Dental Hygiene Program

Chair:  Shirley M. Beaver, RDH, Ph.D.

Room:  UIC College of Dentistry – Room 201S

                 Kennedy-King College –    Room V 124

Phone:   312-355-5055 UIC                            Phone: 773.602.5229 KKC

Program Description

The Kennedy-King College Dental Hygiene program is offered through a collaborative partnership with the University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry.  This program is unique as it is the only dental hygiene program in Illinois where all classes and clinics are held in a College of Dentistry. The students have the opportunity to rotate through most dental specialties offered at the College of Dentistry.  They experience their clinical practice supervised by dental hygiene faculty in a simulated dental group practice setting working as a part of the dental team with the dental students and faculty.  The program is two years in length with 4 academic sessions and two summer sessions.  Upon graduation the students receive an Associate of Applied Science.  The Dental Hygiene Program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association.  The commission is specialized accrediting body recognized by the Commission on Recognition of Post-secondary Accreditation and by the United States Department of Education.

Prior to entering the program students must complete the following prerequisites courses with a grade of C or higher:

Basic sciences must be completed within five (5) years of entrance into the program

As a part of the application process the applicant is required to submit all academic transcripts for all colleges attended, complete the Health Occupations Aptitude Exam (HOAE) with the additional Reading Test, complete a biographical statement, and submit recommendation forms from teachers and employers. 

Additional general education courses are required prior to graduation from the program.  It is highly recommended that these courses be taken prior to entering the dental hygiene program.

Required Courses in the Dental Hygiene Curriculum

First Semester – Summer

Second Semester – Fall

Third Semester – Spring

Fourth Semester – Summer

Fifth Semester – Fall        

Sixth Semester – Spring

All students must pass appropriate didactic and clinical program requirements and be evaluated as progressing satisfactorily in the last semester of the dental hygiene program prior to being deemed eligible for application to take the written Dental Hygiene National Board Examination and State or Regional Clinical Examinations.  

In order to become licensed as a dental hygienist in the State of Illinois, the student must complete the Dental Hygiene Associate in Applied Science Degree and pass appropriate written and clinical boards.

Blood-Borne Pathogen Policy

Students and faculty may be providing care to patients with conditions caused by blood-borne pathogens as well as other infectious diseases.  For this reason, students are required to have the Hepatitis Vaccine and provide evidence of immunizations for other diseases.

1.  Care is provided to all patients unless their medical condition should be under further control prior to treatment for the benefit of the patient.   

                2.  Faculty & students may not refuse to treat a patient

3.  Dental hygiene faculty, staff and students are obligated to respect the privacy and confidentiality of all patients.

                4.  All health care providers and faculty will use universal precautions when treating each patient regardless of the health status of the patient.

                5.  Students and faculty are obligated to follow all patient care policies and procedures of the UIC College of dentistry.    

In Section 10 page 2 of the UIC College of Dentistry Clinic Manual it is stated that the “goal of the College’s Infection Control Manual is to protect College personnel and patients from cross infections related to the dental clinic environment.  Dental health care providers are responsible for monitoring their own health status.  When a dental health care provider is known to have an infectious disease it is their professional responsibility to take steps to prevent its spread.  The management of the College of Dentistry reserves the right to restrict individuals from providing patient care or impose restrictions on dental health care workers in the event that an infectious disease is deemed to be at a level that presents unsatisfactory risk of transmission.  The current best research will be used in making such a decision.

The approximate cost of the total program $12,550.00.

The application deadline each year is February 1^st.  For more information, please call 312.355.5055 or 773.602.5229.