How to Apply to Dental Hygiene

Step 1: Apply to TCC

Apply online with ApplyTCC (use Firefox or Chrome for the best experience)

• Application instructions: How to Apply for Admission

You will get a TCC Student ID number once you are accepted as a student at TCC. You need a TCC Student ID number for your application to Dental Hygiene.

Step 2: Make sure you are eligible to apply

What are the requirements?

See Selective Admission: Dental Hygiene

Step 3: Get current official transcripts

You will need 2 copies of your official transcripts from all high schools, dual credit programs, and colleges you have attended, including TCC.

You will submit:

• 1 copy of each of your official transcripts to the TCC Admissions and Registrar Office
• 1 copy of each of your official transcripts with your application to Dental Hygiene

International Students

Contact International Admissions (817-515-1570) at least 8 weeks before the application deadline to schedule an appointment if you have international transcripts.

Step 4: Take the required admissions exam—Health Education Systems, Inc. (HESI)—before applying

About the HESI Admission Exam

This exam covers general knowledge needed for our program and will be available September–January of each application period.

Deadline to take the HESI Exam for the 2022–2023 application period: January 25, 2023. This firm deadline gives you time to get your score and submit it with your application.

You will be tested on general knowledge from the:

• 7 non-Dental Hygiene (DHYG)-specific courses listed on our degree plan
• TSI components needed to be college ready in reading, writing and math

We recommend that you take the HESI exam in the year you plan to apply in order to prevent loss of test scores or possible expiration.

If You Took the HESI Exam Last Year

You can use your scores from last year and submit them with your application this year.

Or you can retake the HESI exam to try to improve your scores and submit your new scores with your application this year.

Your HESI Exam Scores & Your Application

You will be awarded points based on the scores received from the HESI exam. These points will be added into the calculation of the Overall Rating.

For details, see the How will my HESI Exam results be used with my application? section in the application packet.

How to Register for the HESI Exam

1. Create a one-time registration with Elsevier, the exam sponsor, for HESI–Student Access.
   1. Go to the Evolve home page
   2. Select I'm a student
   3. Select Register for Distance Testing under HESI Secured Exams
   4. Select Register for this now on the HESI Registration page to put HESI Registration in your cart
   5. Select Redeem/Checkout
   6. Enter your name, email address and an account password to create your Evolve account.
   7. Read the Registered User Agreement
   8. Select Yes, I accept
   9. Select Submit

Once you have registered, the HESI Assessment–Student Access link will appear under the My Content section in your Evolve account.

1. Register for the HESI (HP A2 V1) exam
   • For details: HESI Assessment Instructions (PDF)Listen
     • To request an accessible copy of this document, please call us at 817-515-6435 or 817-515-6448 or email us at health.sciences@tccd.edu
2. Take the HESI exam
   • The HESI exam you take should include these components:
     • Science, including:
       • Anatomy & Physiology I & II
       • Microbiology
       • Chemistry
     • Reading/Grammar/Vocabulary
     • Math
   • Note: TCC Testing Centers do not offer this exam.

Step 5: Take the TOEFL iBT® exam if English is not your first language

If you did not graduate from a high school in the United States or on a U.S. military installation where English was the primary language, you will have to complete this test.

Your test must reach a total of 90 points to be accepted to the Dental Hygiene Program.

Find out how to schedule your TOEFL iBT®. You will also find test centers that offer this test, test dates, and costs.

Graduate from a high school in an English-speaking country?

If you graduated from a high school in one of the following English-speaking countries, you must provide documentation of your graduation:

• Australia
• Canada (other than Quebec)
• Great Britain
• Ireland
• New Zealand
• South Africa

Step 6: Get a copy of your Texas RDA certificate (if applicable)

If you hold a current Texas State Board of Dental Examiners RDA certificate, you will need to make a copy of it to submit with your application.

Texas RDA Certificates are not available for download.

Step 7: Plan for mandatory observation hours

November 1, 2022–February 1, 2023 Application Period

You are required to observe a current Texas Registered Dental Hygienist in a clinical setting for 16 hours.

Your 16 observation hours can be from more than one office or of more than one Texas Registered Dental Hygienist.

Find the Mandatory Observation of a Registered Dental Hygienist Form in Dental Hygiene Application Information (PDF)Listen.

Have accessibility questions about this document? Call us at 817-515-6435 or email us at health.sciences@tccd.edu.

Step 8: Submit your application by the deadline

Submit your complete application packet to the Health Sciences Office by the deadline.

We understand that transcripts sent from institutions will arrive separately.

If you mail your application materials

Mail your complete application packet to the address listed on the application. 

If you deliver your application materials in person

We request that items be turned in at one time in 1 envelope. 

Deliver your complete application packet to this address:

Northeast Campus
Health Sciences Department
NHSC Building, Room 1118

There is a wooden Drop Box for applications outside the door if the office is closed. 

If you submit your application materials electronically

Email all scanned or saved documents as PDF attachments to Health.Sciences@tccd.edu. 

Please do not send photos of documents.

A Complete Application Packet

Use the Dental Hygiene Application Submission Form as a map to confirm that you meet the requirements and complete the application process.

Your complete application includes:

• Completed Dental Hygiene Application Submission Form
• Completed Dental Hygiene Application
• Official transcripts from all institutions attended:
  • High schools
  • Dual credit programs
  • Colleges, including TCC
• Exam Results:
  • HESI HP A2 V1 Exam
  • TOEFL Exam (if required)
• Copy of your current Texas State Board of Dental Examiners RDA certificate, if applicable
• Completed Mandatory Observation of a Registered Dental Hygienist Form, including dental hygienist's signature and a business card from each office

Application Limit

You will be able to apply only 3 times to our Dental Hygiene Program.