Dental Hygiene
Healthcare is a growing, dynamic field. A career in dental hygiene is your opportunity to make a difference in other peoples' lives and in your own life. This is a career that can give you confidence, diversity, professional status, and a sense of purpose and accomplishment. The dental hygienist is the only member of the professional dental health team, other than the dentist, licensed to provide direct patient care. Contemporary dental hygiene practice requires that dental hygienists possess a breadth of knowledge and skills in a variety of areas. Become the professional you seek to be. Take the first step. Consider dental hygiene... a profession of opportunities.
Specific Program Information
- Admission Checklist - Read First
- Admission Application (pdf)
- Program Description (pdf)
- DHY Preferred Course
- Job Shadowing Form (pdf)
- Candidate Selection Information (pdf)
- Allied Health Pre-Admission Test dates 2008-09
- Bloodborne Infectious Diseases (pdf)
- Admission Requirements
- Costs (pdf)
Background Check
In the course of changes in healthcare, it has become necessary to have criminal background checks performed on all currently enrolled students in Allied Health programs. This is necessary because of our affiliations with numerous clinical education sites.
All applicants accepted into an Allied Health program will have a criminal background check performed. This will be done through a contracted agency. At the present time, if the program you are planning to enter requires licensure or certification by a national or state organization, it will be the decision of that agency as to your qualifications to apply for licensure or certification. Your acceptance into an OTC Allied Health program or the completion of the program does not guarantee the eligibility to apply for licensure or certification.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does a Dental Hygienist Do?
The duties of the Dental Hygienist include comprehensive patient care with specifics to include:
- oral prophylaxis (cleaning)
- exposing, processing and mounting radiographs
- collecting and evaluating medical history information
- performing head and neck examinations
- periodontal assessment and therapy
- applying agents for the prevention of decay
- applying desensitizing and antimicrobial agents
- administering local anesthesia and nitrous oxide analgesia
Where do Dental Hygienists work?
Dental Hygiene employment opportunities include:
- general practice and specialty dental offices
- federal, state, county, and city health clinics
- hospitals
- long-term care facilities
- industrial clinics
- the armed services
- research institutions
- educational settings
What kind of education does a Dental Hygienist need?
Ozarks Technical Community College offers an Associate of Science Degree in Dental Hygiene. Upon satisfactory completion, graduates are eligible to take the National Board Examination and practical examinations required for licensure in Missouri and other states.
Employment Opportunities
The field of dental hygiene is a high demand employment field. Job opportunities are readily available in city and rural settings. Dental hygiene employment opportunities include:
- general practice and specialty dental offices
- federal, state, county, and city health clinics
- hospitals
- long-term care facilities
- industrial clinics
- the armed services
- research institutions
- educational settings
