Dental Hygiene

Associate of Applied Science Degree (A.A.S.)
Dental Hygiene student

About this program

Your path to a career in dental hygiene starts at Penn College. Study standards of care and theory in the classroom and practice what you’ve learned in our state-of-the-art dental hygiene clinic. Open to the public, the clinic offers extensive hands-on learning using the industry’s latest equipment and technology.

Acceptance in this major is based upon additional requirements beyond College admission.

Cohort size may vary based on clinical site availability and alignment with accreditation requirements. Students who are not selected into their desired program may be eligible for selection into another NHS program depending on seat availability. For additional information, please contact the appropriate program director.

Next steps...

You're on your way to becoming a tomorrow maker.

2,000+

Patient Visits Per Year at Dental Hygiene Clinic

Seamless Associate-to-Bachelor Degree Pathway

98%

Overall Placement

Careers

The associate degree prepares students for employment in a variety of clinical settings including:

  • Private dental practices
  • Community clinics 
  • Hospitals
  • University dental clinics
  • Prison facilities
  • Nursing homes
  • Schools

License/Certification Disclosure Information →

Courses

At Penn College, we believe your educational experience should go beyond specialized skills. Real-world ready means taking a broader approach that builds communication skills, inspires collaboration, and encourages exploration of arts, history, and science.

​​Specialization requires in-depth knowledge and high-level proficiency. Students learn and apply major-specific concepts, skills, and methods.

  • Dental Hygiene I (DEN103)
  • Preventive Dentistry (DEN104)
  • Oral Histology (DEN108)
  • Orofacial Anatomy (DEN109)
  • Dental Radiology (DEN123)
  • Dental Hygiene II (DEN126)
  • Introduction to Periodontics (DEN130)
  • Oral Health & Nutrition (DEN211)
  • General & Oral Pathology (DEN202)
  • Pharmacology (DEN204)
  • Periodontics II (DEN212)
  • Dental Materials & Specialties (DEN214)
  • Dental Hygiene III (DEN216)
  • Community Dental Health (DEN220)
  • Dental Law & Ethics (DEN224)
  • Dental Hygiene Theory & Practice (DEN227)
  • Techniques in Pain Control (DEN240)

​Perspectives are points of view, offering a variety of ways of understanding, interacting, and influencing the world. Students identify, explain, and utilize the approaches used by academics and professionals to study, analyze, or understand problems, and offer solutions.

  • Human Anatomy & Physiology I (BIO115)
  • Human Anatomy & Physiology II (BIO125)
  • Microbiology (BIO201)
  • General Psychology (PSY111)

​​Foundations are the practical, intellectual, and social skills: communication, collaboration, critical and ethical thinking, quantitative thinking, and technological literacy that are crucial to every student at every stage of education and at every stage of life.

  • English Composition I (ENL111)
  • Fundamentals of Speech (SPC101)
  • Information, Technology & Society (CSC124)
Facilities

Lab Tour

Put your techniques to the test in our on-campus dental hygiene lab. Get real-world experience using the same equipment you’ll find in the field like modern workstations, digital radiography X-rays, and electronic patient record systems. 

Facilities

Dental Hygiene Clinic

Put your techniques to the test in our on-campus dental hygiene lab. Get real-world experience using the same equipment you’ll find in the field like modern workstations, digital radiography X-rays, and electronic patient record systems. 

Maker Profiles
Featured Video

Wildcat Spotlight - Olivia Hemstock

Meet student-athlete Olivia Hemstock. As a dental hygiene major and softball player, she flexes her time management skills to knock it out of the park in the lab and on the field. In this video, you’ll learn about her experience in the on-campus dental clinic and what she loves most about Wildcat life. 

Tour Schedule

Seeing is believing.

Think Penn College might be a good fit for you? Make plans to visit and discover what hands-on learning is all about.

Apr 7

Undergraduate Open House

Sunday, April 7 8:30 AM - 3 PM

More tour dates are on the way.

But let's customize a tour for you now. Call, chat, or email for options.

Need a different date?

Let's customize a tour for you now. Call, chat, or email for options.

Contact

Admissions Office

Student Life

Stay active in and out of the classroom

Student American Dental Hygienists' Association (SADHA)

Student American Dental Hygienists' Association (SADHA)

SADHA, a category of membership within the American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA), is dedicated to the advancement and promotion of dental hygiene.

Student Organizations at Penn College

Student Organizations at Penn College

Your college experience is about more than the classroom. Join one of 65+ clubs and organizations, or create your own.

Penn College News
03.18.2024

Students provide oral health care at White Deer Run facility

Pennsylvania College of Technology dental hygiene students recently provided oral hygiene instruction and information to clients of White Deer Run of Allenwood, an addiction rehabilitation center. Sponsored by the Penn College Student American Dental Hygienists’ Association, six students spent a day at the center.

02.23.2024

Continuing ed seminar draws more than 100 dental professionals

More than 100 dental professionals attended a continuing education event hosted on campus on Friday by Penn College’s Student American Dental Hygienists’ Association. The seminar, titled “Infection Control in Practice,” was led by registered dental hygienist Angelina Marinucci, a clinical education manager for Hu-Friedy Mfg. Co., a leader in dental instrument manufacturing, infection prevention and instrument reprocessing.

11.14.2023

Students provide $5,000 in free oral care during event

Pennsylvania College of Technology’s dental hygiene program provided free oral care to 22 children and teens during a Sealant Saturday event on Nov. 4. “The future of our community’s oral health looks brighter, thanks to the hard work and dedication of our students and volunteers offering free dental services to children in need,” said Tiana L. Minnick, instructor of dental hygiene, who spearheaded the event. “It was a rewarding experience for everyone involved.”

Gain global experience
Study Abroad

Gain global experience

See the world via Williamsport. Take your education abroad and get hands-on experience learning about your industry on a global scale.

Learn More

Student Experience

The community as their classroom

Event provides free dental care to service members, their families

Event provides free dental care to service members, their families

Pennsylvania College of Technology dental hygiene students, joined by local hygienists and dentists who volunteered their time, provided free dental hygiene services to 29 current or veteran members of the armed services and their family members.

Read more

Accreditation

The associate degree program in dental hygiene is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and has been granted the accreditation status of APPROVAL (without reporting requirements). The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at (312) 440-4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611-2678. The Commission’s web address is: www.ada.org/en/coda.

View Dental Hygiene Accreditation and Outcomes Information.

More Information

The associate degree program in dental hygiene is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and has been granted the accreditation status of APPROVAL (without reporting requirements). The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at (312) 440-4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611-2678. The Commission’s web address is: http://www.ada.org/en/coda

The National Board Dental Hygiene Examination 5-year pass rate chart compares the pass rate of Penn College first-time takers to the national average. See pass rates.

Anyone desiring entrance into this major must first gain admission to Penn College. Acceptance into this selective admission major is based upon additional requirements beyond College admission. Details are available on the Selective Admission Criteria and Process webpage.

Students must earn a minimum grade of 'C' in each DEN course. Failure to do so will result in termination from the major.

The following grading system applies to all dental (DEN) courses in this major. There is no rounding of grades:

A= 90-100
B= 80-89.99
C= 75 –79.99
F= 74.99 and below

Child abuse clearance and criminal background checks are required by some agencies involved in fieldwork and/or capstones. Agencies can bar students from their sites if a criminal record exists or a positive drug test is noted. By virtue of contract for Penn College students to be at clinical sites, agencies have the right to ask for random drug testing. The Pennsylvania Board of Dentistry advises that a drug-related conviction and/or conviction of a felonious act can result in denial and/or revocation of a license to practice dental hygiene. Inability to gain clinical or fieldwork or intern education experiences results in inability to meet program objectives and outcomes. For additional clarification, students can speak with their program director.

Penn College complies with the federal Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989. Pursuant to this Act, all forms of marijuana, including medical marijuana, are classified as prohibited controlled substances. Additionally, alcohol, illegal drugs, and legal drugs obtained without a prescription or which may impair a student’s ability to perform his/her educational responsibilities are strictly prohibited. Students are subject to drug screening at various phases of the program. Please note that a positive drug screening for marijuana will be deemed a positive test and will result in a student being dismissed from the program, even if the student has been lawfully certified to use medical marijuana and/or possesses a valid medical marijuana identification card issued in accordance with applicable state law.

Students in this major can transfer to the bachelor's degree in Dental Hygiene or Applied Health Studies. This major will subscribe to the transfer standards established by the College.

International health credentials/licensure, sciences courses, and most math courses will not be accepted to satisfy requirements of this major. Please see additional information for international students applying to Health Sciences majors.

View general transfer information

Students accepted into the Dental Hygiene major will incur expenses for tools/instruments, uniforms, malpractice insurance, clearances and certifications, etc. See the complete list.

Uniforms and tools are available for purchase through The College Store.

Program Review Executive Summary: Dental Hygiene

Students must meet Essential Functions for the Dental Hygienist established by the Dental Hygiene Program, as well as health and safety requirements including, but not limited to, immunizations (MMR, hepatitis B, varicella, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, annual influenza vaccination, PPD), medical examination, 10 panel drug screen, CPR certification, and background clearances as established by clinical affiliation agreements. Some clinical sites may have additional health and immunization requirements that are not part of the current program requirements, for example, COVID-19 vaccination.

Dental Hygiene Clinic Notice of Privacy Practices
Official notice of our privacy practices as it pertains to the use and disclosure of patient health information.

Blood Borne Pathogens Statement
Dental hygienists and dental hygiene students may be exposed to contagious diseases, therefore strict compliance with Center of Disease Control (CDC) and OSHA standards are maintained. Policies on blood borne and infectious diseases are available upon request from the Penn College Dental Hygiene Program.

Alternative Credit refers to academic credits earned through means other than traditional college course completion, including: credit by exam, articulation, proof of competency gained in high school, work/life experience, and advanced placement.

Visit the Alternative Credit Options page for requirements and procedures and for information on credit through Advanced Placement.

The dental hygiene program at Pennsylvania College of Technology meets the educational requirements for licensure within the state of Pennsylvania. We are aware that our program also meets the educational requirements for licensure in the following states/U.S. territories: New York , New Jersey, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and Ohio. As a program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), it is likely that graduates will be eligible for licensure in all U.S. states. However, we have not officially determined if graduates of our program will be eligible for licensure in other states; therefore, students intending to seek employment in states other than those mentioned above are asked to contact the program office so that we can help you determine whether our program meets the requirements of the state where you intend to work.

  • Ms. Lillian J Caperila, RDH, BSDH, M.Ed, Manager, Professional Education & Dental Hygiene Relations, Premier Dental Products Company
  • Ms. Melinda Diggan, '99, '18, Director of Dental Operations, River Valley Health and Dental Center
  • Ms. Bridget Dorsey, RDH, Dental Hygienist, Field Sales Consultant, Henry Schein Dental
  • Dr. Marcia Gladwin Stewart, Retired Professor Emerita, West Virginia University, Department of Dental Hygiene
  • Dr. Alexander V Golub, '07, '08, Dentist, Dental Care Associates
  • Jason H Goodchild, DMD, Dentist, Jenkintown Dental Medicine
  • Dr. Carl Jenkins, DDS, General Dentist
  • Career Fair Connections

    Career Fair Connections

    Penn College graduates are in high demand. Employer participation at the Career Fair is proof. Attracting 400+ organizations, this popular event is hosted twice per year and introduces students to all types of businesses from startups to Fortune 500 companies. 

    Learn More About Career Fair