Provide Care to Promote Healthy Smiles
Prepare for a high-demand career as a dental hygienist. Your courses blend coursework with hands-on clinical experience to equip you with the confidence to provide comprehensive care.
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Provide dental cleanings and periodontal therapy.
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Complete oral health assessments and identify risk factors.
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Capture diagnostic dental images.
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Administer local anesthesia and nitrous oxide.
Gain real experience during your education. You’ll practice your skills in a state-of-the-art lab with real equipment. Then, gain experience with patients in the onsite dental clinic. Your courses and hands-on experience prepare you to test for licensure at the regional, state and national levels.
The Dental Hygiene Program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) of the American Dental Association.
Program Information
Explore our accreditation information and learn more about how to apply for the program
The Dental Hygiene Program is a selective admission program and admission is determined by a points-based system. Points are awarded based on grades earned in preadmission courses; completion of clinical observation hours, or CDA, or CDA experience equivalent to 3 years; preadmission testing and cumulative GPA.
Application Requirements and Information
General Admissions to Ozarks Tech
Admission to Ozarks Technical Community College is open to all individuals who can benefit from its educational programs. A focus of the college mission is on the academic, career and personal goals of the student. OTC may admit you as a First-Time student just completing their high school, GED or HiSET requirements or as a Transfer student coming from another institution finishing up a certificate or degree. For more information, visit OTC Admissions.
Wondering how you’re going to pay for college? At OTC, we believe that cost shouldn’t be a barrier to earning a degree. Our staff will work with you to make a financial plan. To browse the resources available to you, see paying for college.
At Ozarks Tech, we want your transfer process to be easy. We accomplish this goal through articulation agreements. These agreements are an official partnership to match coursework between schools. This gives you a more seamless transition from Ozarks Tech to a four-year institution.
We have established an agreement for this program. This will simplify the transfer of your credits to partner schools. To understand how this degree will transfer, review the current articulation agreements. Be sure to consult with your transfer school to ensure you’re on the right path toward completing your four-year degree.
The program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) 211 East Chicago Avenue; Chicago, IL 60611 800.232.6108 www.coda.ada.org
OTC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Our current accreditation status with the HLC is displayed on the page linked below. Our next comprehensive evaluation will be in 2030-2031. View more on OTC Accreditation.
Program Outcomes
Rebecca Caceres
Dental Hygiene Program Director
417-447-6693
A dentist in his home country, OTC grad hopes to practice in the U.S.
Course Information
Discover overview information, course sequences and specific course descriptions. Or, view the full catalog to see all the details.
Dental Hygiene (A.A.S.)
A.A.S. Degree: 92 Hours
The Dental Hygiene profession offers a variety of career opportunities: clinical practice in general and specialty dental offices; federal, state, and county health clinics; hospital-based treatment; long-term care facilities; industrial clinics; armed services; pharmaceutical sales; research institutions; and educational settings.
Contemporary dental hygiene practice requires that dental hygienists possess a breadth of knowledge and skills in a variety of areas. Dental hygiene practice includes: oral prophylaxis (cleaning); patient education; exposing, processing, and mounting radiographs; collecting and evaluating patient medical history information; performing head and neck examinations; periodontal assessment and non-surgical therapy; applying preventive agents; application of desensitizing and antimicrobial agents; and administering local anesthesia and nitrous oxide analgesia.
The dental hygiene program is a selective admission program. A separate application process is required for acceptance into the program; the application deadline is May 31st. Upon acceptance, the student may take the “program specific courses”. A grade of “C” or better is required for all program required courses. The dental hygiene program is a five-semester program which prepares the student for their national, regional, and state licensure examinations. Contact the Health Sciences Office for an application packet.
The dental hygiene program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) of the American Dental Association (ADA), 211 E. Chicago, Suite 1900, Chicago, IL 60611, (312) 621-8099. 800.232.6108 https://coda.ada.org/
Pre-Admission Requirements – 19 Credit Hours
Pre-Admission Requirements – 19 Credit Hours
- BCS 165: Human Anatomy *
Human Anatomy
- BCS 200: Microbiology
Microbiology
- BCS 205: Human Physiology *
Human Physiology
- CHM 101: Introductory Chemistry (or higher)
Introductory Chemistry
- MTH 128: Contemporary Mathematics (or higher) *
Contemporary Mathematics
Dental Hygiene Program Requirements – 55 Credit Hours
Dental Hygiene Program Requirements – 55 Credit Hours
- DHY 100: Foundations of Dental Hygiene
Foundations of Dental Hygiene
- DHY 101: Dental Hygiene Preclinical Lab I
Dental Hygiene Preclinical Lab I
- DHY 105: Orofacial Anatomy
Orofacial Anatomy
- DHY 110: Oral Histology & Embryology
Oral Histology & Embryology
- DHY 150: Dental Hygiene I
Dental Hygiene I
- DHY 152: Dental Hygiene I Preclinic
Dental Hygiene I Preclinic
- DHY 153: Dental Hygiene I Clinic
Dental Hygiene I Clinic
- DHY 155: Pharmacology Dental Hygiene
Pharmacology Dental Hygiene
- DHY 160: Intro to Periodontology
Intro to Periodontology
- DHY 200: Dental Hygiene II – Pain Mgt
Dental Hygiene II – Pain Mgt
- DHY 201: Dental Hygiene II – Clinic
Dental Hygiene II – Clinic
- DHY 205: Dental Hygiene III
Dental Hygiene III
- DHY 206: Dental Hygiene III – Clinic
Dental Hygiene III – Clinic
- DHY 210: Oral Pathology
Oral Pathology
- DHY 215: Community Dental Health
Community Dental Health
- DHY 230: Community Dental Health II
Community Dental Health II
- DHY 250: Dental Hygiene IV
Dental Hygiene IV
- DHY 251: Dental Hygiene IV – Clinic
Dental Hygiene IV – Clinic
- DAS 102: Infection Prevention *
Infection Prevention
- DAS 120: Dental Materials I *
Dental Materials I
- DAS 130: Dental Radiology I *
Dental Radiology I
- DAS 132: Dental Radiology II *
Dental Radiology II
General Education Requirements – 18 Credit Hours
General Education Requirements – 18 Credit Hours
The Missouri Department of Higher Education has identified a common set of general education courses that have been adopted statewide. These courses are called the “CORE 42.” CORE 42 courses are guaranteed to transfer to any Missouri public college or university to satisfy general education requirements.
Courses in knowledge areas below, designated with the CORE 42 logo indicates courses in that area have been evaluated and provided a MOTR number for transfer to all Missouri public institutions of higher education.
Courses that do not have this designation may still transfer to public and private colleges and universities in Missouri and elsewhere, but students are encouraged to check the transfer equivalency website of the institution to which they plan to transfer to confirm.
Please refer to the MDHE Core Transfer Curriculum for detailed information on CORE 42 courses.
Written Communications – 3 Credit Hours
Written Communications – 3 Credit Hours
- ENG 101: Composition I
Composition I
- ENG 100: Composition I With Support
Composition I With Support
- ENG 102: Composition II
Composition II
Oral Communications – 3 Credit Hours
Oral Communications – 3 Credit Hours
- COM 100: Introduction to Communication
Introduction to Communication
- COM 105: Public Speaking
Public Speaking
Natural Sciences – 3 Credit Hours
Natural Sciences – 3 Credit Hours
- BCS 132: Health Sciences Nutrition
Health Sciences Nutrition
Social and Behavioral Sciences – 9 Credit Hours (must include PLS 101 or HST 120 or HST 130)
Social and Behavioral Sciences – 9 Credit Hours (must include PLS 101 or HST 120 or HST 130)
- HST 120: U.S. History I: to 1865
U.S. History I: to 1865
or - HST 130: U.S. History II: 1865-Present
U.S. History II: 1865-Present
or - PLS 101: American Government and Politics
American Government and Politics
- HST 120: U.S. History I: to 1865
- SOC 101: Introduction to Sociology
Introduction to Sociology
- PSY 110: Introduction to Psychology
Introduction to Psychology
or - PSY 130: Life Span Development Psychology
Life Span Development Psychology
- PSY 110: Introduction to Psychology
Interested in learning more?
Join us in person or online during our next informational session to ask questions and learn more about the program.
In person session will meet on the Springfield Campus in Lincoln Hall 217.
Get Involved
The Pre-Dental Club is a great place to meet other students pursuing a career in dentistry. Find educational resources, professional development opportunities and meet others with a similar interest in dental careers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn more about our admission, acceptance and schedules.
The dental hygiene program accepts up to 20 students per cohort. A new cohort of students begins each fall semester.
Admission is competitive, with the top applicants being chosen based on their candidate selection form scores. If you are not accepted into the program, you may reapply. Directions will be outlined in your regret letter.
No. No experience is required to apply for the dental hygiene program. However, you will be expected to complete prerequisites courses prior to application.
- Test scores can be applied to both the dental hygiene and dental assisting program applications.
- You can take the preadmission tests once per year.
- Study guides are available through the Ozarks Tech Library, including ebooks and print materials for the Wonderlic and Bennett exams.
Yes. However, you must complete a separate application for each program.
You may complete observation hours at one office or several.
It is preferable to visit multiple offices to view different job expectations. It is encouraged to spend time with the different team members to learn about their job responsibilities.
Ozarks Tech does not provide a list of dental offices. You will need to arrange your own observation. Our program has an outstanding relationship with the dental community, and many offices will work with students from our programs. Let the office know you are applying to Ozarks Tech and you want to learn more about dental by observing in their office.
If you are applying to both dental assisting and dental hygiene programs, you can use the 24 hours of observation for both program applications.
The dental hygiene program is delivered in a hybrid format. Students meet on campus, two to three days per week depending on the semester.
In general, the recommendation is that students should anticipate studying 2-3 hours per credit hour. This does not include the time spent in labs or clinical.
You will begin your clinical experience in the last half of the second semester through the completion of the program. Plan to be in a clinical course 2 days per week.
Locations Offered:
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Notices & Disclaimers
*Costs displayed are based on current tuition and fee rates for the program’s required credit hours, as approved by the OTC Board of Trustees, and are subject to change without notice. Estimates reflect both in-district and out-of-district residency rates. Actual costs, degree completion time, and credit requirements may vary based on residency, prior credits, elective courses, program updates, and enrollment factors. For additional information on attendance costs, visit Cost of Attendance, tuition and fees or contact us at 417-447-6900.
**Graduation rates vary by individual. For details on program enrollment, retention, exam/certification, and employment rates, visit Student Outcomes / Student Right-to-Know. Some careers on this list may require additional education and training. For program-specific accreditation visit OTC Accreditation.