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The Dental Hygiene program is designed to prepare the student to practice as a licensed dental hygienist. A graduate of the program is eligible to take the Dental Hygiene National Board, and, upon successful completion of that board, is eligible to take a state board to obtain a state license.
The online application for the Dental Hygiene Program will be open from September 1, 2024 until December 15, 2024 for the academic school year beginning August 2025.
Program Details
The program annually recruits a freshman class to begin in the Fall term. The program is comprised of general education courses, dental hygiene courses and clinical practice. The general education course work is acceptable from any accredited college. The dental hygiene core courses and clinical practice are offered only on the Lee Campus.
The student must purchase uniforms, an instrument kit, liability insurance, and books. There are fees for tuition, graduation, laboratory, clinic, licenses, and association dues.
Students are required to obtain a "C" or higher in each general education, program specific and dental hygiene course to progress in the program curriculum. Each core course must be taken in sequence. A minimum of 88 credit hours is required for graduation.
Limited Admissions Program
The Dental Hygiene program has limited enrollment due to clinical facilities and accreditation standards. Each applicant must meet specific criteria which are listed in the admission policies. The Criteria for Admission Policies are available through the program office or through the Health Professions office at (239) 985-3499.
Application Deadline: December 15th. The application can be accessed online between September 1- December 15th.
Program Graduate Outcome
The Florida SouthWestern State College Dental Hygiene Program has maintained a 99.8% pass rate on the National Dental Hygiene Board Examination (NBDHE) for 28 consecutive years. The program retention rate over twenty years is 92%.
Continuing Education
The Dental Hygiene Program also provides the state-approved Dental Hygiene Local Anesthesia Course for eligible Registered Dental Hygienists who hold a current Florida license.
For information about bachelor's degree opportunities at Florida SouthWestern State College, please contact the Florida SouthWestern State Baccalaureate and University Programs Division at (239) 985-8322.
Accreditation
The Florida SouthWestern State College Dental Hygiene program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and has been granted the accreditation status of "Approval without Reporting Requirements". The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The next accreditation site visit for the Dental Hygiene program is scheduled for February 2029.
Third-party comments relative to the Commission's accredited programs may include comments submitted by interested parties such as faculty, students, program administrators, Commission consultants, specialty and dental-related organizations, patients, and/or consumers. The deadline for submitting a comment is 60-days prior to the site visit.
Click here for the procedure and form to submit comments.
Contact information: Commission on Dental Accreditation 211 E. Chicago, IL 60611-2678 Telephone: 312-440-4653
Program Contact Information
For any additional program information, email us at alliedhealth@fsw.edu
Program Contact: Karen Molumby, CDA, RDH, MBA Program Director Email karen.molumby@fsw.edu Phone (239) 985-8322