Dental Hygiene Admission Process

Application Due Date: September 15

Students must apply for admission to the Dental Hygiene program and must do so by the application deadline.

Admission to the dental hygiene is highly competitive and is not guaranteed. It is the student’s responsibility to understand and adhere to the specific admission criteria. Admission is based on a point system which factors in the GPA of required courses, past educational achievements or certifications, and the number of course withdrawals, repeats and/or failures. Students with the highest points will be admitted based on space availability. The selection process is subject to change.


  1. Apply to Jackson College
    Submit a completed JC admission application, indicating “Dental Hygiene – Associate in Applied Science” as your program of study. It is important that your program major is coded correctly in the college system. Applicants must also be high school graduates or hold a high school equivalency, such as a G.E.D.
  2. Meet with a Student Success Navigator
    Schedule an appointment with a JC Student Success Navigator by contacting JC Advising at 796-8425 or emailing JCAdvising@jccmi.edu. The navigator will assist you in completing course placement assessments in writing, reading, and math, and guide you in registering for the appropriate classes. Students with limited or no prior science coursework may need to take additional classes to prepare for the required science prerequisites.
  3. Submit Official Transcripts
    If you are transferring credits, contact a student success navigator in student services. We advise students to send in your transcripts as soon as possible. There is a lengthy process to record and transfer transcript information. It could to take eight to ten weeks for the process outcome. Please be advised that students need to have a college application on file before submitting transcripts.
  4. Complete Prerequisite Courses
    All required science prerequisite courses must be completed by the application deadline. Completing other prerequisite courses is encouraged but not mandatory for application submission.
  5. Submit the Dental Hygiene Application
    Once your Student Success Navigator has signed your Dental Hygiene Application, they will electronically submit the first two pages of the application to the Allied Health office on your behalf.
  6. Reapply if Necessary
    If you are not admitted, you must complete a new Program Application Form to be considered for the next program year, as applications do not roll over automatically.
  7. Meet Technical Standards
    Ensure you meet the Technical Standards for Admission to the Dental Hygiene Program, which are outlined later in the application packet.

Things to know before applying

Estimated Expenses

Expenses related to professional programs are often higher than programs not associated with health care disciplines. Therefore, program costs should be considered as part of the decision making process.

Dental Office Observation/Experience

If an applicant has no prior experience working in the dental field, eight hours of observation in a dental office must be completed before application is submitted. (Documentation MUST be provided).

Students as Patients

During the two-year dental hygiene curriculum, students are required to be “patients” for a student partner. Student partners practice dental hygiene procedures and pain control methods on each other.

Latex Allergy or Sensitivity and Cumulative Trauma Disorders

Individuals who have a latex allergy/sensitivity or a cumulative trauma disorder (such as carpal tunnel syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome, tendonitis, lateral epicondylitis, etc.) should discuss the implications of these conditions with a physician and a dental hygiene faculty member. The severity of these conditions may adversely impact the individual’s performance in the program and upon graduation, the practice of dental hygiene. Careful consideration of these conditions is imperative to a career in dental hygiene.

Patient Recruitment

Students have specific patient cases that are required throughout the curriculum. The department will recruit patients through advertisements, the clinical recall system, and other mechanisms; however, it is ultimately the student’s responsibility to recruit patients to fulfill required cases.

Learning Disabilities

It is important to contact a Center for Student Success professional prior to the start of the semester in order to receive accommodations in a timely manner. While we will make every effort to coordinate accommodations in a timely manner, failure to self-identify prior to the start of the semester may delay notification to instructors and timeliness of acquiring accommodations. Accommodations do not automatically carry over to the next semester.

Discrimination Policy

Please use the following link to learn more about the Jackson College Policy on Non-Discrimination.

Course Transferability

Courses taken by the student in the dental hygiene program are transferable to various college and university educational institutions. While in the program the student will be presented with completion of bachelor degree articulation at several institutions. Opportunities for completion of a bachelor’s degree at other colleges or universities, and in health related areas of study will be discussed with the students.

Immunizations

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), all healthcare personnel (HCP) must show evidence of immunity to measles, mumps, rubella and varicella. In addition, due to the potential exposure to blood or bodily fluids and risks related to direct patient contact, the CDC recommends that HCP protect themselves with vaccinations against Hepatitis B and Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis and be screened for Tuberculosis. Jackson College students must provide documentation of compliance with the CDC Healthcare Personnel Recommendations.

Required Immunizations
As a condition of admission and progression within the program all dental hygiene students must have verification from a licensed health care provider of the following:
Negative 2 step Tuberculin Skin Test or negative chest x-ray, or negative QuantiFERON Gold Blood test. A one step Tuberculin Skin Test must be updated yearly.

Proof of immunizations or immunity for:

Rubella (German Measles),
Rubeola (Hard Measles),
Mumps,
Varicella Zoster (Chicken Pox),
Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis (Tdap)
Hepatitis B Vaccine Series

Recommended Immunizations
CDC strongly recommends:
Annual Flu Shot
COVID-19 vaccine

Environmental Conditions/Standard Precautions/Infectious Disease Policy

Upon acceptance into the Dental Hygiene Program students will be notified regarding a mandatory online OSHA Blood-Borne Pathogen and Standard Precautions training session. This must be complete prior to the start of the program.

The charter of OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) is to prevent work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths. Since OSHA was created in 1971, work-related deaths have decreased by approximately 62% and work- related injuries have decreased by 42%.

As a Dental Hygiene student you can expect exposure to blood, body tissues and fluids. There is the potential of exposure to electrical hazards, hazardous waste materials, radiation, poisonous substances, chemicals, loud or unpleasant noises and high stress emergency situations. Students enrolled in the Dental Hygiene Program are at a slight risk for exposure to blood and body fluids and the potential does exist for transmission of blood-borne and other infectious diseases during patient care activities. The risk of HIV disease transmission from dental patients to members of the dental team are extremely low. Nevertheless, there is some small potential for this to occur. The Americans with Disabilities Act forbids discrimination against patients with HIV; therefore, students are required to treat all patients assigned, regardless of the disease state of the patient.

Applicants/students who are HIV/AIDS or HBV (Hepatitis) positive will not be barred from attending classes or clinic or participating in college sponsored activities, unless the applicant/student is unable to follow *Standard Precautions. All decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis. (*Standard Precautions are defined as: Consideration of all patients as being infected with pathogens and therefore applying infection control procedures to the care of all patients.)