Dental Hygiene

Program Overview

Specializing in preventive oral health, dental hygienists work collaboratively with other health professionals to provide client-centred care. Equipped with knowledge of current standards of practice, ethical principles and a dedication to oral health, you will give your clients another reason to smile.

Dentistry

Prevention

Dental Equipment

Admission Requirements

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or Mature Student Status
Grade 12 English (C or U) (minimum 60 per cent average)
Grade 11 or 12 biology (C, M or U)
Grade 11 or 12 chemistry (C, M or U)
Grade 11 or 12 mathematics (C, M or U)
A selective admission test is required, for more information please review the additional applicant requirements.

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Intakes and Availability

Date	Domestic Availability	International Availability
May 2020	Closed
September 2020	Closed	Closed
May 2021	Open

Tuition

Year one domestic: $8,968 (CDN)

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Semester 1 Courses

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Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

Dental hygienist

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Program Details

The Dental Hygiene program integrates academic studies and clinical practice to prepare you to practice with the client and the community, providing collaborative health care in a variety of settings. The dental hygiene process of care is foundational to the clinical experience, emphasizing the acquisition of critical thinking skills while fostering a client-centred approach and upholding the most current standards of practice and ethical principles.

Your acquisition of skills will progress from the demonstration of learning on a mannequin to student partners and then clients in the college’s Dental Clinic.

Dental hygiene is a self-regulated profession and graduates must successfully complete the national board exam and registration requirements as determined by the College of Registered Hygienists of Ontario. This program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada.

Please note: Due to recent provincial changes in entry to practice competencies and standards, the Dental Hygiene program is now a six-semester program. It is delivered over two and a half years and will run through the summer. The second year will begin the following January, allowing you to have a break between September and December. As of May 31, 2013, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities has approved the request of the change in credential from a diploma to an advanced diploma for Dental Hygiene programs offered in colleges of applied arts and technology.

In The News

Admission Requirements

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or Mature Student Status
Grade 12 English (C or U) (minimum 60 per cent average)
Grade 11 or 12 biology (C, M or U)
Grade 11 or 12 chemistry (C, M or U)
Grade 11 or 12 mathematics (C, M or U)
A selective admission test is required, for more information please review the additional applicant requirements.

Please note: This program may be highly competitive and have a specific selection process and application deadline. For more information, please contact recruitment@durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.3126. Please refer to Admission Processes for more details regarding highly competitive programs.

Courses

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4

Semester 5

Semester 6

Courses and course descriptions are subject to change.

Costs

YEAR ONE FEES	Domestic
Tuition	$8,968
Compulsory Ancillary	$1,844
Program Incidental	$3,400
Total Fees:	$14,212

Please note: fees are based on the 2019-2020 academic year and do not include textbooks. For more information please see Other fees to consider.

Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

Dental hygienist

where you could work:

General dentistry practice
Independent dental hygiene practice
Institutional and hospital dental clinic
Public health unit
Specialty practice such as periodontics and orthodontics

Clinical Practice

Your learning experience will be complemented by a clinical practice component that provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to be an effective care provider.

PRE-PLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS

Please note: There are costs associated with Electronic Student Permit Checking (ESPC), immunizations, lab tests and certifications. Be sure to keep all of your receipts for income tax purposes. These costs include:

Service fees for Verified, our documentation collection and ESPC verification partner.
Costs to complete mandatory immunizations, lab tests, and certifications.

It is required that students have completed the ESPC with Verified to be eligible for the field placement component of this program. You must (at your expense) provide:

A clear and current Criminal Reference Check (CRC) with Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS) (Semester 4 and 6 students only). If you cannot provide a clear CRC with VSS, you may not be accepted for placement by a field placement agency. CRCs with VSS must be obtained from your local police station. You may be required to obtain additional CRCs with VSS to meet field placement agency requirements
Current Level C CPR from a recognized provider
Current standard first aid certification from a recognized provider
Entry immunization form completed by a health-care provider

Links:

Program Transfer, Degree Completion and Additional Credentials

Durham College also offers degree completion opportunities with a number of Canadian and international institutions. Sample diploma-to-degree opportunities include:

Please visit our pathways page to learn more about how you can transfer your credits towards a degree.

COVID-19 Information

Program Overview

Admission Requirements

Intakes and Availability

Tuition

Semester 1 Courses

Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

Program Details

In The News

Admission Requirements

Courses

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4

Semester 5

Semester 6

Costs

Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

where you could work:

Clinical Practice

PRE-PLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS

Program Transfer, Degree Completion and Additional Credentials

Dental Hygiene in the news

Helpful Resources

College guide September 2020 [PDF]

College guide September 2020 [Interactive]

Graduate Employment Report [PDF]