Dallas College

Dental Hygiene


1 Certificate 1 Associate Degree
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The Dallas College Dental Hygiene program will prepare you to enter the dental hygiene profession with the skills and knowledge to build a rewarding career and grow within the field.

Our mission is to graduate exceptional dental hygiene professionals who deliver high-quality, evidence-based care to a diverse community. We are committed to creating a supportive and innovative learning environment built on teamwork, respect, and integrity. Our core values include accountability, positivity, collaboration, humility, loyalty, honesty, resiliency, and a dedication to human well-being.

If your ultimate goal is to earn a bachelor's degree, please consider our dual enrollment program in partnership with Texas Woman's University.

Dental Hygiene Services for the Public

Dental hygiene students gain their clinic experience in an on-site, state-of-the-art dental clinic. The clinic provides dental hygiene services at no charge to the public. The clinic has the latest technology in the dental field such as digital X-rays, intraoral cameras, digital scanners, dental lasers and fully integrated electronic records.

Dental Hygiene Services for the Community

Dental Hygiene at a Glance

Dallas College offers many different ways to reach your career goals. Whether you want to jump into the workforce quickly or spend more time building advanced skills, we have the programs that fit your needs and timeline.

Certificate Programs

Estimated total tuition cost2:

$2,205

Estimated time to complete1:

2 months

  • El Centro3

Associate Degrees

Estimated total tuition cost2:

$5,940

Estimated time to complete1:

2 years

  • El Centro3

Which Degrees and Certificates are Right for Me?

Workforce Training

Dallas College offers fast, flexible credentials designed with local employers to help you quickly start or advance your career.

Can I Get a Job?

Dallas College offers a variety of certificates and degrees to help you gain the skills you need to start working right away.

  • These credentials are often considered Career and Technical Education (CTE).
  • These credentials are established with the assistance and cooperation of representatives from local business, to meet local and regional employment needs.
  • Higher-level certificates and degrees will typically lead to a higher salary in the workforce.
  • Workforce (CE) certificates can often be completed faster than traditional credit certificates but typically do not offer college credit.
  • Level 1, Level 2, Enhanced Skills certificates and others offer college credit and are often stackable to help you build skills as you work toward an associate degree.
  • Workforce credentials may give you college credit at Dallas College, but they may not transfer to other colleges or universities.

If you're unsure if this is the right path for you, you can talk to a pathway specialist for advice.

Pathway Specialist

Associate Degrees

Dallas College's associate degrees provide a strong academic foundation for career entry or transfer to a four-year institution.

Can I Transfer?

Our Associate of Applied Science degrees and certificates may not fully transfer to a four-year college or university.

  • If your goal is to transfer, you may want to explore our Core Curriculum and Transfer Pathways.
  • You may also want to explore a transfer degree, like an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science.
  • The classes you take will count towards a bachelor's degree and are designed to be accepted by any public college or university in Texas.

If you're not sure if this is the right choice for you, you can talk to a Pathway Specialist for guidance.

Pathway Specialist

Questions About Degrees and Certificates?

We know applying to college can be confusing. If you are not yet a Dallas College student, you have a whole team of recruitment coaches to help guide you through programs and the enrollment process.

Current students, contact your success coach (advisor) who can answer any questions you have about Dental Hygiene programs and your degree and certificate options.

Contact a Recruitment Coach

What Can I Earn? Will There Be Plenty of Jobs?

Positive, caring people who can provide high-quality dental hygiene care are always in demand. Check out a few of the incredible career opportunities you’ll be ready for. Your future starts here!

Male dentist and female dental assistant work together to clean teeth

Dental Assistants

$22/hr

Median Salary

1432

Job Openings

+20%

Projected Outlook

Top Skills:

  • Active Listening
  • Speaking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Service Orientation
  • Active Learning
  • Instructing
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Monitoring
  • Critical Thinking
  • Writing
female dental hygienist treats a patient reclining in a chair

Dental Hygienists

$43/hr

Median Salary

606

Job Openings

+18%

Projected Outlook

Top Skills:

  • Active Listening
  • Critical Thinking
  • Speaking
  • Writing
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Service Orientation
  • Monitoring
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Instructing
  • Active Learning

All jobs data gathered for Dallas/Fort Worth. Source: Dallas College Labor Market Intelligence and Lightcast4.

“What's interesting to me in classes is the precision of radiology, and how you can change things in an X-ray that can affect the whole ballgame. The instruction is great: the books give you the info, and then when you're practicing on Dexter (the mannequin) you get hands-on experience of how things need to be done correctly.” Read Kelly Freeman's story.
Kelly Freeman
Kelly Freeman
Dental Hygiene Student

A Look Inside Dental Hygiene

At Dallas College, you can earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in Dental Hygiene and begin a career in high demand, offering great pay and flexibility.

As a dental hygienist, you’ll work one on one with patients, providing educational information and preventative dental treatments. Dental hygienists can work as part of a dental team at a private dental office, corporate dental practice, hospital, public health sector, higher education and even the armed services.

So why Dallas College? Because you’ll have access to the latest technology through hands-on training in the classroom and clinical settings. Take courses in dental radiology, pharmacology, periodontology, and general and oral pathology from experienced faculty and practitioners. Graduates are prepared to take the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and a regional clinical board to become a registered dental hygienist. For more information, visit our website and begin your Dallas College journey.

The Dental Hygiene program has its own admissions process, timeline and requirements. Visit the School of Health Sciences Information Packets and Sessions page to view the Dental Hygiene information packets.

Accreditation

The Dallas College Dental Hygiene program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and has been granted accreditation status of “approved without reporting requirements.”

To contact CODA:

312-440-4653, CODA.ADA.org, 211 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60611-2678

Dallas College has partnered with Texas Woman’s University (TWU) to offer a dual enrollment program open to all accepted Dallas College dental hygiene students. The program allows students to complete their associate degree and a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene. Students will be enrolled in both colleges simultaneously.

Students must be organized with strong study and time management skills to be successful in the dual enrollment program. For more information, contact Professor Amy Teague, Dental Hygiene Dual Enrollment Program liaison, at ATeague@TWU.edu.

Find Out More About Dallas College

Sign up to receive additional information about Dallas College or call 972-669-6400.

School of Health Sciences

Dallas College

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1Length of time is based on catalog degree plans. Prerequisites may be required, which are not included in this estimate. For most programs, full-time student status is assumed, a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester.

2Cost for credit courses is based on tuition rates for program hours for Dallas County residents. The price of most required learning materials (books, software, supplies, etc.) is included with the price of tuition. Certain programs may have additional costs above the standard tuition. Continuing Education and Ed2Go courses may vary by program. Please review the Area of Study Overview and/or the Health Information Packets for additional costs and details. Visit our Paying for College site to learn more about cost, financial aid, scholarships and more.

3Each location offers a unique combination of certificate and degree options. Not all degree and certificate offerings are available for admission/start at all campuses every semester.

4A portion of Lightcast’s data comes from O*NET Online by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Lightcast has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

HB1508 Notice

This program may lead to an occupational license for which a prior criminal history may make a student ineligible.

For more information, please visit DallasCollege.edu/HB1508.

Updated June 25, 2026