dental hygienists must be licensed in order to practice.

Future Career Paths

• Dental hygienist