Dental Hygiene

Caryn Tierney RDH, MA

Sr. Director Health Sciences - Dental Hygiene

Dental HygieneThe Dental Hygiene Program is two years. Upon completion, students earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in Dental Hygiene.

Dental Hygiene  Open House Events

Mission Statement

The mission of the Malcolm X College Dental Hygiene Program is to educate students to provide comprehensive dental hygiene care to diverse populations using critical thinking and evidenced-based decision making.  

Accreditation                                    

The Malcolm X College Dental Hygiene Program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The Commission is a specialized accrediting agency recognized by the Council on Post-Secondary Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at (312)440-2500 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago IL 60611.  The Commission’s web address is: https://www.ada.org/en/coda

Notice to Patients and Prospective Dental Hygiene Applicants: 

Dental hygiene students, faculty, and patients are exposed to bloodborne pathogens.  These include (but are not limited to) pathogenic microorganisms present in human blood and saliva and have the potential to cause diseases such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B (HBV), and Hepatitis C (HCV.  The infectious disease and bloodborne Pathogen Policy is available by contacting the dental hygiene program at 312-850-7077.

For this reason dental hygiene students admitted to the Program are required to submit antibody titers for Hepatitis B, Varicella Zoster, Measles Mumps, & Rubella and proof that they are negative for tuberculosis. 

Additionally, many of our clinical partners require proof of Covid vaccination. Clinical rotations are a part of the program. If you do not have the Covid vaccine, it may affect your ability to participate in these rotations and could impact your success in the program. 

Dental Hygiene Profession

Dental hygienists are licensed professionals who work under the supervision of a dentist to provide preventive oral health care to patients. Career opportunities include: private practice, public health, education, business and research. The bureau of labor statistics cites the average salary for a full-time dental hygienist with an Associate’s degree is @ $77,810.                                          

Minimum Admission Requirements

Applicants are eligible to apply online once the following criteria have been met: 
  • ​Earn a grade of C or higher in the following prerequisite courses
    • Speech 101
    • Biology 121**, Biology 226** 
    • Biology 227**
    • Microbiology 233**
    • ​** All science courses must be taken within 5 years of entering the Program
  • ​Be 18 years old
  • A graduate of an accredited high school or have earned a GED
  • Meet the general admissions requirements for City Colleges of Chicago including successful completion of all prerequisite courses for the Dental Hygiene Program
  • Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 in all college level work
  • Submit to Office of Registrar Services all official college transcripts attended outside of City Colleges of Chicago.

Application for 2026 admissions will open October 15th.

Recent Statistics

Year
Total applications
# of viable       candidates
Total complete DH packet
# invited to interview
# selected for the program
Average Cumulative
GPA for those offered a seat
2023
260
145
124
42
28
2024
255
164
144
47
28
3.54
2025
271
189
174
38
28
3.45

​

To Apply to Program: 

Non City Colleges of Chicago Students:

All applicants must first apply to City Colleges of Chicago and submit to MXC Registrar Services 1 copy of each official grade transcript from all Colleges and Universities attended outside of City Colleges of Chicago.           

City Colleges of Chicago Students:

All applicants must complete the following prior to receiving the link to the online application:  

  • ​​Program prerequisite courses
  • Have a minimum overall college GPA of 2.8
  • Submit high school or GED transcript
  • Submit to Office of Registrar Services all official college transcripts attended outside of City Colleges of Chicago
  • Apply to program in the student portal my.ccc.edu

                    It is encouraged that applicants complete general education courses prior to applying to the         

                    Program. 

Step 1: Submitting Application within the Student Portal (my.ccc.edu)

  • ​Click on Academic Records                 
  • Click on Selective Application                 
  • Click on Proceed                 
  • Click on Apply and then confirm by clicking on YES for the application  
  • The deadline to complete this step is December 15th.               
 

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​Step 2: Submitting Dental Hygiene Application

  • Students who meet the minimum admissions requirement will receive a link to the online dental hygiene application via e-mail starting late October
  • The online application is a series of questions related to academic and personal history. 
  • The online application is due by January 15th.

Visit our GPS page link below to view the complete dental hygiene curriculum.                                                                           

Credit Transfer of dental hygiene program courses – The acceptance of credits is at the discretion of the institution to which a student is attempting to transfer credits. Dental hygiene courses at Malcolm X College are specifically designed for career preparation. Students must assume that the dental hygiene credits are not transferable to another institution.                                                                                                             

Programs

Dental Hygiene