Dental Hygiene

It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to ensure that you have met all the below requirements for a valid application and consideration of acceptance into the Pierce College Dental Hygiene Program including submission of application forms by the correct deadlines. ANY portion of the application received after a deadline will eliminate your application from the Valid Applicant Pool for that year.

Dental Hygiene Program Length

Seven (7) consecutive quarters starting each Fall quarter.

School Hours

Generally 7:30 am until 6:00 pm
Occasionally, evening and weekends are necessary for specific professional activities. Each quarter varies with the specific hours.

Number of accepted students per year

20 each year at the Lakewood campus
5 every other year at the Port Angeles campus – next class will be accepted in fall 2010
NOTE: We DO NOT have a waiting list. Applicants may apply as many times as they want, but must meet the current year's requirements for application.

Working while in the program

We do not recommend working during your education in our Program. The clinical and didactic instruction requires between 24 to 30 on-campus contact hours per week. This does not include the hours necessary for studying and homework outside campus hours.

Degree earned

Associate in Dental Hygiene

Transfer ability for a bachelor's degree

YES our degree does transfer!
The Pierce College Associate in Dental Hygiene directly articulates (typically) into the Eastern Washington University (EWU) Expanded Degree Completion Program (BSDH) which you can earn on-site at the Pierce College Lakewood campus!

The EWU at Pierce Program offers the curriculum in one year or part-time in two years; however, the one year option is dependent on enrollment numbers each year. Once you earn your Dental Hygiene license, you may apply to the EWU at Pierce Program and complete the 61 upper division credits. There is NO CLINICAL COMPONENT! Practice in your profession full-time or part-time while completing your Bachelor of Science and experience the benefits of an educational journey without the pressure to pass National and Regional licensure testing! Please go to http://cshe.cslabs.ewu.edu/deptDH/x6780.html for more information.

Estimated cost without board and room**

For 2009-2011: approx. $20,000.00 plus licensing and exam fees of approx. $2,500.00
Cost varies from year to year and can be subject to change during your time within our Program due to inflation or other unanticipated events.

**Includes only tuition, books, instrument issues, store fees and licensing fees, but does not include room and board, transportation, or incidentals. Pierce College does not have dormitories or student housing available. Please refer to the Cost Sheet for itemization.

Health concerns

Dental Hygiene requires working with bodily fluids, mainly saliva and blood. The Pierce College Dental Hygiene Program instructs the students and requires the use of standard precautions, which when followed correctly, significantly reduces the risk of acquiring transmissible diseases. You will have Required Immunizations verification or you must sign a release stating your refusal of immunization. Please see After Acceptance. Furthermore, we teach the latest and best techniques/skills in dental hygiene to prevent work related injuries.

Disability status***

The Dental Hygiene Program and the field of Dental Hygiene are physically and mentally demanding. It requires good physical conditioning, as well as excellent eye-hand coordination. The skills used in the practice of dental hygiene place a demand on your whole body, but particularly the back, neck, upper body muscles, arms and hands, and vision. The repetition of the skills, variety of clients seen, and variety of settings in which one practices, require good physical condition and stamina. If you are concerned, please check with your physician and/or a Dental Hygiene advisor to determine whether the physical demands of the Dental Hygiene Program would not be recommended for you.

***Pierce College Disability Policy: Students with disabilities who believe they may need academic adjustments, auxiliary aids or services to fully participate in course activities or meet course requirements are encouraged to register with the Access and Disability Services (ADS) Office at 253-964-6526 or TTY at 253-964-6626 or confidential FAX at 253-964-6449 for the Pierce College Lakewood campus. You may also email the ADS Office through our website at: http://www.pierce.ctc.edu/access/contact.php. Students requesting accommodations must obtain the "Approved Quarterly Academic Adjustments, Auxiliary Aids or Services" form provided by ADS.

Pierce College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, disability, age, sex or marital status in admission to and participation to educational programs, college activities, or employment.

Financial aid and Scholarships

Yes, there are! Please contact the Financial Aid Office at: 253-964-6544. Deadlines are strictly adhered to, so students are encouraged to apply early. Additional scholarship information is available for accepted applicants by contacting the Dental Hygiene Program at: 253-964-6695. There are scholarships offered by the American Dental Association, American Dental Hygienists Association, Washington State Dental Hygienists Association, Washington Dental Service Foundation, etc.