Dental Hygiene
Associate of Applied Science
Dental Hygienists are increasing their scope of practice across the country. At Pima, you will learn to work collaboratively with patients using a patient-centered and evidence-based approach in multidisciplinary teams of health professionals.
Pima will prepare you to take national and regional licensing exams to either work as a dental hygienist or pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Dental Hygiene. You will receive state-of-the-art, hands-on training in Pima’s Dental Clinic and be taught by dental professionals.
Limited Admissions Program: Students must meet the preparatory coursework and any other prerequisites and apply to the program. Depending on available spots, students may be placed on a waiting list before starting the program. See Program Admissions or an advisor for details.
Accreditation: This program is accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Title IV Financial Aid eligible: Yes
Location
West Campus
Contact Information
Division of Education & Biomedical Programs
Dean: 520.206.5105
Lead Faculty: 520.206.3098
Program Information
Similar Programs
Careers
Completing this program can lead to employment in a variety of different careers. Here are some examples of occupations related to this program with associated Pima County-based annual median wages. Some careers may require additional education or training. Source: EMSI
| Occupation | Annual Median Wage |
| Dental Hygienist | $89,016 |
Academic Options
Continue your studies at Northern Arizona University for a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene or explore other baccalaureate opportunities.
Program Requirements 2020-2021
Preparatory Coursework
Students must have completed the following basic requirements before they may begin the application process.
| Basic Requirements |
Credits |
| REA 112HP or REA 112 or a Next Generation Accuplacer Reading score of 256 or higher | 0-4 |
| CHM 130IN, CHM 140IN, BIO 201IH, BIO 201IN, and BIO 202IN with a combined average grade of B or better within the last six years | 16 |
| Complete the BIO 156IN prerequisite if needed |
0-4 |
| Subtotal | 16-24 |
General Education Requirements
This section lists general education requirements that are not fulfilled by core or support courses.*
| General Education Requirements | Credits |
| Arts and Humanities Recommend: HIS 124, or PHI 130 |
3 |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences Recommend: SOC 101 |
3 |
| Special Requirements Recommend: SOC 101 |
|
| Subtotal | 6 |
Required Core Courses
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
| DHE 101/101LC | Dental Hygiene I/Dental Hygiene I Clinical | 5 |
| DHE 104/104LB | Dental and Oral Morphology/Dental and Oral Morphology Lab | 2 |
| DHE 107 | Oral Embryology and Histology | 2 |
| DHE 112 | Preventive Dentistry | 3 |
| DHE 116/116LC ** | Oral Radiography/ Oral Radiography Clinical | 3 |
| DHE 119 | Periodontology | 2 |
| DHE 120 | Oral Pathology | 2 |
| DHE 122 | Pharmacology | 2 |
| DHE 132/132LB** | Dental Materials/Dental Materials Lab | 3 |
| DHE 150/150LB/150LC | Dental Hygiene II/Dental Hygiene II Lab/Dental Hygiene II Clinical | 5.5 |
| DHE 208/208LC | Pain and Anxiety Control for Dental Hygiene/Pain and Anxiety Control for Dental Hygiene Clinical | 2 |
| DHE 209 | Ethics and Practice Management | 1 |
| DHE 212 | Nutrition for Oral Health | 1 |
| DHE 213/213CA/213CB | Advanced Periodontal Services/Advanced Periodontal Services Clinical -A/Advanced Periodontal Services Clinical -B | 4 |
| DHE 216 | Community and Dental Health Education | 3 |
| DHE 250/250LC | Clinical Dental Hygiene III/Dental Hygiene III Clinical | 7 |
| DHE 255/255LC | Clinical Dental Hygiene IV/Dental Hygiene IV Clinical | 4 |
| Subtotal | 51.5 | |
Required Support Courses
| Course # | Course Title | Credits |
| BIO 205IN | Microbiology [SUN# BIO 2205] | 4 |
| CMN 120 | Business and Professional Communication | 3 |
| CSA 100 | Computer Literacy | 1 |
| MAT 142*** | Topics in College Mathematics [SUN# MAT 1142] | 3 |
| WRT 101 | English Composition I [SUN# ENG 1101] | 3 |
| PSY Course | Recommend: PSY 101 Introduction to Psychology [SUN# PSY 1101] | 3 |
| Subtotal | 17 | |
| Total (not including preparatory coursework) | 74.5 | |
| Total (including preparatory coursework) | 90.5-98.5 | |
* Other general education requirements are fulfilled by required core and support courses: Communication Requirement - WRT 101 fulfills this requirement; Mathematics or Science Requirement - MAT 142, 151 or higher fulfills this requirement; Other Requirement - PSY course fulfills this requirement.
** DAE 163/163LC will substitute for DHE 116/116LC if completed within the last three years. DAE 164/164LB will substitute for DHE 132/132LB if completed within the last three years. Students must have current CDA certification to substitute these courses. See academic advisor or faculty for information regarding course substitution.
*** MAT 151 or higher will also fulfill this requirement.
Dental Hygiene Interest Program/Major Codes: AOA9ALA/9DHE
Dental Hygiene Program/Major Codes: AASDNTHYGIEN/DHE1
www.pima.edu/dental-hygiene-aas