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Dental Hygiene

Clinton, Muscatine and Scott Community Colleges
 
Program Description
Dental hygienists help prevent, detect and treat diseases of the mouth.  They remove deposits and stains from teeth, polish teeth, apply sealants and fluoride, take X-rays, record medical and dental histories, and educate patients on how proper brushing, flossing and eating habits can help maintain a healthy mouth.

A Dental Hygiene Program is available to our students through a unique cooperative partnership between Eastern Iowa Community College District (EICCD) and Kirkwood Community College (KCC).  At completion of the program students earn an A.A.S. and are eligible to take the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and the regional board examinations of their choice.

Students begin their education and complete a number of prerequisite steps, including a minimum of 21 credits of science and general education coursework, at Clinton, Muscatine or Scott Community College.  After completing all prerequisites, students may request to be considered for one of EICCD’s seats in the Dental Hygiene Program at KCC.  Students make this request by contacting Cathy Langdon at 563-336-5235 between January 15th and January 31st.  Each year 6 EICCD students are accepted into the Dental Hygiene Program to begin their Kirkwood dental hygiene coursework in the fall.   Please refer to the program fact sheet available through the hyperlink below for more information about the prerequisites and the selection process.

Once accepted into the Dental Hygiene Program, the student becomes a student of KCC.  They take dental hygiene courses at the Cedar Rapids, IA campus and complete required clinical experiences at the University of Iowa (U of I) College of Dentistry located in Iowa City, Iowa.  Dental hygiene course work is not available to learn at a distance (i.e. online). In addition to the cost of tuition, expenses of the dental hygiene program include approximately $175 for uniforms/name tags, $15 conference fee, $15 fee/day to park at the U of I, and $1200 – $1500 for the board review held in Chicago IL.

Printable (pdf) Fact Sheet