Dental Hygiene
Create beautiful smiles for a living as a dental hygienist. Gain the technical and interpersonal skills essential for work in a dentist’s office.
What is Dental Hygiene?
This program prepares students to function as dental hygienists on a dental auxiliary team under the supervision of a dentist. The curriculum includes courses in general education and in dental hygiene as required by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The program provides comprehensive educational experiences through lectures, clinicals and related study in order that students may apply scientific knowledge in the performance of dental hygiene procedures.
Upon completion, graduates are eligible to take national and regional licensing examinations for dental hygienists. As the only licensed dental auxiliary, dental hygienists may be employed in dentist offices, clinics, dental schools, public health and governmental agencies, industry and educational institutions. For more information about admission to the Dental Hygiene Program, please see the guidelines for the selective admission requirements. See program checklist for more information.
Dental Hygiene Services
Smile while saving! Our students give quality treatments for a fraction of the price of a standard dentist. All your services are under the direct supervision of our qualified instructors.
Dental hygienists work in dental offices, clinics, dental schools, and public health and government agencies.
Getting Started
Selective Admissions
MANDATORY APPLICATION PACKETS will be given out at the Pre-Admission Conference.
If you're interested in applying, you must attend a pre-admission conference. We'll cover your most pressing questions to make sure this is a good fit for you.
Candidate's questions can be addressed at pre-admission conferences. Therefore, each candidate must attend a pre-admission conference prior to applying to the Dental Hygiene Program. If unable to attend an in-person conference, please email Program Coordinator Mary Jones at maryw.jones@kctcs.edu to request an online presentation.
View available conference dates
For more information regarding Dental Hygiene Admissions, please refer to the BCTC Course Catalog.
You will need to submit a Dental Hygiene Observation form as part of your application in order for it to be considered complete. Please contact Mary Jones, Program Coordinator, at marywjones@kctcs.edu to request this form.
Dental Hygiene is a Selective Admissions program.
Students must follow all Selective Admissions steps to be considered for the program.
What are my degree, diploma, and certificate options?
The catalog describes the course requirements for completing the credential. Students are required to schedule an appointment with their assigned academic advisor to ensure achievement of their academic goals.
How Do I Pay For This?
What Else Do I Need to Know?
Accreditation
Commission on Dental Accreditation
Third Party Comments Notice
Institution: Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC)
Program under review: Dental Hygiene
Site Visit Date: November 11-12, 2025
Deadline for Receipt of Third Party Comment in the Commission Office: September 11, 2025
BCTC's Dental Hygiene Program is currently participating in the accreditation process through the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). This notice provides interested parties the information to make comments regarding our program. The accreditation standards can viewed on the CODA website.
All comments relative to programs being visited will be due to the Commission office no later than sixty (60) days prior to each program’s site visit to allow time for the program to respond. Negative comments received after the deadline of sixty (60) days prior to the site visit will be handled as a complaint.
Who can submit comments: Third party comment relative to the Commission’s accredited programs may include comments submitted by interested parties such as faculty, students, program administrators, Commission consultants, specialty and dental related organizations, patients and/or consumers. Comments must be signed but signatures will be removed from comments before forwarding them to the program. Comments must pertain only to the standards or policies and procedures used in the CODA accreditation process.
Visit the CODA website to see instructions about how to submit comments.
Associations
Registered Dental Hygienists are the only oral health care providers whose education specifically prepares them to provide preventive oral health care services that are critical to patients' overall health and wellness.
Registered Dental Hygienists are Licensed Prevention Specialists
DO YOU KNOW WHO IS PROVIDING YOUR ORAL HEALTH CARE?
Registered Dental Hygienists (RDH)
Are the only oral health care providers whose education specifically prepares them
to provide preventive oral health care services that are critical to patients' overall
health and wellness.
Through early detection of warning signs, dental hygienists often serve as a first line of defense against debilitating - sometimes deadly - diseases and disorders, such as hypertension, diabetes, anorexia nervosa, bulimia, osteoporosis, oral cancers and HIV. Periodontal (gum) disease has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, respiratory ailments, and premature and low birth weight babies.
The RDH provides the patient with skills necessary to maintain lifetime dental health. Clinical services provided by the Dental Hygienist include oral health assessments, nutritional counseling, oral health education, tooth whitening procedures, tobacco cessation counseling, exposing and developing dental radiographs, removing soft and hard deposits from teeth (periodontal debridement), sealant application, fluoride application, microbial assay testing, as well as many other specific examinations/procedures. Registered Dental Hygienists perform critical services and enjoy attractive income potential.
Patients should know who is providing their oral health care. They deserve to have health care workers who are fully educated and licensed as a part of their professional oral health care team.
American Dental Hygienists' Association
444 North Michigan Avenue,
Suite 3400,
Chicago, IL 60611
1 (800) 847-6718
American Dental Hygienists' Association website (new window)
The Student American Dental Hygienists' Association of Bluegrass Community and Technical College (S.A.D.H.A.) is a non profit organization student affiliate of the American Dental Hygienists' Association.
The goal of our organization is "to cultivate, promote, and sustain the art and science of dental hygiene, to represent and safeguard the common interest of the members of the dental hygiene profession and to contribute toward the improvement of the health of the public."
Additional Information
Length of Program
You can earn an associate in applied science degree in two years if you maintain full-time status.
This information should not be considered a substitute for the KCTCS Catalog. You should always choose classes in cooperation with your faculty advisor to ensure that you meet all degree requirements.
