Associates Degree

​​​Program Overview

The Dental Hygiene Associate of Applied Science degree program prepares students for licensure through two academic years of coursework after successful completion of all prerequisite courses. Students must successfully complete all 68 hours of coursework.

Dental hygiene curriculum consists of simultaneous didactic and clinical education in four 16-week semesters (fall and spring) and one 4-week summer session.

Schedule

Classes meet Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Patient contact begins the first semester of the program. Part-time, evening, weekend and distance learning are not available.

All classes and clinical experiences occur at the Dallas College Downtown Health Sciences Center.

Clinic

All clinical requirements are met at the on-site dental hygiene clinic at the Dallas College Downtown Health Sciences Center, fifth floor.

• Students do not have to rotate off-site to gain their clinical requirements.
• Student clinical schedules are maintained by the front desk staff of the dental hygiene clinic.
• The clinic does not charge patients for any services provided.
• Dallas College provides over $1 million a year in free dental hygiene services.

The dental hygiene clinic was built in 2021 with state-of-the-art equipment including:

• Digital radiography
• Digital scanners
• Dental lasers
• Intraoral cameras
• Fully integrated electronic records

Grades

Successful completion of a course requires a grade of 75% or better.

Degree Advancement

Dallas College has partnered with Texas Women’s University (TWU) to offer a dual enrollment program open to all accepted Dallas College dental hygiene students. The program allows students to complete their associate degree and a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene. Students will be enrolled in both colleges simultaneously.

Students must be organized with strong study and time management skills to be successful in the dual enrollment program. For more information contact Professor Amy Teague, Dental Hygiene Dual Enrollment Program Liaison at ATeague@TWU.edu.