BIOLOGICAL & HEALTH SCIENCES DIVISION
DENTAL HYGIENE DEPARTMENT
Welcome to our dental hygiene home page. We hope this information is helpful getting you started in this rewarding and
exciting health career. The dental hygiene program is two years in length including two brief summer sessions. You will
find details for prerequisites and application information as well as links to other dental hygiene related topics on this site.
The Foothill College Dental Hygiene Program is ranked among the top dental hygiene programs in the country. The dental hygiene
program outcomes are excellent, with 100% of our dental hygiene students passing the National Board exam since the inception of
the program in 1964. The program is fully accredited by the Commission of Dental Accreditation. It is a full-time, two-year
program leading to an Associate of Science degree in Dental Hygiene.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of dental hygienists is expected to grow 20 percent through 2016,
much faster than the average for all occupations. This projected growth ranks dental hygienists among the fastest growing
occupations, in response to increasing demand for dental care, and the greater use of dental hygienists.
This intensive two-year program begins in the Summer Quarter. The curriculum includes comprehensive courses in basic sciences,
oral anatomy, public health, nutrition, clinical dental hygiene, periodontics, pathology, radiology and many others.
The Foothill College Dental Hygiene offers you state-of-the-art clinical facilities, experienced caring faculty, and
comprehensive college support services designed to help you succeed. Students are supervised during their clinical
experience on patients. Students who successfully complete the program receive an Associate in Science Degree in
Dental Hygiene, and are qualified to take the Dental Hygiene National Board Examination and the California State
Licensing Examination.
Dental Hygienists are in great demand. It is a career offering excellent income, security, flexibility, variety,
prestige and respect - the factors you value in a career. Please explore our web site and learn more about our program
and the application process.
Thank you for your interest!
Phyllis Spragge, RDH, MA
Division Dean
Click here if you have not read the Program Curriculum Requirement Sheet!
Director's Desk: Additional Program Information.
The mission of the Foothill College Dental Hygiene Program is in accord with the mission of the Foothill-DeAnza
Community College District.
The purpose of the dental hygiene program is to educate students who will positively impact the oral health status
of the community. This education will include courses in the basic, social and dental sciences, liberal arts and
public health with emphasis on the clinical aspect of the dental hygiene practice. This education will provide
the student with a foundation to pursue life long learning.
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Students will demonstrate the necessary knowledge and vales in legal regulations and ethical issues for
the practice of dental hygiene.
Students will demonstrate the necessary knowledge, skills, and values for the practice of dental hygiene.
The American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation, hereafter referred to as "the Commission", accredits the Foothill College Dental Hygiene Program. The Commission is a specialized accrediting agency recognized by the Council on Post secondary Accreditation and the U. S. Department of Education. The Commission conducts the accreditation and site visit process and recommends re-accreditation. The most recent accreditation took place for the Foothill Dental Hygiene Program in October 2004. The next site visit will take place in 2018. The Foothill Dental Hygiene Program's master plan, policies, and curriculum are modeled after Commission guidelines. Copies of the standards and guidelines for a model Dental Hygiene Program are on file in the Director's office. Copies of the Accreditation report for the Foothill College Dental Hygiene Program are also on file in the Director's office. The Foothill College Dental Hygiene Program is affiliated with the University of California, School of Dentistry, San Francisco, California. top of page