Dental Hygiene Curriculum Schedule

Dental Hygiene is a five-semester, daytime program leading to an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree. The curriculum is based on the North Carolina Community College System Curriculum Descriptions and Common Course Library; the curriculum code for Dental Hygiene is A45260. 

Courses within the curriculum must be taken in the order presented in the program planning guide, as illustrated in the table below.** General education courses (all non-DEN courses) may be taken prior to entry into the program; if not, they must be completed no later than the semester in which they are listed in the guide. A grade of "C" or better is required for all curriculum courses in the program.

Curriculum by semester

Course number and title Class Lab Clinical Credit
First semester (hours per week)        
BIO 163 Basic Anatomy and Physiology I 4 2 0 5
DEN 110 Orofacial Anatomy 2 2 0 3
DEN 111 Infection/Hazard Control 2 0 0 2
DEN 112 Dental Radiography 2 3 0 3
DEN 120 Dental Hygiene Preclinic Lecture 2 0 0 2
DEN 121 Dental Hygiene Preclinic Lab 0 6 0 2
Total: 12 13 0 17
Second semester (hours per week)        
BIO 175 General Microbiology 2 2 0 3
ENG 111 Writing and Inquiry 3 0 0 3
DEN 124 Periodontology 2 0 0 2
DEN 130 Dental Hygiene Theory I 2 0 0 2
DEN 131 Dental Hygiene Clinic I 0 0 9 3
DEN 223 Dental Pharmacology 2 0 0 2
DEN 224 Materials and Procedures 1 3 0 2
Total: 12 5 9 17
Summer term (hours per week)        
CHM 130 General Organic & Biochemistry 3 0 0 3
COM 120 Interpersonal Communication 3 0 0 3
DEN 140 Dental Hygiene Theory II 1 2 0 2
DEN 141 Dental Hygiene Clinic II 0 0 6 2
Total: 7 2 6 10
Third semester (hours per week)        
PSY 150 General Psychology 3 0 0 3
DEN 123 Nutrition/Dental Health 2 0 0 2
DEN 125 Dental Office Emergencies 0 2 0 1
DEN 220 Dental Hygiene Theory III 2 0 0 2
DEN 221 Dental Hygiene Clinic III 0 0 12 4
DEN 222 General and Oral Pathology 2 0 0 2
Total: 9 2 12 14
Fourth semester (hours per week)        
DEN 230 Dental Hygiene Theory IV 1 0 0 1
DEN 231 Dental Hygiene Clinic IV 0 0 12 4
DEN 232 Community Dental Health 2 3 0 3
DEN 233 Professional Development 2 0 0 2
SOC 210 Introduction to Sociology 3 0 0 3
Humanities/Fine Arts Elective* 3 0 0 3
Total: 11 3 12 16

Total graduation requirement: 74 semester credit hours
*Preferred Course: HUM 115 Critical Thinking. Please see an advisor for alternative Humanities/Fine Arts elective courses that may be accepted prior to registering for the course.
**This program planning guide is for advising purposes only and is subject to change. Only the Registrar's Office can clear students for graduation.