Dental Hygiene

Allied Health

A.A.S. Degree (W)

The Dental Hygiene program provides comprehensive educational experiences for qualified students to achieve the knowledge and skills necessary to be eligible for licensure and employment as dental hygienists. The program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. 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 60611-2678. The Commission's web address is: http://www.ada.org/en/coda. The program includes didactic, laboratory, and clinical experiences and is based at the Wilmington Campus with an extension location at the Terry Campus (Dover, DE) that serves Kent and Sussex county students. The Terry Campus-based students complete their didactic courses at both the Dover and Wilmington campus locations and their clinical experiences at the Dover Air Force Base. The Dental Hygiene program cycle begins once a year in the fall semester. Academically ready students can apply to the program following the guidelines of the Allied Health competitive admission process. Interested applicants should review the information provided here and contact their program advisor for application requirements.

Program Graduate Competencies

The Program Graduate Competencies listed below identify the major learning goals related to your specific program of study and identify the knowledge and skills you will have when you graduate to be successful in your chosen field.

  1. Collect and analyze baseline data in a critical and scientific manner regarding the patient's health status to determine dental hygiene treatment needs.
  2. Utilizing professional communication skills and behaviors, initiate and responsibly advocate health care promotion and disease prevention for diverse populations.
  3. Provide dental hygiene care in a safe manner.
  4. Utilizing self-assessment skills, evaluate clinical performance and the effectiveness of dental hygiene treatment.
  5. Accurately document information related to dental hygiene care through proper record keeping.
  6. Recognize and manage the professional and ethical issues of dental hygiene practice in a dynamic environment.

Core Curriculum Competencies

The Core Curriculum Competencies listed below identify what you will be able to do as a graduate, regardless of your program of study. You will acquire these core competencies through general education courses and program-specific coursework. You will be expected to use relevant technology to achieve these outcomes:

  1. Apply clear and effective communication skills.
  2. Use critical thinking to solve problems.
  3. Collaborate to achieve a common goal.
  4. Demonstrate professional and ethical conduct.
  5. Use information literacy for effective vocational and/or academic research.
  6. Apply quantitative reasoning and/or scientific inquiry to solve practical problems.

Graduation Requirements

Core Courses

ENG 101Composition I

3

ENG 102Composition II

3

MAT 162Statistical Reasoning

4

PSY 121General Psychology

3

SOC 111Sociology

3

SSC 100First Year Seminar

1

Program/Major Courses

DHY 101Clinical Dental Hygiene I

2

DHY 102Clinical Dental Hygiene II

3

DHY 103Clinical Dental Hygiene III

2

DHY 111Dental Hygiene Fundamentals I

3

DHY 112Dental Hygiene Fundamentals II

3

DHY 121Oral Histology and Embryology

2

DHY 132Dental Anatomy

1.5

DHY 133Head and Neck Anatomy

1.5

DHY 141Oral Radiography

3

DHY 151Periodontology/Cariology

3

DHY 161Oral Pathology

3

DHY 204Clinical Dental Hygiene IV

4

DHY 205Clinical Dental Hygiene V

4

DHY 212The Compromised Dental Patient

1.5

DHY 213Advanced Clinical Techniques

3

DHY 215Practice Management

1

DHY 271Pharmacology for DHY

1.5

DHY 281Operative/Specialty Dentistry

1

DHY 290Community Dental Health

2

DHY 291Community Dental Health Fieldwork

1

Program/Major Support Courses

BIO 100Medical Terminology

3

BIO 115Nutrition

3

BIO 120Anatomy and Physiology I

5

BIO 121Anatomy and Physiology II

5

BIO 125Introductory Microbiology

4

CHM 110General Chemistry

4

Suggested Pathway to Graduation (Course Sequence Sheet)

PROGRAM SPECIFIC ADVISEMENT STATEMENT

Delaware Tech does not apply blanket age limits to courses for the purposes of transfer in, meeting selective admission programs' ranking/entrance procedures, or meeting program requirements for award completion. There is an age limit used in the selective admission procedures for the Dental Hygiene program.

Semester 1

SSC 100First Year Seminar

1

MAT 162Statistical Reasoning

4

BIO 120Anatomy and Physiology I

5

CHM 110General Chemistry

4

ENG 101Composition I

3

Semester 2

BIO 100Medical Terminology

3

BIO 121Anatomy and Physiology II

5

DHY 101Clinical Dental Hygiene I

2

DHY 111Dental Hygiene Fundamentals I

3

DHY 121Oral Histology and Embryology

2

DHY 132Dental Anatomy

1.5

DHY 133Head and Neck Anatomy

1.5

Semester 3

BIO 125Introductory Microbiology

4

DHY 102Clinical Dental Hygiene II

3

DHY 112Dental Hygiene Fundamentals II

3

DHY 141Oral Radiography

3

DHY 151Periodontology/Cariology

3

DHY 161Oral Pathology

3

Semester 4

ENG 102Composition II

3

SOC 111Sociology

3

DHY 103Clinical Dental Hygiene III

2

DHY 271Pharmacology for DHY

1.5

Semester 5

BIO 115Nutrition

3

DHY 204Clinical Dental Hygiene IV

4

DHY 212The Compromised Dental Patient

1.5

DHY 213Advanced Clinical Techniques

3

DHY 290Community Dental Health

2

Semester 6

PSY 121General Psychology

3

DHY 205Clinical Dental Hygiene V

4

DHY 215Practice Management

1

DHY 281Operative/Specialty Dentistry

1

DHY 291Community Dental Health Fieldwork

1

To complete program requirements, you must pass the above courses and earn at least 88 credits. The number of courses and credits required for graduation may be more depending on college readiness and the elective courses offered in your program major (if electives are a part of the program).

AHTAASDHY