Associate in Science in Dental Hygiene

Accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association

This degree program is a comprehensive didactic and clinical curriculum, which prepares graduates for eligibility to take state or regional and national licensure examinations in order to become a registered dental hygienist. It is one of 14 programs in the state and was the first program in the state of Georgia when it began in 1968.

Career Options

Working with dentists, dental hygienists provide a wide array of professional dental hygiene services such as preventive oral health care instructions, oral assessments, periodontal debridements, local delivery of antibiotics, scaling, root planning and polishing of teeth. Other preventive services include fluoride applications, pit and fissure sealants, dental health education, nutritional counseling, mouth guard fabrication, oral cancer and blood pressure screenings, and preparation of diagnostic aids (patient histories, radiographs and study models). Dental hygienists critically evaluate literature and apply appropriate research findings when providing client care.

Graduates in dental hygiene are eligible for employment locally, regionally and nationally. According to the Georgia Department of Labor on Labor Statistics for 2015, dental hygiene is ranked one of the top 15 for fastest growing professions.

Admission

Students who wish to earn a degree in dental hygiene must apply for admission to the program in addition to applying to the university itself. A new class begins in August of every year and applications are accepted January through May prior to the desired entry date. Students are encouraged to begin taking related core and general courses prior to that time. Seats are offered beginning in March of each year based on an Admission Point Index system, which includes a college GPA, number of college credits completed and science GPA. Special emphasis is placed upon grades earned in Chemistry 1010, Biology 2081, Biology 2082, and Biology 2275 (or their equivalents.) Penalty points are incurred for earned D’s and F’s.

Admission criteria include admission to Armstrong Atlantic State University; eligibility for English 1101 and Math 1111, and a minimum adjusted college GPA of 2.5. Meeting minimal requirements does not guarantee admission to the dental hygiene program. Contact the department for specific information on how to complete the application process.

Facilities

A dental hygiene clinic at Savannah Mall is fully equipped for student use. Armstrong is the second largest regional health education center in Georgia, and as a result, offers academic support for health professions students throughout the campus.

Estimated Cost

Dental hygiene students can expect to incur additional expenses throughout the program for uniforms, instruments, liability insurance, membership in the Student American Dental Hygienists’ Association, national board examination fee, and state or regional examination and licensing fees. Estimated total cost for the above is $2,100 plus normal costs for such expenses as tuition, student fees and books.

Course of Study

The 78-semester hour associate degree program may be completed in a minimum of five semesters. Courses to meet the core and general curriculum requirements may be interspersed with professional dental hygiene courses, but all required basic science courses must be completed prior to entering second year clinical dental hygiene courses. Those science courses include chemistry, anatomy and physiology, microorganisms and disease. Other courses include English, college algebra, psychology, sociology, history, political science and physical education.