Program Description

The Dental Hygiene program prepares its graduates to become practicing members of a dental health team dedicated to helping individuals maintain oral health and prevent disease. The Dental Hygienist is qualified by education and licensure to provide direct patient care prescribed by the dentist, to remove deposits and stains from the teeth, expose and develop dental x-ray films, and perform various other preventative and therapeutic services related to oral health care. The Dental Hygienist educates individuals and groups of patients in proper preventive measures and explains the relationship between diet or smoking and oral health.

Students in this two-year Associate in Science degree program must take 88 semester credits in order to graduate.

Admission Requirements

To be eligible for admission to the Dental Hygiene Program at the Medical Center Campus, you must meet these criteria.

• You hold, or will hold at the time of enrollment in the Dental Hygiene Program, a high school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma (GED).

• You have applied to and been fully accepted by Miami Dade College. (For application information, see the Miami Dade College Catalog, available from the Admissions and Registrations offices on any campus.)

• You have passing scores on the Computerized Placement Test (CPT), or, if you have taken the test but have not passed, then you have satisfactorily completed the developmental courses prescribed by MDC as a result of your scores. The CPT can be scheduled through Testing Services at any MDC campus. For exceptions to this requirement, see the MDC Catalog.

• You have earned a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.0 on a scale of 4.0 for any college-level courses you have taken.

To apply to the Dental Hygiene Program at the Medical Center Campus, complete the following steps.

• If you have not been enrolled at Miami Dade College during the past 12 months, complete an Application for Admission or Readmission to College Credit Courses. Choose the Medical Center Campus as the “preferred” campus.

• Make an appointment to take the Computerized Placement Test (CPT) through Testing Services, Room 1303, Medical Center Campus, 305-237-4275, or through the testing center at any of the other MDC campuses. You should register at least one month in advance of taking the test, and you should take the test before the date that program application materials are due.

• If you have previously attended any other college or university, arrange for that institution to sent official transcripts to the Registrar office at the Medical Center Campus by the due date for program application materials.

• Complete the prerequisite courses.

• Submit an Application for Program Selection to the New Student Center at the Medical Center Campus. 

Where Do I Send My Application Materials?

You may send your MDC application to any Admissions office located on any of the six campuses of Miami Dade College. Applications for admission may also be filled out on line at http://www.mdc.edu .
Note:  You have to be connected to the Internet to access this web site

You must also send the following:

Application fee (check or money order – no cash)
Official high school transcript and official college transcripts (if available) to the Registrar.
Send your Application for Program Selection, professional documentation, and an unofficial copy of your college transcript to the Dental Hygiene Program at the address below:

Miami Dade College
Medical Center Campus
New Student Center
950 NW 20 th Street
Miami , FL 33127

Selection Criteria

Priority for admission will be given to those applicants with the highest overall grade point average, those applicants who have completed the greatest number of natural science and general education curriculum courses with a grade of C or higher. The selection committee places emphasis on the basic science courses, and seldom admits students who have not yet taken English Composition (ENC 1101).

ADA Standards

In keeping with its mission and goals, and in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Medical Center Campus promotes an environment of respect and support for persons with disabilities and will make reasonable accommodations. The definition of individuals with disabilities are those who currently have, have a record of having, or are regarded as having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. Major life activities include caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, breathing, and working.

Individuals applying for admission, progression to clinical courses, and graduation from a program in Nursing and Allied Health Technologies must be able to meet the physical and emotional requirements of the academic program. In addition, students admitted to the programs in Nursing and Allied Health Technologies must possess the following qualities:

• The emotional maturity and stability to approach highly stressful human situations in a calm and rational manner.

• The ability to make clinical judgment using critical thinking.

• The ability to adhere to ethical standards of conducts as well as applicable state and federal laws.

• The ability to provide effective written, oral, nonverbal communication with patients and their families, colleagues, health care providers, and the public.

An individual who poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others or themselves may be denied admission, progression or graduation. The college's determination that a person poses a direct threat will be based on an individualized assessment that relies on current medical evidence or on the best available evidence to assess the nature, duration, and severity of the risk and the probability that the potential injury will actually occur.

The Dental Hygiene Program Curriculum

Students are admitted to the Dental Hygiene Program in August of each year. A total of 88 credits is required in order to receive an Associate in Science degree.

The required general education courses are an important part of the curriculum. Since admission is competitive, we strongly recommended that you take the all of these courses, especially those natural sciences, before admission to the program. Your success in the courses you take before applying to the program will improve your chances of being admitted, although taking these courses in advance does not guarantee admission. Please be sure to see the Miami Dade College Catalog to learn which courses have pre- and corequisites.

Course content is sequential, and students would have to enroll in all Dental Hygiene courses in the order and during the terms indicated in the following curriculum.

Approximate Cost of the Program

As of August 2005, the cost of tuition is $64.05 per credit for in-state students and $219.15 per credit for out-of-state students. The estimates for tuition based on 76 credits at these per-credit rates are In-state students: $4,867.80 and Out-of-state students: $16,655.40 Tuition is due at the beginning of each term and can be determined by multiplying the number of credits by the cost per credit hour.

Additionally, over the course of the program, students should expect to pay approximately $350 for books, $125 for nametags, uniforms and footwear, and $15.50 annually for malpractice insurance. Most laboratory courses have an additional fee of $75.00 and $150. All costs are subject to change.

Mission and Goals

The mission of Miami Dade College is to provide accessible, affordable, high-quality education by keeping learner's needs at the center of decision-making in partnership with its dynamic, multicultural community.

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The mission of Medical Center Campus is to provide students with affordable, accessible, quality education in health care careers. Faculty and staff strive to respond to the changing needs of students, health care providers, and health care consumers in the community at large through collaboration with health care and business communities. The Campus provides an environment that is conductive to learning by recognizing and responding to the diverse learning styles, cultures, and resources of its students.

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Financial Aid

All students at the Medical Center Campus should apply for financial aid, which includes the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work Study, and Federal Subsidized loans. The Campus also offers emergency short-term loans and a variety of scholarships.

Applications can be made in the Financial Aid Office (Room 1201) on the Medical Center Campus. Those who apply before April 1st for the following academic year are given priority. Only courses in which students have registered before the 100 percent refund date qualify for financial aid. For additional information, call the Financial Aid personnel at 305-237-4160.

Accreditation

The Dental Hygiene Program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association.

Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association
211 East Chicago Avenue 6 th Floor
Chicago , Illinois 61611

Note:  You have to be connected to the Internet to access this web site  

Licensure

The written National Dental Hygiene Board Examination is required, and the Florida Dental Hygiene Board Examination, a clinical examination, is required for licensure to practice dental hygiene in the State of Florida.

Important Phone Numbers

New Student Center		305-237-4141
Advisement Services		305-237-4238
Financial Aid		305-237-4160
Student Life		305-237-4213
Testing Services		305-237-4275

Faculty

	Susan Kass, B.S., M.Ed., Ed.D., R.D.H Professor and Program Coordinator Office: 2256 Phone: 305-237-4029 Email: susan.kass@mdc.edu
	Rebecca Smith, B.S., M.P.H Assistant Professor Office: 2251 Phone: (305) 237-4409 Email: becky.smith@mdc.edu
	Karen Mattox, B.S., M.S., R.D.H. Professor Office: 2258 Phone: 305-237-4412 Email: karen.mattox@mdc.edu
	Susan Hudson, D.M.D. Clinical Supervisor Office: 1127 Phone: 305-237-4379 Email: susan.hudson-manteiga@mdc.edu
	Duran Mootry , B.A., R.D.H. Professor A.S., C.D.A. office:2252 Phone:305-237-4418 Email: Duran.Mootry@mdc.edu
	Lillian Mancebo, B.S., R.D.H. Assistant Professor Office: 2246 Phone: 305-237-4182 Email: lillian.mancebo@mdc.edu
	Amparo Sierra Office Manager Office: 1135-1 Phone: 305-237-4142 Email: amparo.sierra@mdc.edu
	Shannan Dooley-Carmona, B.A., R.D.H. Associate Instructor Lab Manager Office: 1138 Phone: (305) 237-4174 Email: sdooley@mdc.edu

 

 

 

 

 

The mission of the Medical Center Campus is to provide students with affordable, accessible, quality education in health care careers. Faculty and staff strive to respond to the changing needs of students, health care providers, and health care consumers in the community at large through collaboration with health care and business communities. The Campus provides an environment that is conducive to learning by recognizing and responding to the diverse learning styles, cultures, and resources of its students.