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Contact Us

  • Elizabeth Hartrich
  • 217-234-5205 or email us
  • Northwest Building, Room 021

Dental Hygiene (AAS.DH)

View Dental Hygiene (AAS.DH) Model

Learn how to care for your teeth and help others with the Dental Hygiene program! Practice in a full scale clinic on intricate lifelike mannequins to develop valuable experience. Skills that focus on patient education, prevention of oral diseases and dental hygiene treatment are emphasized. The credentials that you gain can be applied to a variety of health establishments, making employment after graduation a smooth process.

View the Dental Hygiene Application Checklist

Once accepted into the program, you will be able to participate and learn in the Dental Hygiene Clinic on Lake Land’s campus. To learn more about the clinic and its’ services, click here.

The faculty at Lake Land College all have unique aspects about themselves that they bring to the classroom. Each Faculty member plays an integral role in the students lives. Each faculty member has worked as an RDH in at least one of the following aspects: Clinician, Corporate, Public Health, Research, Education, Administration, or Entrepreneur.

Recent graduates are working in many different states. Among the states the recent graduates are working as a clinician, are employed corporately, are active in public health, conduct research, provide education, have transitioned into an administrative role, or have used their imagination and creativity in becoming an entrepreneur.

 

Meet the Faculty

Beth Hartrich Elizabeth Hartrich – Dental Hygiene Instructor and Director of Dental Hygiene Program

“Dental Hygiene is a great career for several reasons: it’s flexible, you can work as much or as little as you like: full-time, part-time, temping, traveling dental hygienist, etc. It provides good hours, the job outlook is looking great for the future, you get to help people, and it is a health career. But being a dental hygienist is more than just cleaning teeth. We educate our patients on dental diseases like cavities and gum disease, and we teach them how to prevent those diseases. The Lake Land College dental hygiene program prepares our students to do all these things.”

Kara Molzen Kara Molzen
Dental Hygiene Instructor
217-234-5204
kspringman49235@lakelandcollege.edu
Lacy Huddleston Lacy Huddleston
Dental Hygiene Instructor
217-234-5213
lmaulding@lakelandcollege.edu
Logan Smith
Dental Hygiene Instructor
217-234-5203
lsmith2804@lakelandcollege.edu

An info graphic that reads "Lake Land Graduates Excel on national board exams. Dental hygiene 100%, +PN 92%, ADN 85%, Massage therapy 100%, Physical therapist assistant 94%, EMS 100%, Medical assistant 100%."

Passage Rates

2021
CRDTS Dental Hygiene Clinical Manikin Examination Pass Rate: 100%
National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (Short Form) Pass Rate:  91%

2020
CRDTS Dental Hygiene Clinical Examination Pass Rate: 100%
National Board Dental Hygiene Examination Pass Rate: 88%

2019
CRDTS Dental Hygiene Clinical Examination Pass Rate: 100%
National Board Dental Hygiene Examination Pass Rate: 92.3%

2018
CRDTS Dental Hygiene Clinical Examination Pass Rate: 100%
National Board Dental Hygiene Examination Pass Rate: 95.2%

2017
CRDTS Dental Hygiene Clinical Examination Pass Rate: 96%
National Board Dental Hygiene Examination Pass Rate: 95.8%

Dental Hygiene Program Enrollment Trends

2019 26/28 students graduated the Dental Hygiene Program
2020 24/29 students graduated the Dental Hygiene Program
2021 22/30 students graduated the Dental Hygiene Program
2022 First Year Class Only

Program Options

You may apply to take the Central Regional Dental Testing Service (CRDTS) clinical examination and National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE) for Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) in your final spring semester once approved by the Director of Dental Hygiene.

Upon successful completion of these exams, you may apply for the RDH license. You will be awarded with an Associate in Applied Science degree upon completion of the program; however, completion of the Dental Hygiene program does not guarantee RDH licensure. The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) may refuse to issue a license if a candidate has a criminal history. Please consult with the director of the Dental Hygiene Program to avoid license application hindrances.

 

Hands On Experience

As a student in the hygiene dental program, you will have access to a fully equipped clinic. You can gain on the job experience by working on classmates, friends, family and the public!

Special Admission/Checklist

The Application Process is open from August 1 – March 1. Applicants will be informed mid-April on the status of their candidacy. Fill out the application here.

Additional Costs or Information

In addition to tuition, lab fees, and service fees, you are expected to buy your uniform (approximately $200), dental hygiene kits and magnification loupes (approximately $3,400), and pay for other incidental expenses. Special books and miscellaneous items average about $300 per semester. Combined cost is approximately $4,000 per semester. Licensing examinations and learning experiences off campus will be at your expense.