The Dental Hygiene Degree program admits fifteen students once per year at the beginning of the Fall Semester. The length of the program is 5 semesters, including a summer semester, over a period of 21 months. Interested students must first enter the Interdisciplinary Studies Degree program to meet the minimum core requirements. Acceptance into the Interdisciplinary Studies Degree program and meeting the minimum requirements for program admission does not guarantee an applicant’s acceptance into the Dental Hygiene Degree program.
General education core (38 credit hours) plus 5 semesters of program specific course work
This program is eligible for the Pell Grant and may be eligible for Institutional and State Financial Aid.
Contact a Financial Aid Counselor for eligibility requirements and application materials.
Admissions Requirements
New students at LTC wishing to enter the dental hygiene program will:
- Apply for admission to Lanier Technical College.
- Submit required proof of high school diploma or GED.
- Meet the required ACCUPLACER testing or submit SAT, ACT, COMPASS, or ASSET test scores.
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To begin the Pre-Dental Hygiene core coursework, select Dental Hygiene as your major. You will be placed in the Interdisciplinary Studies Degree program enabling you to meet the required 38 credit hours of Pre-Dental Hygiene coursework. Entry into the Associate of Science Dental Hygienist Degree program requires prior completion of the Pre-Dental Hygiene coursework.
Admission into the Dental Hygiene Degree program involves a competitive selection process. Students who have met the minimum requirements to apply for the dental hygiene program must:
- Be at least 18 years of age.
- Complete at least 23 of the required 38 credit hours of Pre-Dental Hygiene core courses prior to the March 15th deadline. This must include at least two of the science courses (8 credit hours). A minimum grade of “C” is required in all courses.
- Achieve a minimum GPA of 3.0 with the pre-dental hygiene core classes.
- Take the TEAS for Allied Health test.
- Attend one of the pre-program orientation sessions for Dental Hygiene. These sessions will be announced in January.
- Complete at least 60 hours of experience in a dental practice. The dental experience hours may include observation, working as a hygiene assistant or working as a dental assistant. Submit the Dental Experience form.
- Ensure all transcripts from prior colleges are received by LTC prior to the March 15th deadline. (Official transcripts or GED scores must be submitted from all colleges and/or high schools attended for credit.)
- Submit all completed Dental Hygiene Program admission documentation to the Dental Hygiene Department Administrative Assistant by March 15th.
Curriculum - College Catalog Specific to Dental Hygiene
The Pre-Dental Hygiene coursework is composed of 26 hours of general education core and 12 hours of non-general education core, all of which must be completed before applying to the Associate of Science Dental Hygienist Degree Program.
General Education Core – Total of 26 Hours
Area I – Language Arts/Communications – Choose 6 Hours
Area II – Social/Behavioral Sciences – Choose 6 Hours
Area III – Mathematics – Choose 3 Hours
Area III – Natural Sciences – Choose 8 Hours
Area IV – Humanities/Fine Arts – Choose 3 Hours
Non General Education Core - Total of 12 hours
Program-Specific Courses – Total of 45 Hours
Total Credit Hours: 83
Graduation Plan - Suggested Sequence
Note: For a list of which courses are part of the elective area, please see the Curriculum tab for this program.
Pre-Dental Hygiene Core Course Sequence (38 hours)
Most students will enroll in the Interdisciplinary Studies Degree to complete the Pre-Dental Hygiene core coursework.
Semester One
Semester Two
Semester Three
Associate of Science - Dental Hygienist Degree Program (45 hours)
Students must first complete all core coursework and be accepted into the Dental Hygiene Program before beginning this curriculum.
Semester One
Semester Two
Semester Three
Semester Four
| DHYG 2051 | Oral Pathology & General Pathology/Pathophysiology | 2 |
| DHYG 2070 | Community Dental Health | 3 |
| DHYG 2080 | Clinical Dental Hygiene III | 2 |
| DHYG 2090 | Clinical Dental Hyg III Lab | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 11 |
Semester Five
Apply for Graduation
| DHYG 2131 | Dental Hygiene Clinic Lecture IV | 1 |
| DHYG 2140 | Clinical Dental Hygiene IV Lab | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 5 |
Total Credit Hours: 83
This plan is for informational purposes ONLY. It is not a substitute for meeting with a program advisor each term.
Program Accreditation
The program in dental hygiene is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and has been granted the accreditation status of approval without reporting requirements. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at (312) 440-4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611. The Commission’s web address is https://www.ada.org/en/coda.