Dental Hygiene, AAS

The Dental Hygiene curriculum is designed to prepare graduates for positions in general and specialty dental offices, hospitals, schools, public health agencies and industrial agencies.

Students are trained in educational methods and preventive clinical services that qualify them as dental health educators and competent clinicians. Emphasis is placed on the correlation between prevention, education and the clinical phases of dental hygiene practice, and on basic and social sciences.

The Dental Hygiene program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council of Postsecondary Accreditation and the United States Department of Education.

For more information about the Dental Hygiene program, please visit our website at www.dmacc.edu/programs/dentalhygiene.

Location: Ankeny

Program Entry Requirements

1. Complete an application for admission.
2. Attend a Dental Hygiene program information session.
3. Provide proof of high school graduation or GED completion.
4. Complete required COMPASS testing, obtaining satisfactory scores in Reading (81 or above) and Writing (70 or above) or ACT scores in Reading (19 or above) and English (19 or above).
5. Complete BIO 164 - Essentials Anatomy/Physiology  OR BOTH BIO 733 - Health Science Anatomy  AND BIO 734 - Health Science Physiology  with a grade of “C” (not C-) or better.
6. Complete CHM 122 - Intro to General Chemistry  with a grade of “C” (not C-) or better.
7. Complete BIO 186 - Microbiology  OR BIO 732 - Health Science Microbiology  with a grade of “C” (not C-) or better.

When transferring equivalent courses to DMACC, an official transcript must be sent to the Admissions Office as courses are completed.

Wait List Processing

Position on the Wait List will be determined by the number of support courses completed. Support courses are:

CHM 132 - Intro to Organic/Biochemistry , PSY 111 - Introduction to Psychology , SOC 110 - Introduction to Sociology , ENG 105 - Composition I , SPC 101 - Fund of Oral Communication  OR SPC 126 - Interpersonal & Small Group Comm 

When there is no completion of any remaining support courses for three years from the date the student’s name went on the Wait List, the applicant will be deleted from the list.

Graduation Requirements

To earn a Dental Hygiene AAS degree, a student must successfully complete all dental hygiene and liberal arts support courses required in the curriculum, achieving a grade of “C” (not C-) or better in each course. In order to progress to the next semester of the Dental Hygiene program, all required courses in the current semester must be completed with a grade of “C” or better.

Note: Criminal background checks will be completed on each student. Criminal convictions or documented history of abuse may prevent students from participating in clinical experiences. Students who do not participate in clinical education will be unable to complete the program.