Selective Admission: Dental Hygiene

• Program: Dental Hygiene
• Pathway: Health Science

After being accepted to TCC, you must meet the following requirements to be eligible to submit a separate application to our Dental Hygiene Program.

It is your responsibility to review the information and supporting documents provided here to determine for yourself if your qualifications are competitive for the application process.

Am I eligible to apply?

Check to see that you meet the following eligibility requirements and that you are a competitive applicant:

Grade Point Average (GPA)

We recommend 3.5 or higher overall GPA.

Make A's and B's in most–if not all–of your college courses.

TCC Student ID Number

You must apply to TCC, be accepted as a student and get a TCC Student ID number before you apply to our Dental Hygiene Program.

Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Requirements

You must meet the TSI requirements for enrolling in college credit courses.

Confirm your TSI status with the Admissions and Registrar Office (817-515-0498).

3-Attempt Rule

You are allowed to apply a maximum of 3 times to our Dental Hygiene Program (effective 2016).

Science Courses

It is recommend you complete most, if not all of these courses with a grade of “C” or higher before applying to our program:

• BIOL–2401  Anatomy and Physiology I
• BIOL–2402  Anatomy and Physiology II
• BIOL–2420  Microbiology Non-Science Majors
• CHEM–1406  Intro Chemistry I–Allied Health
  Note: A course is valid only if completed within 5 years of your application.

You are allowed only 2 total attempts at earning your desired grade in these courses to be eligible to apply to Dental Hygiene. A withdrawal or drop counts as an attempt.

For selection purposes, the lab portion of science courses cannot be completed online and will not earn bonus points.

Any science courses not completed at the time of your acceptance will be required to be completed before the end of the program.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Exception

We will accept online science courses (lectures and labs) taken during Spring, Summer, or Fall 2020 for the 5-year period.

Also, we will give you bonus points for the grades you earn in those online science courses, just like we do for face-to-face science course grades.

Once schools can offer face-to-face science lectures and labs, we will expect applicants to take in-person science courses.

If, at any other time in the future, only online courses and labs are possible, we will adopt this same practice.

Work Experience / Observation

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Exception

Observation experience points will not count for the 2021 and 2022 Dental Hygiene Program application years.

We want to ensure equal opportunity to all applicants and realize that recent events have likely prevented some from observing dental hygienists at work.

Virtual Observation Experience

In the meantime, we ask that you watch the following 2 videos to help you understand what the job of a dental hygienist involves. These videos will help you decide if applying to our Dental Hygiene Program is right for you.

YouTube videos will open in a new window.

• The SKiNNY on the job: Dental Hygiene
• Spear Education: Scaling & Root Planing

Have a current RDA certificate at the time of application?

We will give you 0.1 bonus points. Please include the necessary proof of your RDA certification from the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners with your application.

Health Education System Inc. (HESI HP A2 V1) Admission Exam

HESI HP A2 V1 is the required admissions exam for the program. 

For details, see How to Apply: Step 4 Take required admissions exams before applying to Dental Hygiene.

The HESI HP A2 V1 exam is not offered at any TCC campus. A study guide is not offered/recommended for the exam.

Language Proficiency

If you did not graduate from a U.S. high school, you must complete the TOEFL iBT®, an internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language.

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

Immunizations

Submit record of vaccinations after you have been accepted to our Dental Hygiene Program.

In addition to showing immunity to Varicella and Diphtheria/Tetanus, the Texas Administrative Code (TAC) requires all students in health related programs to be immunized prior to enrollment in classes where patient contact is a component.

Required After Acceptance

• Measles: 2 doses required
• Mumps: 1 dose required
• Rubella: 1 dose required
• Meningococcal Meningitis: 1 dose required
• Hepatitis B: 1 series of 3 doses required (may take 6 months to complete)
• Tuberculosis screening: Tuberculosis Test—repeated annually
• Influenza vaccine: 1 dose required annually

Post-Acceptance Requirements

You need to be prepared to meet the following additional requirements–before the first day of class–if you are accepted to our program:

• Physical Exam
• American Heart Association Healthcare Provider CPR Certification
  • Earned through hands-on course
• Health insurance
  • Required when doing clinical coursework

Criminal Background Check and Drug Screening

After being accepted to the program, but before classes begin, you must undergo and pass a criminal background check and drug screening.

These screenings will be administered through the College and will be at your expense. There are no exceptions.

Contact

Updated September 20, 2021