The Community College of Baltimore County offers a Dental Hygiene program that will prepare you for national, regional and state examinations. Its curriculum will teach you how to perform routine dental hygiene procedures, apply scientific and theoretical principles to practice as well as use critical thinking to promote health and prevention of disease. Prerequisites include the completion of two specific biology courses and a specific chemistry, English and psychology course within the past five years with a grade C or better and a 2.50 GPA; three references; at least 16 hours of hygienist observation; attendance at the dental hygiene information session; and completion of the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) exam. Financial aid and grants are available for eligible students. There are three main campus locations in Baltimore to choose from.
The University of Maryland offers a program in pre-Dental Hygiene that prepares students for a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene in another institution. To apply you will need to have had four years of English; two years of a foreign language; and three years of math, history or social science and science. Financial aid and grants are available for eligible students, and the school's TERP payment plan allows you to spread the payments out over an eight- or 10-month period.
The Baltimore College of Dental Surgery offers a Dental Hygiene program that provides small classes, modern facilities and an innovative curriculum to teach students how to provide patient care. It also allows students to acquire a variety of clinical experience such as working with physically and mentally challenged patients. The Bachelor of Science can be completed in two or three years depending on the student's schedule. The school also offers a degree completion program for registered dental hygienists who are interested in a bachelor's degree as well as a Master of Science degree for those who seek further education. Financial aid is available for eligible students.
At the Liberty campus of the Baltimore City Community College, the Dental Hygiene Associate's Degree program was created to prepare students for a career as a Registered Dental Hygienist. Students will receive education through lectures, working in labs and being involved in patient care in the school's clinic as well as outside agencies. Courses in the program include Anatomy and Physiology, Nutrition for Health Science, Periodontics and Oral Pathology. Admission requirements are a high school diploma or GED; completion of biology, algebra, chemistry and a second math with a minimum grade of "C" or better; and college-level math. The school is accredited through the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation and graduates will be eligible to take the National Board Examination and the Northeast Regional Board Examination for the title of Registered Dental Hygienist.