Taft College’s Dental Hygiene Program has sought to inspire and teach dental care that is comprehensive in its technical excellence and in its orientation to awareness of the total health needs of the individual patient. Dental hygienists are licensed oral health professionals who focus on preventing and treating oral diseases to protect the oral cavity and also to protect the patients’ total health. They are graduates of accredited dental hygiene education programs in colleges and universities, and must pass a written national board examination and a clinical examination to obtain state licensure. The Taft College Dental Hygiene Program gives students the knowledge, experience, and educational requirements necessary to take the state and national board examinations. As the worlds’ understanding of preventive and restorative oral health care grows, so does the need for dental care givers and support staff. Taft College graduates are in demand.
Prerequisites and Selection Criteria
Taft College accepts 20 qualified students into its Dental Hygiene Program each fall semester. There are minimum admission requirements that all applicants must meet in order to be considered for acceptance into the program.
The application period for the class beginning each fall will be available mid-January and must be received in the Admissions Office by the last day of February.
All program prerequisites must be completed with a minimum grade of “C” or better by December of the prior year. No in-progress prerequisites will be accepted.
Program requirements and selection criteria are subject to change. Students applying to the Dental Hygiene program must meet catalog and program requirements in effect at the time of application to the program. Visit the Taft College Dental Hygiene website or contact the department for current information.
Students must earn a minimum grade of “C” or better in each of the following prerequisite courses:
Prerequisite courses (Taft College course or equivalent course from another school)
| BIOL 2250 | Human Anatomy | 5.00 Credits(s) |
| BIOL 2257 | Human Physiology with Lab | 5.00 Credits(s) |
| BIOL 2260 | General Microbiology | 5.00 Credits(s) |
| BIOL 2370 | Nutrition Science | 3.00 Credits(s) |
| CHEM 1520 | Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry | 4.00 Credits(s) |
| ENGL 1500 | Composition and Reading | 3.00 Credits(s) |
| MATH 1060 | Intermediate Algebra | 4.00 Credits(s) |
| PSYC 1500 | Introduction to Psychology | 3.00 Credits(s) |
| SOC 1510 | Introduction to Sociology | 3.00 Credits(s) |
| SOC 2110 | Introduction to Race and Ethnicity | 3.00 Credits(s) |
| SPCH 1507 | Group Discussion | 3.00 Credits(s) |
| OR | |
| SPCH 1511 | Fundamentals of Speech | 3.00 Credits(s) |
All completed prerequisite science courses must be
completed by 2015 or later in order to meet the five (5) year recency requirement.
A two-semester combination Anatomy and Physiology course may be substituted for the Anatomy and Physiology requirement. A one-semester survey course is not acceptable.
The program's cultural diversity requirement may be satisfied by any Taft College course that meets the local ethnic studies requirement.
Applicants must hold a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or better in all college coursework.
SELECTION CRITERIA
The selection criteria will be applied to those applicants who have met minimum program requirements. There is a cumulative total of 200 points possible in the following categories:
• GPA in prerequisite coursework (50 points)
• Cumulative GPA in all college coursework (45 points)
• Number of units completed at Taft College (40 points)
• Progress towards the completion of general education requirements for the Associate Degree (20 points)
• Attainment of a degree or certificate (20 points)
• Related work experience (25 points)
All points will be determined by consensus of the Selection Committee. Program requirements and selection criteria are subject to change. Students applying to the Dental Hygiene Program must meet catalog and program requirements in effect at the time of application to the program. Contact the Dental Hygiene Department for current information at 661. 763.7706.
PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon successful completing of the dental hygiene program,
1. Legal and Ethical Principles. The graduates will be competent in the ethical and legal aspects of the Dental Hygiene profession.
2. Dental Hygiene Process of Care. The graduates will be competent in providing preventive and therapeutic dental hygiene services to patients of all ages, ethnicity, and socioeconomic levels.
3. Community Awareness. The graduates will participate in various community health programs that will focus on improving the oral health of individuals, families, and community groups.
4. Life Long Learning. The graduates will apply experience, skills, and knowledge to develop and implement a plan for professional growth.
5. Infection Control. The graduates will be competent in all aspects of infection control procedures and hazardous waste management.
6. Critical Thinking. The graduates will be competent in problem solving strategies related to comprehensive patient care and management of patients using current scientific evidence to formulate a patient-centered comprehensive care plan.
Program Requirements
Required Courses
| DNTL 1510 | Oral Biology | 4.00 Credits(s) |
| DNTL 1511 | Oral Radiology | 2.50 Credits(s) |
| DNTL 1512 | Head and Neck Anatomy | 3.00 Credits(s) |
| DNTL 1513 | Dental Health Education/Seminar | 2.00 Credits(s) |
| DNTL 1514 | Introduction to Clinic | 5.50 Credits(s) |
| DNTL 2020 | Local Anesthesia and Nitrous Oxide | 2.00 Credits(s) |
| DNTL 2021 | General and Oral Pathology | 4.00 Credits(s) |
| DNTL 2024 | Clinical Practice I | 4.00 Credits(s) |
| DNTL 2025 | Patient Management and Geriatrics | 2.00 Credits(s) |
| DNTL 2026 | Nutrition in Dentistry | 1.00 Credits(s) |
| DNTL 2130 | Periodontics I | 3.00 Credits(s) |
| DNTL 2131 | Pharmacology | 2.00 Credits(s) |
| DNTL 2132 | Dental Materials | 2.00 Credits(s) |
| DNTL 2133 | Advanced Clinical Topics | 2.00 Credits(s) |
| DNTL 2134 | Clinical Practice II | 5.00 Credits(s) |
| DNTL 2135 | Community Oral Health I | 2.00 Credits(s) |
| DNTL 2240 | Periodontics II | 1.50 Credits(s) |
| DNTL 2241 | Practice and Financial Management | 1.00 Credits(s) |
| DNTL 2243 | Clinical Practice III | 6.00 Credits(s) |
| DNTL 2244 | Community Oral Health II | 2.00 Credits(s) |
| DNTL 2245 | Ethics and Jurisprudence | 2.00 Credits(s) |
| Total Credit Hours: | 58 |
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This degree does not prepare a student to transfer to a four-year college or university. However, certain courses may be transferrable to other colleges and universities. If you are interested in transferring to a four-year college or university to pursue a bachelor’s degree in this major, it is critical that you meet with a TC counselor to select and plan the courses for your major. Schools vary widely in terms of the required preparation. The courses that TC requires for an associate degree in this major may be different from the requirements needed for the bachelor’s degree.