Dental Hygiene Department - Home

Welcome

The Application Deadline for acceptance in fall 2013 has passed. Please use the current information contained on this website to create your Educational Plan for application in 2014.

Changes to the application process and/or Pre-dental Hygiene courses can occur from year to year. Please check the website in July 2013 for any updates.

Thank you and we hope to be a part of your future educational journey in becoming a Registered Dental Hygienist!

 

The Pierce College Dental Hygiene program has been accredited by the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)* for more than 30 years. It enjoys national acclaim and recognition for consistently graduating clinically skilled and intellectually strong dental hygiene clinicians.

The Pierce College Dental Hygiene faculty members strive for an affable academic climate that commands the very best from the student, while balancing the skills needed to be competent and successful and maintaining a high standard of public safety. Currently, the dental hygiene clinic incorporates the very latest and best technology, including office management software, digital radiography, and computer-assisted anesthesia.

Program Length

Seven consecutive quarters starting each fall quarter.

School Hours/Working While in Program

Generally, hours are 7:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. Occasional evenings and weekends are necessary for professional activities. Specific hours vary each quarter.

It is not recommended that students work while enrolled in the program. The clinical and classroom instruction requires 24-30 on-campus contact hours per week. This does not include the hours outside of class and clinic required for studying.

Number of Yearly Accepted Students

Twenty students each fall quarter at the Lakewood campus.

NOTE: There is no waiting list. Applicants may apply as many times as they want, but must meet the current year's requirements for application.

Degree Awarded

Associate in Dental Hygiene

Bachelor Degree Transferability

The Pierce College associate in Dental Hygiene directly transfers (typically) into the Eastern Washington University (EWU) Expanded Degree Completion Program, which can be earned on-site at Pierce College Fort Steilacoom.

The EWU at Pierce Program offers a full-time option for one year and a part-time option for two years. (The one-year option is dependent on enrollment numbers each year.) Once a student has earned a dental hygiene license, they may apply to the EWU at Pierce Program to complete the 61 upper division credits needed for a bachelor’s degree.

There is no clinical component. Students work in the profession full-time or part-time while completing the bachelor’s of science degree. This allows for the benefits of an educational journey without the pressure to pass national and regional licensure tests. Please click here for more information.

DH Program Info Line
Voice: (253) 964-6796

Fulltime Dental Hygiene Faculty

Monica L Hospenthal, RDH, BS, M.Ed.
Director of Dental Hygiene/ Fulltime Professor

Kathy B. Bassett, BSDH, RDH, M.Ed.
Fulltime Professor/Clinical Coordinator

Mary Galagan, RDH, BS, MHA
Fulltime Professor/Community Health and Extramurals

Carolyn D. Roberton, BSDH, RDH
Fulltime Professor, Liaison Student Chapter of ADHA

Postal Address

Pierce College Fort Steilacoom
Dental Hygiene Program
9401 Farwest Drive SW
Lakewood, WA 98498-1999