Dental Hygiene

Dental Hygiene - AAS-T

 

Bellingham Technical College Dental Hygiene Program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and has been granted the accreditation status of “approval without reporting requirements”. 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. The Commission’s web address is:

https://www.ada.org/en/coda

If you are interested in pursuing a career in the health care industry as a dental hygienist, then look into BTC’s Dental Hygiene program. You’ll learn the clinical skills and core professional values needed to launch a rewarding dental hygiene career in private and public settings, such as dental offices and public health clinics. The Dental Hygiene Program is designed for students interested in pursuing an education for entry into the profession of Dental Hygiene. A cohort of 10 students will be accepted into the Dental Hygiene Program each application year.

The Dental Hygiene Program at Bellingham Technical College is designed as a sequence of didactic, laboratory and clinical courses that fulfill the educational objectives established by the American Dental Association (ADA) Commission on Dental Accreditation. The Program is 7 consecutive quarters in length. BTC Dental Hygiene students learn under the supervision of licensed dentists and dental hygienists on state-of-the-art equipment in BTC’s on-campus dental clinic. Upon successful completion, students are awarded an Associates Degree in Applied Science-Transfer (AAS-T) and are eligible for licensure as a Dental Hygienist in WA State. Program graduates are well-positioned for employment in the dental industry, with the hands-on clinical experience employers need today.

Note: BTC has not made a determination that the Dental Hygiene curriculum meets educational requirements for licensure/certification outside of Washington State. We encourage students who plan to work out-of-state to check relevant local licensure/certification requirements.

Employment Information

Data are provided on a program (not credential) level

92% BTC graduate placement rate1

$87,776 starting annual wage2
$97,115 average annual wage2
$106,683 potential annual wage2

 

  • Employment and Wage Data Sources

    1Employment data come from the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) and reflect WA/OR employment for students enrolled at BTC between 2016-17 and 2018-19. Students are included in the employment rate if they left with a credential. Rates are not shown for programs with fewer than 10 students meeting the above criteria.

    2Wage data come from Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD) 2020 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates (Washington State wage) and reflect 2015-2018 employment. Wage data represent occupations that BTC faculty have identified as the most relevant career paths for program graduates. Note that these wages reflect employees with varying educational levels/credentials. For cases in which multiple occupations have been identified by faculty, a weighted percentile is calculated using each occupation’s percentile wage and employment size estimate. Wages are not shown for programs for which occupations do not meet the ESD’s minimum thresholds for publishing. If the program has wage data from the Washington SBCTC that involves shift work, these ESD wages reflect the same number of hours used in the annual wage calculation. Starting wage = 25th percentile, median wage = 50th percentile, wage potential = 75th percentile.

Estimated Program Costs

Entry Information

When Can I Start?


BTC is pleased to announce that the Dental Hygiene Program will be entering 10 students into the program every year starting Fall 2021!

Students interested in the Dental Hygiene program should apply to the college and contact Admissions at 360.752.8345 or at admissions@btc.edu for assistance with getting started at BTC. A college application and your score on assessment testing and/or previous transcripts will determine where you begin your course sequence.

There is a new Dental Hygiene Program admissions process starting 2021. The checklist and FAQ provides more information about the admissions process.

Dental Hygiene Admissions Checklist
Dental Hygiene FAQ

2022-2023 Dental Hygiene Application Window is now closed. The date for the 2023-2024 Application Window will be posted in September.

Dental Hygiene Online Application Preview-Information 22-23

Students will be required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. To be considered fully vaccinated, two weeks must have passed since the date of the second dose or first dose for the one-dose vaccine. The program’s clinical partner agencies will not accept any exemption to full COVID-19 vaccination.

What are the Minimum Entry Requirements?

 

ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS)

Applicants must score at the "PROFICIENT" level or higher in each of the four areas on one transcript. See the Test of Essential Academic Skills- ATI TEAS Handout for more information about this entrance assessment.

Students can take the TEAS through the BTC Assessment Center or remotely through ATI.

Registration Directions for TEAS at ATI

 

Healthcare Experience

Applicants must submit a Healthcare Experience Verification Form for prior approval.

Dental Hygiene Healthcare Experience Verification Form

Early Program Course Requirements

Prior to applying to the program students complete all prerequisite courses at BTC or complete the transcript evaluation process for courses taken at another institution.

ALL COURSES MUST BE A MINIMUM OF 5 QUARTER CREDITS OR 3 SEMESTER CREDITS
The following courses must be completed with a B (3.0) or higher in each course:

  • General Biology W/ Lab (BIOL& 160)
  • Human A & P 1 (BIOL& 241) 
  • Human A & P 2 (BIOL& 242) 
  • Microbiology (BIOL& 260)
  • Introduction to Chemistry (CHEM& 121) OR General Chemistry w/ Lab I (CHEM& 161)
  • Intro to Organic/Bio-Chemistry (CHEM& 131)
  • Interpersonal Communications (CMST& 210) OR Public Speaking (CMST& 220)
  • English Composition I (ENGL& 101)
  • English Composition II (ENGL& 102)
  • PreCalculus I (MATH& 141) OR Math in Society (MATH& 107) OR Introduction to Statistics (MATH& 146)
  • Nutrition (NUTR& 101)
  • General Psychology (PSYC& 100)
  • Introduction to Sociology (SOC& 101)

Note: ONLY for students who are transferring prior credits to BTC. 

Physical Requirements

AFTER admissions acceptance into the program and prior to beginning program classes students must submit proof of all Clinical Placement Requirements.

What are My Next Steps?

Classes

Total Program Credits: 124

  • Quarter 1

  • DHYG 112Dental Hygiene Clinical Practice I5 CR
  • DHYG 114Principles of Dental Hygiene I3 CR
  • DHYG 115Oral & Dental Anatomy2 CR
  • DHYG 116Oral Radiology I4 CR
  • DHYG 128General Pathology4 CR
  • HLTH 154HealthCare Provider First Aid and CPR1 CR

  • Quarter 2

  • DHYG 122Dental Hygiene Clinical Practice II5 CR
  • DHYG 124Principles of Dental Hygiene II3 CR
  • DHYG 126Oral Radiology II2 CR
  • DHYG 113Dental Materials4 CR
  • DHYG 125Medical Emergencies3 CR
  • DHYG 137Pharmacology3 CR

  • Quarter 3

  • DHYG 131Restorative Dentistry I4 CR
  • DHYG 132Dental Hygiene Clinical Practice III5 CR
  • DHYG 134Principles of Dental Hygiene III3 CR
  • DHYG 138Periodontology3 CR
  • DHYG 118HISTOLOGY & EMBRYOLOGY2 CR

  • Quarter 4

  • DHYG 141Restorative Dentistry II1 CR
  • DHYG 142Hygiene Clinical Practice IV5 CR
  • DHYG 144Principles of Dental Hygiene IV3 CR
  • DHYG 149Pain Management4 CR

  • Quarter 5

  • DHYG 211Restorative Dentistry III2 CR
  • DHYG 212Dental Hygiene Clinical Practice V8 CR
  • DHYG 214Principles of Dental Hygiene V3 CR
  • DHYG 216Community Oral Health I4 CR
  • DHYG 219Oral Pathology3 CR

  • Quarter 6

  • DHYG 221RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY IV2 CR
  • DHYG 222Dental Hygiene Clinical Practice VI8 CR
  • DHYG 224Principles of Dental Hygiene VI3 CR
  • DHYG 226Community Oral Health II4 CR
  • DHYG 228Oral Therapy3 CR
  • DHYG 229Dental Hygiene Seminar1 CR

  • Quarter 7

  • DHYG 231Restorative Dentistry V1 CR
  • DHYG 232Dental Hygiene Clinical Practice VII8 CR
  • DHYG 234Principles of Dental Hygiene VII3 CR
  • DHYG 236Community Oral Health III2 CR

Program Outcomes

The Dental Hygiene Program is designed to prepare students to become Dental Hygienists. Technical and professional competency development will involve the following outcomes:

  • Demonstrate positive work ethics, team skills and professional values integral the profession of Dental Hygiene.
  • Utilize wellness, health determinants, & characteristics of various patient populations to promote oral health and reduce health risks in a variety of settings.
  • Apply current dental hygiene techniques, instruments, and materials to provide preventive and therapeutic services in accordance with all safety and health standards.
  • Assess, plan, implement & evaluate community based health promotion and prevention programs and activities to benefit the general population
  • Demonstrate cognitive retention of dental terminology, theory, and science.
  • Identify and access opportunities for professional growth and development.
  • Apply the principles of evidence based research and decision making in the planning and implementation of dental hygiene care.
  • Qualify for all national and regional examinations required to practice as a Registered Dental Hygienist in the State of Washington.
  • Manage medical emergencies and provide appropriate life support measures using professional judgement.

Employment Outlook

Dental hygienists are in high demand and the outlook is that the demand for hygienists is expected to grow. About 87% of BTC Dental Hygiene students are employed within nine months of graduation. The average annual wage in this field is $94,037, with an earning potential of about $102,835 per year.*

Criminal convictions may restrict or prevent student participation with internships and employment in this industry.

Dental hygienists in dental offices and clinics.

Faculty & Support

Photo of Catherine Beebe
Catherine Beebe

Catherine Beebe has been an instructor with the Dental Hygiene department since 2009. She has 28 years of experience in the dental field as a Certified Dental Assistant, Dental Receptionist and a Dental Hygienist. She spent 12 years as an Expanded Functions Dental Hygienist before coming to BTC full time. Catherine is a graduate of Bellingham Technical College’s Dental Assisting program and obtained her AAS in Dental Hygiene at Lake Washington Technical College. She holds a liberal arts degree from Western Washington University with a concentration in Audio Recording, and a Masters in Dental Hygiene with an emphasis in education from Idaho State University. Catherine has a special interest in using educational technology to create new and engaging methods of course delivery for her students. Her thesis research “Educational Technology for Millennial Dental Hygiene Students: A Survey of U.S. Dental Hygiene Programs” was published in the June 2014 issue of the Journal of Dental Education.

Photo of Laura Doss
Laura Doss

Laura Doss has been at BTC for 10 years in the roles of Academic & Career Advisor, Student Navigator, Instructor, Completion Coach and now College Navigator for the Allied Health Programs. Laura earned her Bachelor of Science while serving in the US Army and stationed in Germany and her Master of Education while stationed at Fort Sill, OK. Her initial education and training was in the mental health field before moving into education. Outside of work, Laura likes to spend time with her four kids, walking the trails, cuddling with her tiny dog and reading a ton of books!

Photo of Alisa Wollens
Alisa Wollens

Photo of Nina Karhinen
Nina Karhinen