Eligibility

To be eligible for selection, you must complete the following by December 15th of the year preceding intended enrollment into the dental hygiene program:

  1. Have a DHY curriculum designation. All students who apply to the college and indicate “Dental Hygiene” on their application will be given a “DHY” designation.
  2. Have evidence of high school diploma or GED on file.
  3. Have an accurate address and contact information on record
  4. Have an OCC transcript evaluation if you are a transfer student. If you are a transfer student, you must make certain that an official transcript from all previously attended institutions is sent to the Registrar’s Office at the Bee Administration center for official evaluation. All transfer students must complete the last 15 credits hours at OCC.
  5. Completion of each required supportive course with a grade of  "C" (2.0) or better: BIO 1570 or BIO 2710, BIO 2630, BIO 2640, CHE 1320, COM 1600, ENG 1510, PSY 2510, SOC 2510.
  6. Have obtained written approval for any course substitution.
  7. Have scored 75 or greater on all parts of the DHY HESI examination (one retake allowed).
  8. Have attended a required Dental Hygiene Information Session.
  9. Have completed 10 hours of Job Shadowing with a Registered Dental Hygienist in Private Practice.
  10. Have completed 5 hours of Observation in the OCC Dental Hygiene Clinic.
  11. Have a record review with the Dental Hygiene Program Co-Coordinator.
  12. Complete an Official Checklist for Dental Hygiene Program Form with a Highland Lakes Counselor.
  13. At your appointment with a counselor be sure to bring a copy (can be unofficial) of any or all courses taken with letter grade(s) from other colleges or universities, this must be attached to your final official checklist.

Selection into the Dental Hygiene program is based on Required Supportive Courses' Grade Point Average. A student who has a lower grade point average than the determined average for that selection year should consider re-taking courses to improve their overall Required Supportive Courses' Grade Point Average.

If there are any incompletes (I's) on your record, they must be processed before acceptance into the program.

Former OCC students who have not registered for classes for a three (3) year period must reapply for admission and make certain they have a DHY curriculum designation. Students who have applied to the College but have not registered for any classes for one year must re-apply. Students graduating from another program and still interested in being considered for Dental Hygiene must re-establish the DHY designation by means of a Change of Data form at a campus Enrollment Service office.

Required Supportive Courses for the Dental Hygiene Program:

  • BIO 1570 Microbiology of Health and Disease, or BIO 2710 Microbiology
  • *BIO 2630 Human Anatomy and Physiology I
  • *BIO 2640 Human Anatomy and Physiology II
  • *CHE 1320 Survey of Organic and Biochemistry
  • COM 1600 Fundamentals of Speech**
  • ENG 1510 Composition I
  • PSY 2510 Introduction to Psychology
  • SOC 2510 Sociology

HEA 1510 Nutrition can be taken within the program before the third semester of the program but is not used for selection purposes.

* These courses must be taken within a five-year period which dates from the session during which the course was taken and closes at the session during which the student begins DHY 1230. If more than five years elapse, the course(s) must be retaken or you must successfully complete a science review course offered by the Dental Hygiene program prior to enrollment into the program.

**As of Winter of 2005, COM 1290, Interpersonal Communication will not substitute for COM 1600

Selection Criteria and Eligibility Status:

To be eligible for selection, all requirements and procedures for admission (outlined in student brochure and information sessions) must be completed by no later than December 15th preceding intended enrollment into the Dental Hygiene program. Applicants will be notified in writing about the result no later than April 15th. Records review of the selected applicants will commence in February and March.  Only students who have been accepted will receive a letter of acceptance.

Oakland Community College requires an external rotation in a health care setting. Acceptance into the dental hygiene program will now be contingent upon a satisfactory criminal background screening including fingerprinting and drug screening (Public Act 28 of 2006) at the student’s expense. If a student’s background check reveals:

1) Conviction of a felony or a conviction of an attempt to commit a felony within the 15 years immediately preceding the date of the criminal history check; or

2) Conviction of a misdemeanor within the 10 years immediately preceding the criminal history check, this will preclude eligibility for admission into the dental hygiene program.