Dental Hygiene

Two dental hygiene students practicing their skills on a practice dummy.

This program requires a general College application and a program-specific application. See below for application steps and important dates.

Delivery: A mix of daytime and evening classes.
Start: Fall Semester only; Full-Time only.

Prerequisite and General Education/MnTC courses are available in a mix of daytime, evening, and online classes; Fall, Spring, and Summer; Full- or Part-Time.


About the Program

Admission into this program requires a special application and is highly competitive. The college may not be able to accept all applicants who meet the minimum admission standards.

The Dental Hygiene Program provides the knowledge and skills necessary to gain licensure and to practice as a dental hygienist. Skills include direct patient care, patient assessment, dental hygiene care planning, scaling, root planning, radiographs, preventive measures, sealants, local anesthetic administration, nitrous oxide sedation, and customized oral health education for individuals and groups. The program prepares you to take written and clinical licensing exams. The Dental Hygiene curriculum requires two consecutive academic years, including one summer. Students will:

  • Work on a professional dental team to provide high-quality patient care in a variety of settings including an onsite dental clinic
  • Perform a wide range of patient procedures including patient assessment, x-rays, cleaning, and administering a local anesthetic
  • Make a difference by promoting oral health for adults and children

The Dental Hygiene program begins once per year, in the Fall semester. Courses are scheduled Monday – Friday and may begin as early as 8:00 am some days and go as late as 8:00 pm other days.

Interested in earning your Bachelor of Science while earning your dental hygiene degree?

Partnering with Metropolitan State, we offer the AAS/BSDH dual admission program with simultaneous admission to Century College’s Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Dental Hygiene and Metropolitan State University’s Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene (BSDH) program. Through this unique partnership, students have the opportunity to take specific bachelor’s level degree completion courses along with associate program courses on Century’s campus. For those who desire to obtain a BSDH degree, this opportunity provides flexibility for educational and career planning and an avenue for completing a BSDH degree within one or two semesters after completing the Century College AAS dental hygiene degree.

Click the following hyperlink to explore this opportunity on the Metropolitan State Metro Connect page: https://www.metrostate.edu/apply/path/metroconnect/dental-hygiene

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Special Application Required

This program requires special admission. You must apply for general admission first before submitting the special application


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Cost & Financial Aid

As a two-year public community and technical college, Century College receives funding from the State of Minnesota, keeping tuition rates significantly lower than private colleges and universities. With affordable tuition rates and financial aid and scholarship opportunities, our students avoid student loan debt.

Financial Aid

Century College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, and our programs qualify for financial aid including grants, loans, and college work-study. Eligibility for financial aid is determined annually based on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Century College’s Federal School Code is 010546.

Scholarship Opportunities

Each year, the Century College Foundation awards more than $300,000 in scholarships to Century College students involved in several areas of study. Students are encouraged to create an account and apply for scholarships online.

Tuition Cost per Credit Comparison: Century College $233.75, University of MN - TC $555.13, Private Colleges & Universities $1,416.