Dental Hygiene | Allegany College of Maryland

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What will you learn?

As a dental hygiene student, you will learn how to:
- Review health histories, examine head, neck, and oral tissues
- Perform oral cancer and vital signs screenings
- Expose, process, and interpret dental radiographs (x-rays)
- Remove deposits from teeth
- Apply preventive agents such as sealants and fluoride to teeth
- Teach patients appropriate oral hygiene strategies to maintain good oral health
- Provide nutritional counseling
- Administer local anesthesia and nitrous oxide

What will you do?

Graduates are qualified for positions as dental hygienists and may serve in the following roles:
- Clinician - Provide direct patient care in collaboration with other health professionals in private dental practices, community based clinics, hospitals and long term care facilities, and schools
- Educator - Use educational theory and methodology to educate competent oral health care professionals in a clinical or classroom setting or as a corporate educator
- Researcher - Conduct studies to test new products, procedures, or theories for accuracy and effectiveness in universities, corporations, or government agencies
- Administrator or manager - Apply organizational skills, manage resources, evaluate health programs in clinical, educational or corporate settings
- Corporate - Product sales and research, Corporate educator
- Public Health - Enhance access to care in community health programs funded by government or nonprofit organizations
- Entrepreneur - Initiate or finance new oral health-related enterprises such as practice management, consulting, professional speaker or writer

Why ACM?

Discover what others are saying about ACM's Dental Hygiene program – click an image below.

Program Details

A licensed dental hygienist is a health care professional, oral health educator and clinician who utilizes scientific knowledge and methods to provide preventative, educational and therapeutic services to support the control of oral diseases and the promotion of oral and overall health.

The clinical phase of the Dental Hygiene program is a two-year, full-time, daytime program that prepares students to take national, regional and state licensure exams in dental hygiene. Allegany College of Maryland Dental Hygiene Department operates a dental hygiene clinic where students gain clinical experience on site while serving the dental hygiene needs of patients in the tristate area.

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Credit Catalog

Blood Pathogen

Dental Application Package

Patient Care

PLTW Articulation

Accreditation

The Dental Hygiene program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council on Post-Secondary Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education.

The Commission on Dental Accreditation will review complaints that relate to a program's compliance with the accreditation standards. The Commission is interested in the sustained quality and continued improvement of dental and dental-related education programs but does not intervene on behalf of individuals or act as a court of appeals for individuals in matters of admission, appointment, promotion or dismissal of faculty, staff or students.

A copy of the appropriate accreditation standards and/or the Commission's policy and procedure for submission of complaints may be obtained by contacting the Commission at 401 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3300, Chicago, IL 60611-2678 or by calling 1-800-232-6108.

The program has been granted the status of “approval without reporting requirements.”

Admissions Criteria

In order to be eligible to apply to the Dental Hygiene program, students must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50 and MUST complete the following fifteen (15) college credit hours with a “C” or better:

Course Credits:
Chemistry 100 or Chemistry 101		4 credits
Biology 201(Human Anatomy & Physiology)		4 credits
(or Biology 207 and Biology 208)
Biology 204 (Microbiology)		4 credits
English 101		3 credits

Laboratory science courses taken more than 5 years prior to the start of the clinical phase of the program will not be considered.

Acceptance into the Dental Hygiene program is competitive and applicants will be ranked according to GPA’s in the required pre-requisite coursework listed above. In addition, although not required to be eligible for admission, additional points will be added in the ranking system for each of the following required program courses that have been completed: Math 109: Probability and Statistics, Psychology 101: General Psychology, Sociology 101: Introduction to Sociology, Speech 101: Speech Communication.

Program Goals

The graduating dental hygienist must use and advance professional knowledge and skills to serve the patient and public using sound ethical judgments based on evidence-based knowledge.
The graduating dental hygienist must promote lifestyle changes of individuals and society to attain optimal health utilizing a combination of educational, economic, organizational, and environmental strategies.

The graduating dental hygienist must demonstrate the skills necessary to carry out the Dental Hygiene Process of Care which include assessment, dental hygiene diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation of diverse patient populations.
The graduating dental hygienist must contribute to improving knowledge, skill, and values of the profession of dental hygiene.

Learning Outcomes

Adhere to a professional code of ethics and appropriate legal and regulatory guidelines in the provision of all oral health services.
Communicate effectively with diverse populations while delivering culturally competent care without discrimination.
Implement quality assurance strategies in order to ensure standard of care.
Identify the oral health needs of individuals and assist them in the development of appropriate and individualized self-care regimens and behaviors designed to obtain optimal health.
Utilize an interdisciplinary approach to healthcare delivery.
Assess, plan, implement, and evaluate a community-based program.
Recognize the importance of public policy and legislative processes in the delivery of dental hygiene care.
Provide screening, referral, and educational services that encourages patients to utilize the health care system to improve overall health.

Identify and participate in the delivery of dental hygiene services in alternative settings.
Systematically collect, analyze and accurately record data on the general, oral and psycho-social health status of a variety of patients using methods consistent with medical-legal and ethical principles.

Use critical decision-making skills to identify and prioritize conditions and establish realistic goals and treatment strategies to facilitate optimal oral health.
Collaborate with the patient, dentist and other health professionals to formulate evidence based, individualized treatment plan.

Provide treatment that includes preventive and therapeutic services designed to achieve and maintain oral health and assist the patient in achieving oral health goals.
Evaluate the effectiveness of preventive, therapeutic, and educational services and modify as needed.

Provide accurate, consistent, and complete documentation of dental hygiene services.
Participate in professional organizations and advance the profession through leadership and community service activities.

Research and evaluate scientific literature in order to make evidence-based decisions.

Student Achievement

NATIONAL BOARD DENTAL HYGIENE EXAM (NBDHE)

Year	First Attempt Pass Rate	Overall Pass Rate
2026	93.3%	**
2025	84.4%	100%
2024	92.9%	100%
2023	90.0%	100%
2022*	100%	100%

*Note: One graduate never made an attempt at this exam.

**Incomplete data as of 9/21/2026

Meet the Faculty

Our experienced, knowledgeable faculty and staff are excited to share their expertise with you and prepare you to succeed in the diverse, dynamic field of Dental Hygiene.

Cathy Wakefield
cwakefield@allegany.edu
Associate Professor and Program Director

301-784-5579
Allied Health 141

A.A., Allegany College of Maryland
B.S., West Virginia University
M.Ed., Frostburg State University

Colleen Heinrich
cheinrich@allegany.edu
Administrative Associate

301-784-5580
Allied Health 143

A.A.S., Allegany College of Maryland

Meghan Carnell
mcarnell@allegany.edu
Administrative Associate

301-784-5540
Allied Health 149

Jordan Clark
jclark14106@allegany.edu
Clinical Instructor

301-784-5543
Allied Health 161

BSDH, West Virginia University

Tina Courtney
tcourtney@allegany.edu
Clinical Coordinator/Assistant Professor