| FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS |
| What should I know about Dental Hygiene as a career? |
| What should I know about the academic course of study for dental Hygiene? |
| How many days a week will I be expected to devote to my education? |
| Is there an online component in the DH curriculum? |
| How do I apply to the program? |
| What are the admissions requirements for this program? |
| What if I do not meet these requirements? |
| Can I take general education courses along with my dental hygiene courses? |
| What is the deadline for admission? |
| How long is the program? |
| How many classes are admitted each year? |
| How many students are admitted each year? |
| Do many students apply to the program? |
| Do I need to submit letters of recommendation? |
| Is there a personal interview included in the admissions process? |
| If I live out of county, can I apply to the program? |
| Am I able to transfer from another DH program? |
| I am a foreign trained dentist, can I audit the dental hygiene core courses? |
| Is there a sequence of courses that must be followed? |
| Can general education and science courses be transferred into the program? |
| What are the approximate expenses related to the program in addition to tuition and fees? |
| Where will I go for my clinical experience? |
| Does the program provide patients for the clinical learning experience? |
| Are there any additional requirements related to my clinical experience? |
| Is the program accredited? |
| Who is the accrediting agency? |
| What happens when I finish the program? |
| What are the graduation requirements? |
| What are the requirements for dental hygiene licensure in the state of NJ? |
| What should I know about dental hygiene as a career? |
| Dental Hygienists are members of the preventive oral health care team. |
| If you enjoy helping people, working with your hands as well as your mind, and playing an important role in helping your patients maintain ideal health, then Dental Hygiene may be the career for you. |
| A Dental Hygienist is a licensed professional, oral health educator and clinician, who, under the supervision of a dentist, is responsible for providing treatment that promotes both oral and total health care. Registered Dental Hygienists (RDHs) provide a wide range of services in dental practices and may pursue a variety of career options including clinical, administrative, education, public health and research. |
| Each state has established licensure requirements for Dental Hygienists. The Dental Hygiene curriculum is a challenging one that emphasizes a "hands on" approach and incorporates a variety of educational experiences and environments from the traditional classroom to the lab and state of the art clinic. |
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| What should I know about the academic course of study for dental Hygiene? |
| The Dental Hygiene curriculum is a comprehensive curriculum encompassing a wide array of courses. Students must meet a minimum 75 average to pass each course. |
| The sequence of courses is listed in the college catalog and on the college website. |
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| How many days a week will I be expected to devote to my education? |
| You will have classes 5 days a week with assignments in each. This program requires a full-time commitment. |
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| Is there an online component in the DH curriculum? |
| All dental hygiene courses have a WebCT component. Some courses are hybrid courses, other courses use online testing. Access to a computer is a requirement of the program. The clinical evaluation system is also computer-based. |
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| How do I apply to the program? |
| Once you have met the admissions requirements, you may apply by completing an application online or a paper application and submitting it to Admissions. Do not send any applications directly to dental hygiene. All applications MUST go to the Admissions. |
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| What are the admissions requirements for this program? |
| Minimum GPA for admissions eligibility - 2.5 |
| Students must complete Algebra, Biology with a lab and Chemistry with a lab. |
| College substitutions: BIO109, MAT035, CHM100 |
| Once applications are reviewed and it is determined that you are eligible, you will be invited to take the DH Admissions Examination in the late Spring. More information related to the exam will be sent with the letter of invitation. |
| It is strongly recommended that students complete as many general education and science courses before applying to the dental hygiene program. The dental hygiene core courses require a substantial commitment and additional courses will decrease the amount of time and focus needed to be successful in the core dental hygiene courses. |
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| What if I do not meet these requirements? |
| Any student not meeting these requirements will not be eligible for admission to the dental hygiene program. |
| Back to Questions |
| Can I take general education courses along with my dental hygiene courses? |
| It is strongly recommended that students complete as many general education and science courses before applying to the dental hygiene program. The dental hygiene core courses require a substantial commitment and additional courses will decrease the amount of time and focus needed to be successful in the core dental hygiene courses |
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| What is the deadline for admission? |
| March 1 is the deadline for consideration of applications for the September admission. |
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| How long is the program? |
| Approximately 2 years including a summer session between the 1st and 2nd year. |
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| How many classes are admitted each year? |
| There is one class admitted to the program each year. Classes begin in September and continue for two academic years including the summer between first and second year. |
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| How many students are admitted each year? |
| Class size is limited to approximately 44 students each year; therefore, admission to the Dental Hygiene Program is very competitive. |
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| Do many students apply to the program? |
| On an average, there are more than 200 applications each year so admission to the program is very competitive. |
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| Do I need to submit letters of recommendation? |
| No, letters of recommendations are not considered as part of the admissions process. |
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| Is there a personal interview included in the admissions process? |
| No, there is not a personal interview as part of the admissions process. |
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| If I live out of the county,can I apply to the program? |
| Yes, you can apply and will be considered for admission to the program. |
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| Am I able to transfer from another DH program? |
| No, all core dental hygiene (DHY) courses must be completed within the Bergen Community College Dental Hygiene Program. |
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| I am a foreign trained dentist, can I audit the dental hygiene core courses? |
| No, all core dental hygiene (DHY) courses must be completed within the Bergen Community College Dental Hygiene Program. |
| Back to Questions |
| Is there a sequence of courses that must be followed? |
| Yes, all courses are listed in the college catalog and on the college website. All core dental hygiene courses must be taken in order. If a student does not pass a course, he/she may not progress to the next semester. |
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| Can general education and science courses be transferred into the program? |
| Students should complete as many of the general education courses as possible before entering the program. Students should consult with a counselor about the transfer of general education and science courses. |
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| What are the approximate expenses related to the program in addition to tuition and fees? |
| In addition to tuition and fees, there are other expenses throughout the program. Costs for clinical instruments, uniforms, technology, licensing exams, and professional development total approximately $5000.00. These additional costs may be considered in financial aid packages. |
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| Where will I go for my clinical experience? |
| Most clinical experiences will be completed in our state-of-the-art clinic on campus. In addition, as part of our service learning program, students will have external experiences at area hospitals, schools and community outreach programs and settings. |
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| Does the program provide patients for the clinical learning experience? |
| No, students are ultimately responsible to recruit their own patients. |
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| Are there any additional requirements related to my clinical experience? |
| Background checks are required for all allied health curriculums and fingerprinting is required to complete clinical experiences at external sites. |
| Any positive background checks will result in forfeiting admission to the program. |
| All students must hold a current Healthcare Provider CPR certification. This will be completed within the program. |
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| Is the program accredited? |
| Yes, the Bergen Community College Dental Hygiene Program is an accredited program. The program welcomed its first class is 1972. |
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| Who is the accrediting agency? |
| The Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association is the accrediting body. The program goes through a site visit every seven years. |
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| What happens when I finish the program? |
| In the last semester you will be eligible to take the National Dental Hygiene Board Examination and the Northeast Regional Examination. |
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| What are the graduation requirements? |
| Completion of all general education and dental hygiene coursework and the completion of all clinical requirements, clinical hours and experiences are required for graduation. |
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| What are the requirements for dental hygiene licensure in the state of NJ? |
| Candidates for licensure must be graduates of an accredited dental hygiene program, have successfully completed both the National Dental Hygiene Board and Northeast Regional Board and successfully completed the NJDH Jurisprudence Examination. Candidates must also have a current Healthcare Provider CPR certification. |
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