Dental Hygiene

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Launch your career in healthcare with a degree in dental hygiene! Our program trains you in comprehensive dental hygiene care. You will learn how to clean patients’ teeth and examine for signs of oral disease. You will also understand how to administer local anesthesia and nitrous oxide.

Our goal is to equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to find employment and provide top-notch patient care. Our program prepares you to take the required national, regional and state licensure exams.  Dental hygienists are in high demand. With a degree in dental hygiene, you can even find careers outside private practices or public healthcare clinics. Use your knowledge to work in sales, research and education. This is a selective admission program. A separate application process is required to enroll. View the Dental Hygiene application details.

The Dental Hygiene Program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) of the American Dental Association.

Rebecca Caceres
Dental Hygiene Program Director
417-447-6693

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Accreditation

The program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)   211 East Chicago Avenue; Chicago, IL 60611     800.232.6108     www.coda.ada.org

OTC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Our current accreditation status with the HLC is displayed on the page linked below. Our next comprehensive evaluation will be in 2030-2031. View more information on OTC accreditation.

Program Outcomes

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The Dental Hygiene Program is a selective admission program and admission is determined by a points-based system. Points are awarded on the grades made in the preadmission classes, completion of clinical observations hours or CDA experience, Bennett, Wonderlic and Pegboard test scores, cumulative GPA on all courses completed, and residency status. For additional information, visit the Candidate Selection Form.

General Admissions to Ozarks Tech

Admission to Ozarks Technical Community College is open to all individuals who can benefit from its educational programs. A focus of the college mission is on the academic, career and personal goals of the student. OTC may admit you as a First-Time student just completing their high school, GED or HiSET requirements or as a Transfer student coming from another institution finishing up a certificate or degree. For more information, visit OTC Admissions.

Wondering how you’re going to pay for college? At OTC, we believe that cost shouldn’t be a barrier to earning a degree. Our staff will work with you to make a financial plan. To browse the resources available to you, see paying for college.

At Ozarks Tech, we want your transfer process to be easy. We accomplish this goal through articulation agreements. These agreements are an official partnership to match coursework between schools. This gives you a more seamless transition from Ozarks Tech to a four-year institution.

We have established an agreement for this program. This will simplify the transfer of your credits to partner schools. To understand how this degree will transfer, review the current articulation agreements. Be sure to consult with your transfer school to ensure you’re on the right path toward completing your four-year degree.

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COSTS & OPTIONS

CREDENTIAL TYPE
PROGRAM
FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO:
LENGTH OF PROGRAM
COST*

Associate of Applied Science

Dental Hygiene
  • Work as a dental hygienist in a private practice or public healthcare facility
  • Supplement your training with cross-disciplinary knowledge and skills gained in general education courses

93 credit hours
6 semesters

$22,824.00*
to
$28,308.00*

Short-Term Training

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Accelerate your career with OTC's short-term training courses. Gain valuable skills in as little as just weeks and unlock new opportunities for success. View courses. 

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PROGRAM DETAILS

Clicking on the options below will provide overview information, course sequences (when applicable), and specific course descriptions. To see a full catalog of all the offerings at OTC, visit catalog.otc.edu.

Dental Hygiene (A.A.S.)

A.A.S. Degree: 92 Hours

The Dental Hygiene profession offers a variety of career opportunities:  clinical practice in general and specialty dental offices; federal, state, and county health clinics; hospital-based treatment; long-term care facilities; industrial clinics; armed services; pharmaceutical sales; research institutions; and educational settings.

Contemporary dental hygiene practice requires that dental hygienists possess a breadth of knowledge and skills in a variety of areas.  Dental hygiene practice includes:  oral prophylaxis (cleaning); patient education; exposing, processing, and mounting radiographs; collecting and evaluating patient medical history information; performing head and neck examinations; periodontal assessment and non-surgical therapy; applying preventive agents; application of desensitizing and antimicrobial agents; and administering local anesthesia and nitrous oxide analgesia.

The dental hygiene program is a selective admission program.  A separate application process is required for acceptance into the program; the application deadline is May 31st.  Upon acceptance, the student may take the "program specific courses". A grade of "C" or better is required for all program required courses. The dental hygiene program is a five-semester program which prepares the student for their national, regional, and state licensure examinations.  Contact the Health Sciences Office for an application packet.

The dental hygiene program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) of the American Dental Association (ADA), 211 E. Chicago, Suite 1900, Chicago, IL 60611, (312) 621-8099.  800.232.6108  https://coda.ada.org/

The Missouri Department of Higher Education has identified a common set of general education courses that have been adopted statewide. These courses are called the "CORE 42."  CORE 42 courses are guaranteed to transfer to any Missouri public college or university to satisfy general education requirements.

Courses in knowledge areas below, designated with the CORE 42 logo indicates courses in that area have been evaluated and provided a MOTR number for transfer to all Missouri public institutions of higher education.

Courses that do not have this designation may still transfer to public and private colleges and universities in Missouri and elsewhere, but students are encouraged to check the transfer equivalency website of the institution to which they plan to transfer to confirm.

Please refer to the MDHE Core Transfer Curriculum for detailed information on CORE 42 courses.

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*Notices and Disclaimers

*Costs displayed are based on current tuition and fee rates for the program’s required credit hours, as approved by the OTC Board of Trustees, and are subject to change without notice. Estimates reflect both in-district and out-of-district residency rates. Actual costs, degree completion time, and credit requirements may vary based on residency, prior credits, elective courses, program updates, and enrollment factors. For additional information on attendance costs, visit Cost of Attendance, tuition and fees or contact us at 417-447-6900.

**Graduation rates vary by individual. For details on program enrollment, retention, exam/certification, and employment rates, visit Student Outcomes / Student Right-to-Know. Some careers on this list may require additional education and training. For program-specific accreditation visit OTC Accreditation.