Dental Hygiene, BSDH

Atrium Health Floyd School of Health Sciences

The Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene online program is designed for Registered Dental Hygienists (RDHs) with an associate or diploma degree in dental hygiene. Admission to the program is based upon meeting the criteria for admission and acceptance to Georgia Highlands College and the Department of Dental Hygiene. The RDH-BSDH is a degree completion program that will be offered fully online.  

The RDH-BSDH program curriculum emphasizes student-centered learning and incorporates interdisciplinary components. Graduates of the program will have the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values necessary for positions of responsibility in a variety of healthcare, educational, research, and community settings. In addition, graduates will be able to interact effectively with other health professionals in a competent, collaborative, and ethical manner.

For registered dental hygienists with a diploma or associate degree who are returning to school to earn a baccalaureate in dental hygiene degree.

To qualify for graduation, students must meet all graduation requirements.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Core IMPACTS 1		42
Program Advice: Students are strongly encouraged to fulfill Core IMPACTS requirements with courses required for completion of the Dental Hygiene major. Choosing courses that are not appropriate for the pathway/major may leave students with unmet prerequisites, despite having met Core IMPACTS requirements.
Field of Study		18
Required:
BIOL 2251 & 2251L	Anatomy and Physiology I and Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory
BIOL 2252 & 2252L	Anatomy and Physiology II and Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory
STAT 1401	Elementary Statistics
Select from the following to complete 18 hours:
BIOL 2190	Principles of Nutrition
or PHED 2202	Principles of Human Nutrition
or AHSC 2202	Principles of Nutrition
AHSC 1101	Medical Terminology
BIOL 2260 & 2260L	Foundations of Microbiology and Foundations of Microbiology Laboratory
CHEM 1151K	Survey of Chemistry I
or CHEM 1211 & 1211L	Principles of Chemistry I and Principles of Chemistry I Lab
SOCI 1101	Introductory Sociology
PSYC 1101	Introduction to General Psychology
PSYC 2103	Introduction to Human Development
PSYC 2165	Abnormal Psychology
Transfer Credit after completing DHYG 3090 2		30
DHYG 1100	Preclinical Dental Hygiene
DHYG 1110	Introduction to Patient Care
DHYG 1120	Dental Anatomy/Histology
DHYG 1200	Clinical Dental Hygiene I
DHYG 1210	Dental Hygiene I
DHYG 1300	Clinical Dental Hygiene II
DHYG 1330	Dental Pharmacology
DHYG 2400	Clinical Dental Hygiene III
DHYG 2410	Dental Hygiene III
DHYG 2430	Community Dental Health
DHYG 2500	Clinical Dental Hygiene IV
DHYG 2510	Dental Hygiene IV
Dental Hygiene Major Requirements		24
DHYG 3090	Current Concepts in Dental Hyg
DHYG 4010	Special Populations
or HSCI 3506	Special Populations
DHYG 4020	Supportive Periodontal Therapy
DHYG 4030	Foundations of Research
or HSCI 4700	Foundations of Research
DHYG 4040	Leadership & Mgmt. in Hlthcare
or HSCI 4820	Leadership & Mgmt in Hlth Prof
DHYG 4050	Healthcare Education
or HSCI 3710	Health Education
DHYG 4085	Dntl Hygienist in Alt Practice
DHYG 4090	Capstone
HSCI 4910	Interprofessional Collaboratio
Upper-Level Electives (3000-4000 level)		6
Choose from the following prefixes to complete 6 hours:
NURS, DHYG, HSCI, HCMT
Total Hours		120

¹

Beginning Fall 2020 - The Introduction to Biology I/BIOL 2190 Principles of Nutrition sequence is only allowed for the following students:

1. Student who has completed coursework at GHC prior to Fall 2020 or
2. Spring 2022 and earlier graduates of Associate Degree and Diploma Dental Hygiene programs, this can be at GHC or other institutions

²

These courses are held in escrow until students completes DHYG 3090 Current Concepts in Dental Hyg with a grade of C or better

Criteria for Admission

Admission to the RDH-BSDH program is a three-step process: admission to the College, submission and approval of required documentation, and acceptance to the RDH-BSDH program. The deadline for submission of applications follows GHC general admissions deadlines which can be found on the GHC Admissions website.  The RDH-BSDH program accepts students in any semester.  

1. Admission to Georgia Highlands College
   Submit the following materials to the Admissions office:
   1. Completed Georgia Highlands College application or application for readmission.
   2. If applying for initial admission to GHC, a copy of your high- school transcript and official transcripts from any college(s) previously attended must be submitted with application.
   3. If applying for readmission, you must submit official transcripts from any college(s) you attended since last attending GHC.
   4. The application can be accessed online from the RDH-BSDH website located at http://sites.highlands.edu/dental/.
2. Submission and Approval of Required Documentation
   Submit materials that document the following requirements to the Dental Hygiene Department office of GHC by the admissions deadline to ensure consideration for acceptance:
   1. Proof of general admission to Georgia Highlands College (separate application)
   2. RDH to BSDH Application form – completed online at our website
   3. Copy of State or Federal ID for verification purposes
   4. Proof of one of the following:
      • Copy of Current Dental Hygiene License with no disciplinary action,
      • Letter of Good Academic Standing from a Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) accredited dental hygiene program in which the student is currently enrolled, or
      • Proof of having successfully passed both the dental hygiene clinical licensure examination and National Board Dental Hygiene Exam (NBDHE)
        
        Any student who is a resident of Georgia may be required to submit the following  prior to being registered for the required Internship (DHYG 4080 Internship) and/or Capstone (DHYG 4090 Capstone) courses .
      • Drug testing and a background check through Advantage Students.
        • A student may be tested if drug abuse is suspected.
        • Students are responsible for all costs associated with the drug test and background check.
      • Current (within 1 year) negative tuberculin screening. Documentation must remain current throughout enrollment. In addition, students will adhere to requirement(s) of agency used for assigned learning experiences.
        • Students who have been advised against tuberculin skin testing must maintain current documentation from Health Dept. or healthcare provider of TB risk assessment and completion of any recommended follow-up care.
      • Completion of annual influenza vaccine or signed declination form (if applicable for facility) which meets state requirements
      • Proof of two MMR injections or positive rubella, rubeola and mumps titers.
      • TDAP within the last ten years. (Note: if TDAP is greater than 10 years ago, must provide proof of the TDAP and a TD booster)
      • Two varicella vaccines or positive varicella titer (proof of disease is not sufficient).
      • Positive Hep B titer/declination form
      • Current certification by American Heart Association in Basic Life Support. (Heartsaver courses are not acceptable).
3. Acceptance to the RDH-BSDH Program
   The admission process is selective and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 out of 4.0 is required for consideration. Acceptance is based on cumulative GPA, completed application, and supporting materials.

Readmission to the RDH- BSDH Online Program

Readmission will be considered only for students who have withdrawn only once from the program or earned only one D or F in any bachelor level dental hygiene course. To request readmission, a student must write to the Director of Dental Hygiene requesting readmission at least three months prior to the semester they wish to reenter and identify reasons they would be successful if re-admitted. Readmission is limited to one time in the RDH-BSDH program. The applicant must meet the current admission requirement for all dental hygiene applicants. Applicants seeking readmission will be considered on a space- available basis with the following conditions:

• Approval of the RDH-BSDH Director and Dean of Health Sciences is required for re-entry into the dental hygiene sequence
• A 2.5 or higher cumulative grade point average
• A student who has been dismissed from the College for any reason will not be considered for readmission into the BS dental hygiene program.

Required Documentation Once Accepted into RDH-BSDH Program

1. Liability/Personal Health Insurance
   Personal health insurance may be required for undergraduate students. If required,  evidence of coverage must be presented to the dental hygiene department. Professional liability insurance is required for all RDH-BSDH students during internship course. Professional liability insurance will be purchased as a group plan and premium added to student fees in DHYG 4080 Internship.
2. Drug Testing & Background Checks
   Students may be required to submit to drug testing and a background check prior to beginning the internship and/or capstone. Students are responsible for all costs associated with the drug test and background.

Progression and Graduation in the RDH- BSDH Program

In order to progress in the RDH-BSDH program, the student must:

• Maintain a GHC cumulative GPA of at least 2.00 cumulative average.
• Make a grade of C (2.00) or better in each dental hygiene course in the RDH-BSDH curriculum.
• If a grade of D or F is made in a dental hygiene course, the course must be repeated and a C or better must be attained for the student to progress to the next dental hygiene course in the program.
• Incomplete grades in dental hygiene courses must be completed within the time specified by the dental hygiene faculty. If this is not done, the student will automatically receive an F.

The student must meet all the requirements for graduation specified by the College and the dental hygiene program including a minimum of a 2.0 average in all combined courses and in dental hygiene courses to graduate.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Clinical agencies may place additional health requirements on students affiliating with that agency. Evidence of a background check with all components required by clinical facilities must be submitted by the student and on file in the department of dental hygiene