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, including 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.
Dental Hygiene is a fall-start clinical program. The application opens October 1 and must be completed by January 15.
This is a selective program, please carefully review all provided information and requirements.
Admission Requirements Program DetailsDegree Programs
Credits: 75
Program Map: Download PDF
Program Details: View More Information
Campus: Bethlehem
Northampton's Dental Hygiene program is among the most respected in Pennsylvania. During the two-year program, all pre-clinical and clinical practice occurs in the dental clinic located at the Fowler Family Southside Center campus. Professional hygienists working in the field enhance the hands-on aspects of the clinical portion of the program. The dental hygiene program is competency-based and assesses all clinical and laboratory courses using pass/fail criteria. Students must earn grades of C (75%) or better in all DENH courses to qualify for semester promotion. If you are interested in a higher level of education, Northampton has developed articulation agreements with dental hygiene baccalaureate degree programs to facilitate admissions and the transfer of credits.
Program Information
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 a NCC program leading to professional licensure, you should review 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.
Career Opportunities
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
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