Program Overview

Overview

The professional track program is two years in length with a limited number of openings available each year. Prior to acceptance into the professional track, required prerequisite college courses must be completed. The program begins each fall semester with a cohort of students and upon successful completion of the 79 credit hour program, an Associate of Applied Science Dental Hygiene degree is granted from the college. The curriculum is taught using small group instruction with experienced and dedicated faculty providing hands-on training with state of the art equipment, including dental hygiene clinical experience in our on-campus patient care clinic.

Commission on Dental Accreditation, American Dental Association

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.

Originally accredited on: December 11, 1970; Last site visit: July 27-28, 2017. An accreditation status of approval without reporting requirements means: an accreditation classification granted to an educational program indicating that the program achieves or exceeds the basic requirements for accreditation.

National and Regional Board Examinations
Graduates from this program are eligible to take the National Dental Hygiene Board (NDHBE) examination and the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments (CDCA) examination. These exams are required by states for licensing to practice as a dental hygienist. Additionally, students may sit for two optional regional exams on local anesthesia and nitrous oxide sedation.

Person having their teeth checked at the dental hygiene clinic

The Dental Hygiene program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and has been granted the accreditation status of "approval without reporting requirements".

Selective Admission Information

May 1st Application Deadline

The Dental Hygiene Program is a selective admission program. Students meeting prerequisite requirements will be considered for admission to the program. In order to be considered as a candidate for this program, students must meet basic admission requirements beyond those required for admission to the College. Students meeting basic admission requirements will be ranked for admittance into the program using a point value system. Points will only be awarded to students who meet the basic admission requirements at the time selection for students for admission is made. Additional points will be awarded for admission based on such categories as prerequisite and general education courses taken, GPA average in science courses, dental assisting experience and college degrees. Specific dental hygiene courses are open only to students officially admitted to the Dental Hygiene Program.

All admission procedures are coordinated through the Selective Admissions Office located in HHS 108 on the 1st floor of the Health and Human Services Building. Therefore, any student desiring admission into this program should visit the Health and Human Services Advising Guide webpage to find the Selective Admission Application.

Selective Admission Applications must be submitted to Student Finance at the payment counter in the Star Zone on the 2nd floor of the Gannon Building. There is a $50 application fee due at the time of submission. Students should attach all documentation of work experience and other required student information regarding the Dental Hygiene Program. Selective Admission Applications can also be found on the Health and Human Admissions Programs web page.

For more information, the applicant is encouraged to contact the Selective Admissions office at selective_admissions@lcc.edu or 517-483-1182. Health Careers Academic advisors are also available through the Center for Academic & Career Pathways. Call 517-483-1957 option 4 to schedule an appointment.

The student applicant is responsible for providing verification of other information not contained in the current Lansing Community College official transcript.

The student applicant is REQUIRED to:

Submit an application for selective admission to the Enrollment Services Office. Applications are held for two years. Applications must be resubmitted if the application is over one-year old. (May 1st deadline)
Submit college transcripts to the Registrar's Office. (May 15th deadline). To start the transfer process, you will need to send your official transcripts, from the school you are coming from straight to Lansing Community College. The address you will need to send the transcripts to is:

Registrar's Office
Lansing Community College
411 N Grand Ave
Lansing, MI 48933-1215

Attend an applicant advising orientation. Orientations are scheduled periodically throughout the year. Pre-registration is required by calling 517-483-1410.
Complete all prerequisite courses with a minimum grade of 2.5 for each course and complete all other general education prerequisite courses with a minimum grade of 2.0 or better for each course. Each general education course (except prerequisite courses) must be completed with a minimum 2.0 grade or better.

Applicant Advising Orientation:

Those interested in the Dental Hygiene program are REQUIRED to attend an applicant advising orientation. The dates for the 2019-2020 Academic year are:

Thursday, September 12, 2019, 4:00 - 5:30 pm or
Tuesday, October 22, 2019, 5:00 - 6:30 pm or
Tuesday, November 12, 2019, 5:00 - 6:30 pm or
Thursday, February 6, 2020, 4:00 - 5:30 pm or
Wednesday, March 18, 2020, 5:00-6:30 pm

Location - HHS Building Room 116. Enrollment is limited so please register to attend. *Note that students only need to attend one of these advising orientation dates.

Selection Criteria:

Students must complete BIOL 145 (or BIOL 201 & BIOL 202), BIOL 203, and CHEM 120 with a 2.5 or higher in each course to be eligible for admission.
Students who are considering transferring for a four-year degree are encouraged to take BIOL 201 and BIOL 202, rather than BIOL 145 for increased transferability.
Students who are considering transferring for a four-year degree are encouraged to take ENGL 121 or ENGL 122 for increased transferability.
All other courses (MATH, ENGL, SOCL, PSYC) must be completed with a 2.0 or higher. Please see advising guide of Dental Hygiene map for specific MATH, ENGL, SOCL and PSYC courses that are required to take for admittance with the Dental Hygiene Program.
Students who complete the courses listed (General Education and Other) with the highest grades will receive the most points for admission.
Points will be assigned in the Dental Assisting Experience and Post Secondary Degree Category based on the level of achievement in each category.

If admitted:

Students must complete a Criminal Background Check.
Current Cardiac Life Support Certification (Infant, Child, and Adult) is required throughout this program. (Must be the American Heart Association CPR for Health Care Providers with AED Training). Certification must be valid for the entire 21-months of the Dental Hygiene Program (taken no earlier than June preceding the August start date of the program).
Students must complete a physical exam, eye exam, and have all required immunizations current to include a yearly TB test, yearly flu vaccination and the Hepatitis series.

For further information and advising, contact the Dental Hygiene Program, Health and Human Services Building (HHS), Room 107, or call 517-483-1457, or email us at Cullp@lcc.edu

Dental Hygiene Program Physical Guidelines for Students

Motor, Cognitive, & Psychological Requirements

In keeping with its mission and goals and compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, Lansing Community College promotes an environment of respect and support for persons with disabilities and will make reasonable accommodations. The definition of individuals with disabilities are those who currently have, have a record of having, or are regarded as having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. Major life activities include caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, breathing, and working.

In order to fulfill the requirements of the Dental Hygiene Program at Lansing Community College, students must be able to meet the physical demands associated with the profession. Listed below are technical skills (motor, cognitive, and psychological) required for a student enrolled in the Dental Hygiene Program. The skills listed below are based on standards from LCC’s Dental Hygiene Program Competencies, Commission on Dental Accreditation, OSHA, OSAP, American Dental Hygiene Association, and the State of Michigan’s Scope of Practice for Registered Dental Hygienist. These technical skills are established to ensure both patient and operator safety.

1. Essential motor skills required to meet the class and clinical practice outcomes are:

STRENGTH: Perform physical activities requiring the ability to push/pull objects/persons more than 25 pounds (Example: the strength to be able to transfer a patient from a wheelchair to a dental chair; use upper body strength to assist the patient in an emergency situation (perform CPR). Possess hand-arm strength to control manual and power dental instruments and tools.

MANUAL DEXTERITY: Perform complex motor skills such as writing, typing; manipulative skills with fine instruments and devices, and calibration of dental equipment. Students must have full use of hands, wrists, shoulders, feet, and the ability to extend hands and arms in any direction reaching above the head. No other structural defect or limitation, which may interfere with the ability to control and safely operate medical/dental instruments and equipment. Examples: fine motor coordination, such as giving injections. Be able to grasp, pinch, or twist with fingers.

COORDINATION: Perform body coordination such as walking, filing, retrieving equipment, eye-hand coordination, arm-hand steadiness, have the ability to use both hands and one foot simultaneously, ability to extend the hands and arms in any direction, reaching above the head (i.e., use of hand instruments, taking blood pressures, calibration of instruments and equipment).

MOBILITY: Perform mobility skills such as walking, standing, prolonged standing or sitting in occasionally uncomfortable positions or very small spaces (i.e., 2 feet by 4 feet spaces), be able to sit in ergonomically correct dental hygiene position unassisted.

VISUAL ABILITY: See objects far away, very close, discriminate fine detail and colors, and to see objects closely as in reading faces, dials, monitors, etc. Examples: Need to be able to read millimeter measurement marking on dental instruments. Need to be able to distinguish between color variations (white, red, purple, blue) in tissues to distinguish between normal and abnormal. Differentiate between shades of gray on radiographs to determine the quality and identify anatomy. Visualize edge and adaptation of instruments at distances between 12-16 inches.

HEARING: Have sufficient hearing to respond to patient needs as well as interact with the patient in a variety of situations in the presence of extraneous sounds from clinical equipment such as sonic, ultrasonic and radiography equipment (i.e.: faint sound such a systole and diastole through stethoscope, percussion of teeth, temporomandibular joint - clicking/popping, alarm on nitrous machine, ultrasonic pitches, cutting edge of dental instruments).

TACTILE ABILITY: Demonstrate tactile abilities sufficient to make physical assessments of soft and hard tissues. To perceive attributes of patients and objects such as when performing intraoral and extraoral examinations; to use assessment instruments such as explorers and probes; to detect hard deposits on teeth as well as evaluate deposit removal; to evaluate tooth anatomy.

2. Essential cognitive skills required to meet the class and clinical practice outcomes:

ATTENTION SPAN: Concentrate on patient safety with a moderate amount of interruptions (i.e., patient and co-worker requests, alarms, equipment noise). Attend to task/functions that require up to 60 minutes in length and handle a variety of tasks for periods up to 8 hours. No mental, nervous, organic or functional disease, or psychiatric disorder likely to interfere with the ability to coordinate treatment planning; work with other health care professionals and patients; coordinate treatment procedures; and safely operate medical/dental devices and instruments.

CONCEPTUALIZATION AND CRITICAL THINKING: Comprehend and integrate knowledge from didactic courses and professional literature into the assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of dental hygiene treatment. Critical thinking ability sufficient for clinical judgment to identify cause-effect relationships in clinical situations and develop and implement treatment/care plans. Prioritize, organize, and utilize time management skills to deliver patient care in a timely and accurate manner. Adhere to: HIPAA and OSHA guidelines, ADHA professional standards, LCC and Dental Hygiene Program professional conduct guidelines as well as clinical policies and procedures.

MEMORY: Remember task/assignments given to self and others over both short and long periods (i.e., information gathered in assessing patients and didactic courses).

3. Essential psychological skills required to meet the class and clinical practice outcomes:

INTERPERSONAL: Demonstrate interpersonal abilities to interact compassionately and effectively with patients from a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds. Establish professional and respectful rapport with patients, classmates, staff, faculty, and dentist. Work effectively as a team member.

COMMUNICATION: Speak and write clearly and concisely with patients, classmates, staff, faculty, dentist, and other health care providers in English when applicable using standard medical and dental terminology. Communicate sufficiently for interaction with others in written form. Writing skills include being able to prepare legibly written documentation. Explain treatment procedures, initiate health teaching, interpret health care actions, and patient responses. Be able to read and interpret directions from one's supervisors.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE: No current clinical diagnosis of alcoholism. Must not use Schedule 1 drugs or other substances such as amphetamines, narcotics, or any other habit-forming drug except those substances or drugs prescribed by a licensed medical practitioner; who is familiar with the individual's medical history and assigned duties and who has advised the individual that the prescribed substance or drug will not adversely affect the individual's ability to safely practice.

STRESS: A student's behavior and social skills must be acceptable with the college and clinical settings. A student must be able to: monitor his/her emotions; manage strong emotions (such as grief or anger) in a professional manner; perform multiple responsibilities concurrently; adapt to a changing environment/stress and deal with the unexpected (such as a crisis situation); work with patients who may be very young/old, critically ill/injured, or mentally/physically deficient/impaired.

Warnings and Notifications of Hazards and Risks

All occupations have inherent risks that prospective students should be aware of. The purpose of this Warning of Hazards and Risks is to bring students' attention to the existence of potential dangers in the Dental Hygiene Program and to aid them in making an informed decision concerning participation in the Program. Upon entering the Dental Hygiene Program, the student will be required to sign an Informed Acknowledgment and Consent to Hazards and Risks form after receiving and review the LCC Dental Hygiene Program's Student Program Manual and Risk Management Manual.

DISCLAIMER: The above statement of criteria is not intended as a complete listing of behaviors required for the Dental Hygiene Program, but is a sampling of the types of abilities required by the student to meet program objectives and requirements. The Dental Hygiene Program or its affiliated agencies may identify additional critical behaviors or abilities needed by students to meet program or agency requirements. The Dental Hygiene Program reserves the right to amend this listing based on the identifications of additional standards or criteria for Dental Hygiene students.

Lansing Community College is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and equal education for all persons regardless of race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, creed, ancestry, height, weight, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, familial status, marital status, military status, veteran's status, or other status as protected by law, or genetic information that is unrelated to the person's ability to perform the duties of a particular job or position or that is unrelated to the person's ability to participate in educational programs, courses services or activities offered by the college.

Contact Us

Dental Hygiene Program

Health and Human Services Division Office

HHS Building, 108
517-483-1410
517-483-1508 fax

Additional Contact