Overview
The Dental Hygiene curriculum provides individuals with the knowledge and skills to access, plan, implement, and evaluate dental hygiene care for the individual and the community.
What You'll Learn
Students will learn to prepare the operatory, take patient histories, note abnormalities, plan care, teach oral hygiene, clean teeth, take X-rays, apply preventive agents, complete necessary chart entries, and perform other procedures related to dental hygiene care.
Career Opportunities
Graduates of this program may be eligible to take national and state/regional examinations for licensure required to practice dental hygiene.
Employment opportunities include dental offices, clinics, schools, public health agencies, industry, and professional education.
Achievement of competence in the following basic skills courses must be met:
- Students taking CHM 130 at Nash are also required to take CHM 130A (lab)
- A local prerequisite of BIO 094, BIO 110, BIO 111, BIO 161, or BIO 163 is required at Nash before taking BIO 168
- Reading and Writing Skills – RED 090 or DRE 097
- Math Skills – MAT 070 or DMA 050
- PSY 150 and SOC 210 can be taken to substitute SOC 240Â
This program has special admissions requirements. These requirements are in addition to those completed for the College. Please visit www.halifaxcc.edu to review the requirements (click on For Students >Programs of Study > Dental Hygiene). Students must apply and be formally admitted to the program to take any DEN courses. Degree granted from Halifax Community College.
Major Core Courses
- *DEN 110 Orofacial Anatomy
- *DEN 111 Infection/Hazard Control
- *DEN 112 Dental Radiography
- *DEN 120 Dental Hyg Preclinic Lec
- *DEN 121 Dental Hygiene Preclin Lab
- *DEN 123 Nutrition/Dental Health
- *DEN 124 Periodontology
- *DEN 125 Dental Office Emergencies
- *DEN 130 Dental Hygiene Theory I
- *DEN 131 Dental Hygiene Clinic I
- *DEN 140 Dental Hygiene Theory II
- *DEN 141 Dental Hygiene Clinic II
- *DEN 220 Dental Hygiene Theory III
- *DEN 221 Dental Hygiene Clinic III
- *DEN 222 General & Oral Pathology
- *DEN 223 Dental Pharmacology
- *DEN 224 Materials and Procedures
- *DEN 230 Dental Hygiene Theory IV
- *DEN 231 Dental Hygiene Clinic IV
- *DEN 232 Community Dental Health
- *DEN 233 Professional Development
General Education
- BIO 168 Anatomy and Physiology I
- BIO 169 Anatomy and Physiology II
- BIO 175 General Microbiology
- CHM 130 General Organic & Biochemistry
- ENG 111 Expository Writing
- ENG 114 Prof. Research & Reporting or ENG 112 Writing/Research in Disciplines
- COM 231 Public Speaking
- PSY 150 General Psychology
- SOC 210 Intro to Sociology or *SOC 240 Social Psychology
- HUM 115 Critical Thinking
