Dental Hygiene
Dental Hygiene Program
The Dental Hygiene (DH) program prepares the student to provide comprehensive therapeutic oral health care and preventative education directly to diverse population groups in both clinical and community environments. An integral part of the dental team, the dental hygienist provides valuable oral health care services which may include oral assessments, oral cancer screenings, removing deposits from the teeth, exposing and processing dental radiographs, the administration of local anesthesia, nutritional counseling, sealant placement, fluoride treatments and preventative education.
Career Options
- Private dental offices
- Hospitals
- Nursing homes
- Public health clinics
- Education
- Research
- Office management
- Business administration
- Dental company representatives
Course Schedule
Dental Hygiene A.A.S. Degree
Pre-requisites |
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| Course # | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| BIO-168 | Human Anatomy & Physiology I w/lab | 4.0 |
| BIO-173 | Human Anatomy & Physiology II w/lab | 4.0 |
| CHM-110 | Intro to Chemistry | 3.0 |
| CHM-111 | Intro to Chemistry Lab | 1.0 |
| BIO-186 | Microbiology with Lab | 4.0 |
Total Hours: 16.0 |
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First Semester |
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| Course # | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| DHY-174 | Principles of Dental Hygiene | 5.0 |
| DHY-114 | Dental Hygiene Anatomical Sciences | 4.0 |
| DHY-163 | Radiology | 3.0 |
| DHY-121 | Oral History & Embryology | 2.0 |
Total Hours: 14.0 |
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Second Semester |
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| Course # | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| DHY-183 | Dental Hygiene I Theory | 2.0 |
| DHY-184 | Clinical Dental Hygiene I | 3.0 |
| DHY-140 | General & Oral Pathology | 3.0 |
| DHY-209 | Periodontology | 3.0 |
| DHY-233 | Preventative Dentistry/Nutrition | 2.0 |
| PSY-111 | Intro to Psychology* | 3.0 |
Total Hours: 15.0 |
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Third Semester |
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| Course # | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| DHY-279 | Dental Hygiene II Theory | 3.0 |
| DHY-280 | Clinical Dental Hygiene II | 3.0 |
| DHY-221 | Dental Materials | 1.0 |
| CHM-130 | Intro to Organic & Biochemistry | 3.0 |
| CHM-131 | Intro to Organic & Biochemistry Lab | 1.0 |
Total Hours: 11.0 |
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Fourth Semester |
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| Course # | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| DHY-293 | Dental Hygiene III Theory | 2.0 |
| DHY-292 | Clinical Dental Hygiene III | 5.0 |
| DHY-256 | Community Dentistry | 2.0 |
| DHY-132 | Dental Pharmacology | 3.0 |
| ENG-105 | Composition I* | 3.0 |
Total Hours: 15.0 |
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Fifth Semester |
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| Course # | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| DHY-303 | Dental Hygiene IV Theory | 2.0 |
| DHY-302 | Clinical Dental Hygiene IV | 5.0 |
| DHY-253 | Community Oral Health Rotation | 1.0 |
| DHY-265 | Current Dental Hygiene Practice | 2.0 |
| SPC-101 | Fundamentals of Oral Communication* | 3.0 |
Total Hours: 13.0 |
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Dental Hygiene A.A.S. Degree Total Hours: 85.0 |
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Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete the 9 credits* of Arts & Sciences classes prior to program entry. |
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Instructors
| Renee Piper, RDH, MA | 515-574-1335 | piper@iowacentral.edu | |
| Brenda Anderson | 515-574-1329 | anderson_brenda@iowacentral.edu | |
| Cindy DeWall | 515-574-1326 | dewall@iowacentral.edu |
