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.

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.

Students must acquire their own tools and laptop computer as noted below.

Required Tools, Uniforms, and Supplies

See the Tool List for this major.

Required Laptop Computer

• Chromebooks and other devices running Chrome OS are prohibited.
• Unless otherwise specified by your major, MacBooks and other Apple products are not recommended for coursework.
• Windows 11 or higher (recommended).
• Intel Core i5 or i7 or AMD Ryzen 5 or 7 processor (recommended).
• ARM based processors are not recommended.
• 16+ GB RAM (recommended). 
• 250+ GB Solid State Disk (SSD) drive (recommended).
• The laptop must include a webcam and microphone (required).
• The laptop must include a wireless network card (required).
• Broadband Internet connection when working off campus (required).
• Extended support agreement, including accidental damage protection (recommended).
• Power bank suitable for your laptop (recommended). 

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

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

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.

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.

Contact the Program Director:

Shawn Kiser
dental@pct.edu 
570 320 2400 ext. 8007

Dental Hygiene Advisory Committee Members