Selective admission programs are not eligible for the 60+ reduced tuition rate.
Participation in Peer Skills Training
As part of the curriculum and learning process in the Dental Hygiene Program, students are expected to and MUST participate as a peer patient to learn specific skills. These skills include the following:
- First Semester - Basic Instrumentation Skills
- Second Semester - Dental Materials Skills
- Third Semester - Local Anesthesia Administration Skills
- Fourth Semester - Nitrous Oxide Sedation Skills
Bloodborne Pathogens
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that any healthcare worker (HCW) is at greater risk for exposure to bloodborne pathogens and possible transmission of vaccine preventable disease. Maintenance of immunity is therefore an essential part of prevention and infection control programs for HCWs. JCCC Dental Hygiene Program requires students to provide proof of vaccination and complies with the standards published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Standard precautions are always followed during treatment to lower the possibility of infection.
Immunizations
Health care workers such as dental hygienists are potentially exposed to a variety of pathogens when treating patients. Therefore, all students entering the dental hygiene program will need to provide proof of immunization and/or immunity for the following:
- Hepatitis B series and Immunity
- Measles, Mumps Rubella
- Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria and Acellular Pertussis)
- Varicella Zoster Virus (Chicken Pox)
- Flu vaccine
- TB screening (2 step)
Health restrictions which prohibit student performance of total patient care may prevent admission to or completion of the dental hygiene program.
Observation of a Dental Hygienist
It is strongly encouraged that students intending to apply for the JCCC Dental Hygiene Program begin shadowing as part of their research into the profession. It is suggested to shadow a dental hygiene clinician from a variety of practices to gain a broad perspective of the profession. Be sure to ask the dental hygienist questions about their job. What do they love, what is difficult, what was it like to be in dental hygiene school? Students granted an interview will need to turn in a minimum of 8 hours of shadowing at their scheduled interview. Please log your shadowing hours on the Observation Form (PDF).
You must complete a minimum of two (2) of the following science prerequisites (CHEM or BIOL prefix) and one (1) other of the six (6) prerequisite courses by the end of the fall semester in which you apply to the program. All six of the prerequisite courses must be completed to begin the program.
Prerequisite coursework does not need to be completed at the time of application. However, a course plan that reasonably allows for all prerequisite coursework to be completed within the Dental Hygiene program plan is required.
Note: Chemistry and Biology classes must be less than five years old. If Chemistry and Biology were taken prior to Fall 2020, they must be retaken.
Prerequisites:
| CHEM 122 | Principles of Chemistry Please note: CHEM 124 and CHEM 125 will satisfy the CHEM 122 requirement |
5 |
| BIOL 140 | Human Anatomy | 4 |
| BIOL 230/231 | Microbiology/Microbiology Lab | 5 |
| ENGL 121 | Composition I | 3 |
| PSYC 130 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| BIOL 225 | Human Physiology | 4 |
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or higher.
Note: The following additional courses are required to graduate from the dental hygiene program.
- Humanities elective (3 credit hours)*
- SOC 122- Intro to Sociology
Because of the time commitment associated with the curriculum, we strongly recommend that you consider completing these courses prior to the first semester of the program:
- BIOL 235 - Science of Human Nutrition
- Speech/Communications elective*
Note: CHEM 122, BIOL 140, BIOL 225, or BIOL 230/231 and one of the other prerequisites must be completed by the end of the fall semester of the application year. Fall transcripts are due Jan. 15 of each admission year. All prerequisites must be completed prior to starting clinical coursework.
Admission Test for Dental Hygiene (ATDH)
Effective Sept. 1, 2023, the ADA’s Department of Testing Services (DTS) will implement year-round testing for the ATDH Program. This change is anticipated to provide candidates and dental hygiene programs with additional flexibility. Under year-round testing, a candidate will be permitted to attempt the ATDH on any day of the year for which they can secure a testing appointment, provided they meet established ATDH eligibility criteria. Candidates are required to wait 60 days between testing attempts on the ATDH.
The ATDH test must taken be within three years of the application deadline and scores must be entered in your student record before the application deadline. Don't delay taking the test; it can take up to two weeks for test scores to be delivered.
The deadline to take the ATDH Exam is Oct. 31 in order to have scores arrive by the Dec. 1 application deadline.
The Admission Test for Dental Hygiene (ATDH) is an exam designed for Dental Hygiene readiness and preparedness. The exam covers English language skills, math skills, spatial relationship ability and basic science skills. Candidates will be able to visit www.ada.org/atdh and apply to take the examination. Please review the ATDH Guide (PDF) on our website. The Guide will provide all the information that candidates will need to register and prepare for the exam (e.g., information about testing dates, exam cost, Prometric testing centers).
A set of free practice questions will be posted to the ATDH website.
The ATDH exam covers sections including (1) Reading Comprehension, (2) Language Usage, (3) Quantitative Reasoning, (4) Perceptual Ability, (5) Biology, and (6) General Chemistry. Students will also receive an Overall Score. Scores range from 200 to 500. Applicants for the Johnson County Community College Dental Hygiene Program are required to have a minimum score of 350 in one of the following three categories: Overall score, Chemistry score, or Perceptual Ability score AND a GPA of 3.0 or better.
You must have an overall college GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Complete and submit any request for Academic Renewal on or before the Jan. 15 fall transcript deadline.
JCCC Dental Hygiene applicants must have graduated High School or completed their GED by the end of Summer 2025.
An official High School transcript with a graduation date must be submitted only if requested by the department.
You must contact all other institutions and request an official transcript be sent directly to JCCC Selective Admissions as soon as possible. (All transcripts must be received by the Dec. 1 deadline. Exception: Fall semester transcripts are due by the Jan. 15 deadline each application year.)
Additional Transcript Information
- You are responsible for notifying each institution to forward official transcripts to JCCC. (Transcripts from other institutions will be released to JCCC only upon request of the applicant. Faxed or hand-carried copies will not be accepted.)
- If course work has been completed at JCCC, a copy of your transcript will be placed in your file.
- Transcript information and/or course equivalencies will not be discussed over the telephone or prior to the submission of the Dental Hygiene application.
- You can check your academic record by logging into your MyJCCC account, selecting My Records tab and clicking on “View Unofficial Transcripts”
All students applying must meet with a JCCC counselor between Dec. 1, 2023, and Dec. 1, 2024. There are no extensions to this deadline. To make a counseling appointment, call 913-469-3809 and ask to meet with a counselor from the Health Care/Dental Hygiene Cluster.
Options such as retesting, repeating courses and academic renewal may be explored.
You can also attend a JCCC Dental Hygiene information session. Find a session.
If you are have not already applied and been accepted to JCCC and/or wish to enroll in classes prior to application to the dental hygiene program, you must complete a general application to the college first. This can be done online.
In order to be considered for admission to the Johnson County Community College Dental Hygiene Program, you must complete the Dental Hygiene online application by Dec. 1, 2024.
In order to be guaranteed consideration for admission to the Fall 2025 JCCC Dental Hygiene program, all application materials must be received in the Admissions office on or before Dec. 1, 2024.
To make sure that your application is processed in time for admission to the program in the next semester, you should submit your application and complete the prerequisites as soon as possible. If you applied previously to the program and were not accepted, you must complete the current program application.
1. Verification of Materials Received
The Dental Hygiene application is the pivotal document in creating your file. Please submit the online application no later than Dec. 1 of the application year. Fall 2024 transcripts are due by Jan. 15, 2025.
Application materials are reviewed in the order in which they are received. The Selective Admission Office will notify you via email regarding the current status of your file. Due to the large number of applications received each year (approximately 150), file status will not be discussed over the telephone. It is very important to apply early. If you wait until a few days before the deadline date to apply, notification indicating the complete/incomplete status of your file will be delayed and you may not meet admission requirements.
An academic evaluation/ranking will not occur until mid-February. This allows time for the posting of fall grades and the receipt of those transcripts as well as any ATDH scores or retake scores (due no later than Dec. 1). To be eligible for the academic evaluation, all required material (with the exception of the fall transcripts) must have been received by the Dec. 1 deadline date.
2. Ranking for Interviews
Applicants who successfully meet the academic criteria may qualify for an interview based on the competition within the applicant pool. Qualified applicants will be ranked based on evaluation of the academic criteria,which includes the cumulative GPA and 3 categories of the ATDH exam (overall score, chemistry and perceptual ability). Students must score a minimum of 350 in one of these categories to be qualified.
The college reserves the right to limit the number of applicants interviewed if more than 60 are qualified.
Applicants will be notified by JCCC stumail regarding eligibility for an interview. Interview appointments are scheduled in late February and early March.
The interview process will involve review of academic preparation (ATDH scores, GPA, college course work completed toward the degree requirements), related work experience and personal characteristics relevant to student success in the program. Some of these may include:
- Manual dexterity
- Tactile sensitivity
- Ability to work in close proximity with people of all ages and backgrounds
- Ability to achieve success in a science based curriculum and proficiency in oral and written communications
- Ability to handle the heavy time commitment of full-time coursework during the day and its associated homework in the evenings and weekends
- Time management skills
- Ability to recruit patients that satisfy clinical requirements
Note: Cumulative GPA includes all prior college course work including transfer and JCCC hours.
3. Observation of a Dental Hygienist
It is strongly encouraged that students intending to apply for the JCCC Dental Hygiene Program begin shadowing as part of their research into the profession. Candidates selected for an interview for the Dental Hygiene Program must complete a minimum of eight (8) hours of observation of a clinical dental hygienist. It is suggested that students shadow in a variety of office locations, observing different types of patients including general and periodontal practices in order to gain a better understanding of the dental hygiene profession. If a student is working in a dental practice, it is strongly encouraged to shadow in an office different from where the student works. Please log any hours on the Observation Form (PDF). Please note - Students reapplying to the dental hygiene program MUST complete new shadowing hours and submit to the interview committee.
4. Final Selections
Final selections are based upon a competitive process which ranks the applicants interviewed. Final rankings will reflect the consensus of the interview committee. All applicants interviewed will be notified by their JCCC Stumail (not their personal email).
5. Acknowledgment of Acceptance
Those applicants ranking high enough to be accepted will be given five business days to accept their position. To acknowledge acceptance, the applicant will be required to return the Intention to Accept/Deny form along with a $125.00 tuition deposit within five business days from receipt of the acceptance letter. If any of the first group do not accept, the vacancy created prior to the beginning of classes will be offered to the next highest-ranking person. Final acceptance to the program will be contingent upon satisfactorily meeting the health requirements, background check requirements and CPR certification, and completing all prerequisite courses with a minimum GPA of 2.0. A 100% refund of the $125.00 tuition deposit will be granted to the accepted students only if written notification declining the offer of admission is received in the Dental Hygiene Department by June 1.
No refunds will be given after June 1.
6. Questions
All questions concerning the admissions process should be directed to Teresa Leland in the Admissions Office-Selective Admissions at 913-469-3438. If you have questions concerning the Dental Hygiene Program, please call 913-469-8500, ext. 3539.
Interviewed applicants will be offered positions, based on interview panel consensus, via the student's JCCC Stumail account. The remaining interview candidates will either be placed on a waiting list or identified as candidates who will no longer be considered for program entrance based on criteria.
Applicants offered acceptance will need to confirm their intent to accept by the established deadline.
Applicant acceptance is based on the following contingencies:
- Satisfactory completion of any remaining prerequisite coursework prior to the beginning of the program.
- Completion of the required background check and drug screening. Instructions will be provided to accepted candidates regarding requirements. Any noncompliance with these mandates may result in retraction of the applicant’s acceptance or termination from the program.
- Any fees associated with the background check, the health record and physical examination, or other agency or state requirements are the responsibility of the student.
- Submission and review of the Health Record and Physical Examination form. This form will be an attachment to the acceptance offer email and is to be completed and returned by the designated date to the program director. Health restrictions which prohibit student performance of total patient care may prevent admission to or completion of the program.
Applicants will be notified by their JCCC Stumail account regarding their initial acceptance status by the end of March or early April.
Additional requirements and/or disclosures may become necessary throughout the course of the program. Any noncompliance with these mandates may result in termination from the program. Any fees associated with these mandates will be the responsibility of the student.
All questions concerning the admission process and application should be directed to Teresa Leland in the Selective Admissions Office, 913-469-3438.
All questions concerning the JCCC Dental Hygiene program should be directed to 913-469-8500, ext. 3539, or Dr. Carrie Hanson, program director.
This program requires an internship, practicum, clinical component or state/board licensing. The institutions that host internships/practicums/clinicals may require applicants to provide a Social Security number or show proof of having a Social Security card. See program chairperson for more information.
