Degrees and Certificates
Why Choose This Program
With a dental hygiene degree from SCTCC, grads are licensed primary healthcare professionals. After learning skills in the classroom, students will take the National Dental Hygiene Board exam, the Central Regional Board exam, and then get a license in the state where they want to practice.
Hygienists work in clinical dental settings and provide preventative, educational, and therapeutic services to patients. By promoting public health, dental hygienists help people learn the importance of dental health.
Duties include patient assessment, teeth cleaning, taking radiographs and dental images, applying fluoride treatments, providing periodontal therapy, and administering local anesthesia and nitrous oxide/oxygen inhalation.
Skills Acquired
- Patient communications
- Patient assessment
- Patient management
- Patient education and counseling
- Radiology
- Dental Materials
- Dental Anatomy
- Instrumentation
- Professional standards
- Attention to detail
- Use of technology
- Critical thinking skills
- Reasoning skills
- Teamwork
- Ability to work independently or in groups
Career Choices
Types of Careers
- Dental hygiene clinician
- Consultant
- Practice manager
- Sales and marketing
- Community health specialist
- Researcher
- Dental hygiene educator
Potential Employers
- Private dental practices
- Corporate dental practices
- Specialty dental practices
- Government
- Corporations
- Dental supply companies
Average State Pay
$70,000 per year
(iseek.org lists the median income for dental hygienists in the state of Minnesota as $70,324. This is $33.81 per hour)
Accreditations & Credentials
The St. Cloud Technical and Community College (SCTCC) Dental Hygienist program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Info Sessions
Contact Us
Advising Assistance for admitted Pre-Dental Hygiene Students at SCTCC:
Pre-Dental Hygiene student advisors are located in the Academic Advising Center.
Email: aac@sctcc.edu
Phone: 320-308-5741
Office: Northway Building, 1-312
Dental Hygiene Program Faculty Representative:
Our Dental Hygiene Program has a faculty member that will address questions about time in the class, clinicals, and about faculty in the Program. If you have questions related to these topics, please contact our Faculty Representative:
Barb Henkemeyer
E-mail: bhenkemeyer@sctcc.edu
Phone: 320-308-5906
Office: Health Sciences Building, 2-213E
Related Links
Clubs & Organizations
SADHA (Student American Dental Hygiene Association)
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