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Program Overview
The two-year Dental Hygienist associate degree program at Madison College prepares you to work side by side with dentists.
The dental hygienist inspects the mouth, administers local anesthesia and chemotherapeutic agents, removes stains and deposits from teeth, applies preventive agents, prepares clinical and diagnostic tests, completes dental x-rays and performs many other services related to mouth care. Dental hygienists also counsel patients about preventive measures such as nutrition, oral hygiene, and dental care.
Top Career Training
The Dental Hygienist Program is widely respected by leading dentists throughout Madison, Wisconsin. Students develop top skills from their hands-on experience at our on-campus dental clinic, which serves real patients from the area. Dental hygiene graduates work for many top dental organizations.
Strong Job Opportunities
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 38 percent employment growth for dental hygienists by 2020. In addition to dental technician positions, Madison College graduates work as dental hygienist instructors, dental lab technicians, public school hygienists and more.
Dental Hygienist graduates are required to successfully complete comprehensive written and clinical examinations given under the direction of the State of Wisconsin Dentistry Examining Board, the American Dental Association's Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, and Central Regional Dental Testing Services, Inc.
Please note: Upon admission to the Dental Hygienist program, you will be required to complete a background check and multiple immunization requirements, and provide documentation of current Health Care Provider CPR certification.
Program Details
Wisconsin law requires background checks for persons who provide care for others or have access to people who receive care. This law applies to students in many School of Health Sciences programs. Please review the Caregiver Background Check information on the School of Health Sciences Forms and Policies.
Students in the Dental Hygienist program must attend full time.
Classes are offered Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:20 p.m.
Dental Hygienist classes are offered at these Madison College campuses:
- Madison - Truax
YOUR ADVANTAGES AT MADISON COLLEGE
- Study with award-winning Madison College faculty and receive personalized attention and real-world training.
- Get vital hands-on experience, working with patients in our on-campus dental clinic located in Madison College’s state-of-the-art Health Education Center at the Truax campus.
- Our graduates have an exceptionally high first-time pass rate on the required Central Regional Dental Testing Service (CRDTS), a state requirement to practice dental hygiene.
Careers
Graduates of the Dental Hygienist program are able to find employment as the following:
- Dental Hygienist
With additional education and/or work experience, dental hygiene graduates also may find employment as:
- Dental Hygiene Instructor
- Public Health Hygienist
- Dental Laboratory Technician
- Dental Sales Representative
- Member of Dental Examining Board
- Public School Hygienist
- Dental Hygiene Administrator in hospital setting
MATC's Dental Hygienist program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).
The current trend is 3 years between acceptance and the start of core program classes. The application for pre-program re-opened on September 15, 2023.
Hoping to start college sooner?
Check out our other health programs or get in touch with recruitment for individualized help.
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Curriculum and Experience
Prospective program students, the information below reflects the basic requirements for students admitted for the 2023-2024 academic year. To learn more about Madison College, visit us.
Current and newly admitted program students, go directly to your Degree Progress Report to view:
- Progress toward your specific requirements
- Alternative (in lieu of) courses to meet specific requirements
If you have questions after reviewing your degree progress report (advisement report), please see Advising Services.
Pre-Dental Hygienist CoursesSummer SemesterThe following must be taken prior to fall/first semester:First SemesterSecond SemesterElective1 creditThird SemesterFourth Semester -
Admission
To Apply
Students need to complete the petition process to get into core-program classes for this program. Before submitting an application, it’s important to review the Petition Process webpage which also includes estimated wait times for each program.
- View the admission requirements for application deadlines, materials, and requirements
- The application re-opened on September 15, 2023. The current trend is 3 years between acceptance into pre-program status and the start of core classes. It is unknown what the estimated wait time will be for Fall 2024 and forward. The estimated time to enter the core program is subject to change based on the variable number of students ready to petition each semester.
- Learn more about the Madison College experience and get help with the admissions process
After Acceptance
Once you have been accepted in a pre-program status, your next step is to complete the Petition Requirements. See the Petition information in the next section.
Additional Notes
Students are required to meet the current admission and petition requirements. Requirements are subject to change based on updates to accreditation requirements or Madison College program assessment data.
Get Started!
Apply to Madison College and take the first step towards your Dental Hygienist career.
- View the admission requirements for application deadlines, materials, and requirements
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Petition
After Acceptance
After you have been admitted into a pre-program status, complete all of the Petition Requirements for your program. Login to your student account and run a Degree Progress Report to review the Petition Requirements and see which requirements you have completed and which need to be satisfied.
Requirements vary by program, and may include some or all of the following:
- Petition Workshop: This is done online and can be found in Blackboard after you have been admitted in a pre-program status
- Prerequisites (examples: Algebra, Geometry, Chemistry, Biology, English and Reading): This varies by program
- Course Requirements (examples: Anatomy and Physiology, Intro to Psychology, etc.): This varies by program
- Testing Requirement (examples: ACT, HESI, TEAS): This varies by program
You can view the Petition Requirements for this program using the links below.
After completing the petition requirements, students are then selected for entry into core-program courses through the Petition Process.
Questions?
Contact Enrollment Services at EnrollmentServices@madisoncollege.edu or 608.246.6210.
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Transfer Opportunities
UW System Schools
The terms of the Leadership & Org Studies agreement are limited to students who complete an associates of applied science degree and are admitted to the Organizational Studies emphasis of the Leadership and Organizational Studies at UW O. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher. The terms of the Human Services Leadership agreement are limited to students who have complete an associates of applied science degree and have been admitted to the Human Services Leadership degree at UW O. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.Wisconsin Private Schools
A student who completes an associate of arts, associate of science or associates of applied science is considered part of the ‘advanced core‘. The Advanced Core requires students to have earned at least 64 credits of transfer. If students transfer prior to completion or with less than 64 credits they will be considered part of the standard core and credits will be evaluated on a course by course basis.Students will be granted admission to a bachelors degree program upon completion of an approved transfer program at Madison College. Students must have earned a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or greater while at Madison College. Regardless of the number of credits transferred students must complete at least 25% of their baccalaureate degree credits at Herzing University University.Student who earn an Associate Degree from Madison College can transfer a minimum of 60 credits and a maximum of 72 credits to Lakeland College to be applied to the requirements of the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Sciences degree.WTCS wide articulation. Dental Hygiene Applied Associate Degree transfers to the Bachelor's in Dental Hygiene Completion.Any Madison College student who has successfully completed an associate degree in applied science after 2015, and meets admission requirements for the Rader School of Business (RSOB) at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) can earn a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Technical Sales at MSOE by successfully completing the AAS to BBA Technical Sales Transfer Track in the Business Administration program. --- In particular, any Madison College student who successfully completes all technical courses and general education courses in their AAS program with a grade of C or better (not C-) in each course; successfully completes all other specified courses, as defined in this transfer agreement, with a grade of C or better (not C-) in each course; and meets the MSOE admission requirements for transfer students into the BBA Program at MSOE, minimum 2.75/4.0 cumulative GPA from the last regionally accredited school will be admitted into the AAS to BBA Technical Sales Transfer Track in the Bachelor of Business Administration program at MSOE.Out-of-State Schools
Students who complete any associate degree at Madison Area Technical College will have no additional general education core curriculum requirements to meet but must satisfy the Kirkpatrick Signature Series requirement. This applies to students who are pursuing a bachelors of arts, bachelors of science or bachelors of fine arts at Bellevue University.Per the agreement, students must complete the associates of arts, associates of science or associates of applied science with an overall GPA of a 2.0 prior to transferring. Articulation agreement is for students who graduate from appropriate program and wish to pursue one of the following degrees at Capella: Bachelor of Science in Business specializations, Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Bachelor of Science in Public Safety specializations, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (must hold a valid RN license) and Bachelor of Science in Psychology.Students graduating with an associate degree from MATC with a 2.0 GPA or higher are guaranteed admissions into CSU-Global and can transfer up to 64 semester credits from MATC to be applied toward earning a Bachelor’s Degree at CSU-Global.Franklin University will guarantee acceptance of all Madison College graduates with an Associate in Arts, Associate in Science or Associate of Applied Science. Madison College graduates will have junior standing at Franklin University and may transfer additional credits (up to a maximum of 94) toward their baccalaureate degree. -
Career Outcomes
After completing the Dental Hygienist program at Madison Area Technical College, you will be able to:
- Model dental hygiene professional code of ethics
- Counsel clients/patients to reduce health risks
- Provide community oral health services in a variety of settings
- Manage infection and hazard control
- Assess data on all aspects of patient/client health using methods consistent with dental hygienist scope of practice and legal principles
- Formulate a comprehensive dental hygiene care plan in collaboration with the client and other health professionals
- Provide preventive and therapeutic services that promote oral health according to the needs of the patient/client
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented client/patient dental hygiene care plan
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Graduate Summary
Graduate Report Summary Overview
2020 2021 2022 Number of Program Graduates 32 33 35 Number of Surveys Sent 32 33 35 Number of Surveys Returned 19 23 24 Percent of Surveys Returned Available for Employment 18 23 22 Percent Available for Employment 94.70% 100.00% 91.70% Not in Labor Market Percent Not in Labor Market 5.30% 0.00% 4.20% Available for Employment
2020 2021 2022 Graduates Employed 17 23 22 Percent of Graduates Employed 94.40% 100.00% 100.00% Employed in Related Occupation 16 20 22 Percent Employed in Related Occupation 94.10% 87.00% 100.00% Employed in Unrelated Occupation 0 2 0 Percent Employed in Unrelated Occupation 0.00% 8.70% 0.00% Employed - No Response 1 1 0 Percent Employed - No Response 5.90% 4.30% 0.00% Seeking Employment 1 0 0 Percent Seeking Employment 5.60% 0.00% 0.00% Reaction To Training at Madison College
2020 2021 2022 Student satisfaction Mean (Out of 4) 3.4 3.5 3.6 Number of Satisfaction Responses 18 23 23 Very Satisfied (4) 7 12 14 Percent Very Satisfied 38.90% 52.20% 60.90% Satisfied (3) 11 11 9 Percent Satisfied 61.10% 47.80% 39.10% Unsatisfied (2) 0 0 0 Percent Unsatisfied 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% Very Unsatisfed (1) 0 0 0 Percent Very Unsatisfied 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% Primary Reason for Attending Madison College
2020 2021 2022 Number of Primary Reason Responses 19 23 23 Preparation for Getting a Job 10 9 10 Percent Preparation for Getting a Job 52.60% 39.10% 43.50% Career Change 7 11 6 Percent Career Change 36.80% 47.80% 26.10% Improvement of Existing Skills 0 1 1 Percent Improvement of Existing Skills 0.00% 4.30% 4.30% Preparation for Further Education 2 1 4 Percent Preparation for Further Education 10.50% 4.30% 17.40% Personal Interest 0 1 2 Percent Personal Interest 0.00% 4.30% 8.70% Other 0 0 0 Percent Other 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% When Employment was Obtained
2020 2021 2022 Number of When Employment Obtained Responses 16 22 22 Before Enrollment 1 4 1 Percent Before Enrollment 6.30% 18.20% 4.50% While Attending the College 0 2 9 Percent While Attending the College 0.00% 9.10% 40.90% After Training at the College 15 16 12 Percent After Training at the College 93.80% 72.70% 54.50% Location of Employment (related and unrelated)
2020 2021 2022 Number of Employment Location Responses 11 22 19 In College District 11 21 17 Percent In College District 100.00% 95.50% 89.50% In Wisconsin, Not in District 0 0 0 Percent of In Wisconsin 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% Outside of Wisconsin 0 1 1 Percent Outside Wisconsin 0.00% 4.50% 5.30% Employer Location Unknown 0 0 1 Percent Location Unknown 0.00% 0.00% 5.30% Salary Trend 2020 2021 2022 Full Time Employment (Related Job) Full Time Salary Count 8 13 14 Average Monthly Wage $4,591 $5,478 $6,205 Average Hourly Wage $26.69 $31.85 $36.07 Average Work Hours per Week 36.9 36.4 36.7 Part Time Employment (Related Job) Part Time Salary Count 7 4 7 Average Hourly Wage $31.37 $38.12 $36.43 Average Work Hours per Week 27.4 29.6 27.4 -
Graduate Employers
Graduate Employers for academic year: 2022 Employer(s) Job Title City* State** Positions Artisan Dental Dental Hygienist 2 Bender, Kind, Stafford Dental Dental Hygienist Fort Atkinson Dental Health Associates Dental Hygienist Dental Health Associates Registered Dental Hygienist Dental Implant and Periodontal Specialists LLC Registered Dental Hygienist Dlight Dental Dental Hygienist Washington DC Dr. Karl's Dental Hygienist Waunakee First Choice Dental Group Registered Dental Hygienist First Choice Dental Group Dental Hygienist Fisher Family Dental Registered Dental Hygienist DeForest Forward Dental Group Dental Hygienist 2 Haye Dental Group Dental Hygienist Janesville Heartland Dental Dental Hygienist Madison Pediatric Dental Dental Hygienist Monona Mineral Point Family Dentistry Dental Hygienist Mineral Point Neighborhood Smile Dental Hygienist Belleville RiverTown Dental Dental Hygienist La Crosse Robinson and Projic Family Dental Dental Hygienist Beloit Scinico Family Dental Dental Hygienist * - Only cities outside of Madison will display.
** - Only states outside of Wisconsin will display.
*** - If you have a position to post, please contact Career and Employment Services at jobpostings@madisoncollege.edu
