Dental Hygienists use knowledge, clinical skills and interpersonal skills to help prevent dental disease and promote oral health. Among duties performed by dental hygienists are taking and developing x-rays, cleaning teeth, applying treatment materials to teeth, teaching good oral hygiene, and making impressions of teeth.
Upon completion of an accredited dental hygiene program, students are qualified to sit for the national and state licensing exams. In this area, there are 4 dental hygiene programs. Wichita State University, Johnson County Community College and Colby Community College offer Associate Degrees and the University of Missouri-Kansas City offers a Bachelors Degree.
Prerequisites and application deadlines change. Every effort is made to keep KSU curriculum guides up to date. They are reviewed regularly and modified when changes are made at the professional schools. Advisors are diligent in maintaining regular contact with representatives from the professional schools.
Because the ultimate authority on prerequisites is the professional school, students are encouraged to verify that their coursework fulfills requirements with representatives of the professional schools. Students who have taken prerequisite courses at colleges or universities other than KSU should verify with representatives of the professional schools that this coursework fulfills the requirements they intended it to fulfill.
Colby Community College requires 11 hours of college level courses (or their high school equivalents) and the Allied Health Aptitude Test prior to entering the program:
An additional 12 hours (ENGL 100, Expository Writing I; FSHS 110, Introduction to Human Development; PSYCH 110, General Psychology; SOCIO 211, Introduction to Sociology) are required for graduation and can be taken at KSU.
Johnson County Community College requires 17 hours of college level courses and ACT scores no more than 3 years prior to beginning clinical courses:
An additional 13 hours (HN 132, Basic Nutrition; SPCH 106, Public Speaking or SPCH 322, Interpersonal Communication; math elective; PE elective; fine arts/humanities elective) are required for graduation and can be taken at KSU. *BIOL 198, Principles of Biology, is required at KSU prior to taking BIOL 455. (www.jccc.edu/academic/dentalhygiene)
Wichita State University requires 25 hours of college level courses prior to acceptance to their program:
An additional 6 hours (SPCH 106, Public Speaking; SOCIO 211, Introduction to Sociology) are required for graduation and can be taken at KSU.
*BIOL 198, Principles of Biology, is required at KSU prior to taking BIOL 340 and BIOL 455.
The University of Missouri-Kansas City requires at least 60 hours of college level courses with a minimum 2.5 grade point average. A grade of C or better is needed in all required courses. The required courses are as follows:
Communication Skills:
Mathematics:
Natural Science:
Social/Behavioral Science:
Humanities and Fine Arts:
Higher Order Thinking:
History and/or Western Civilization
Electives: 11 hrs. (Computer application recommended)
*BIOL 198, Principles of Biology, is required at KSU prior to taking BIOL 340 and BIOL 455. UMKC School of Dentistry has a reciprocal agreement with the state of Kansas allowing Kansas residents of the KC Metro area to pay in-state tuition at UMKC for dental hygiene. Kansas residents outside the KC Metro area can apply to UMKC for a special financial award to pay the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition.
For further information contact:
Colina Stanton
Health Professions Advising Office
113 Eisenhower Hall
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506-1011
785/532-6900
This page was last
updated December 9, 2003