Health Sciences

Dental Hygiene

The Dental Hygiene program includes instruction in principles of preventive oral care, including teaching clients self-care, examining clients' head and neck areas for abnormal health status, nutritional counseling, applying sealants to the grooves of clients' teeth, producing diagnostically acceptable intraoral radiographs (X-rays), managing pain and anxiety, and removing deposits from clients' teeth with scaling procedures.

Employment opportunities in South Carolina include private practice positions as employees of dentists.  There are also opportunities in public health settings, hospital dental practices, prison dental clinics and in dental hygiene education.

Related career roles include dental product sales representatives, infection control consultants for private dental offices and dental hygiene educators.

Special Requirements

Phase I, the Pre-Dental Hygiene certificate, must be completed with a 2.5 GPA, including "C" or better in natural science and math courses, as one of the criteria for advancement to Phase II, the Dental Hygiene major curriculum.  Students in Phase II must receive a "C" or better on all dental hygiene courses and maintain a cumulative 2.0 GPA.  Students may not repeat a major course more than once, nor may they progress until that course has been passed.

Students may not repeat more than two Phase II courses during their program matriculation.  A student may not be readmitted to the dental hygiene program more than once.  Readmitted students will be expected to revalidate competencies prior to resuming participation in the program at the previous point of validated competencies.

Students are required to purchase and maintain a complete set of dental hygiene and x-ray instruments, clinical instruments, laboratory coats, standard uniforms (including gloves and masks), shoes, name pin and safety glasses at an approximate cost of $4,500.

Students are required to pass a comprehensive examination in each clinical dental hygiene course to continue in the program the following semester.  Students must pass a competency examination during the second semester of Phase II.  This competency exam tests students' knowledge in all clinical and scientific subject matter presented during the Pre-Dental Hygiene certificate and the first year in dental hygiene.

Primary clinical experience is gained in the on-campus dental clinic at the Airport Campus.  Students may also rotate through local dental clinics, hospitals and nursing homes in the immediate area for practical experience in a variety of situations and age groups.

Students are encouraged to join their student professional organization and to participate in its scheduled activities, including attendance at the annual meeting.  In addition, they are required to participate in scheduled activities such as visits to elementary schools for dental health education presentations and dental screenings.

Admission to Phase II is based on satisfactory completion of Phase I with a 2.5 GPA.

This program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association.

Completion of the five clinical semesters in Phase II qualifies the student to take the Dental Hygiene National Board, the passing of which is a prerequisite for the South Carolina Board of Dentistry Licensure.  Students must also pass the clinical dental examination administered by the South Regional  Testing Agency to gain licensure in South Carolina.