Dental Hygiene

Diploma: Diploma

Location: Downtown

International students admissibility: Accepts International Students

A woman in a dental chair is receiving treatment from three dental professionals, all in white lab coats, wearing masks and protective eyewear.

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Overview

Get hands-on training to provide dental care including examinations, cleaning, polishing, and assessments while working with the public at VCC’s dental clinic.

This program is only open for domestic students(Canadian/Permanent Residents). If you’re interested in as an international students, please visit aaaa.vcc.ca

Tuition	N/A
Credential	Diploma
Length	The dental hygiene program is two years full-time. Students have a maximum of 3 years to complete all program requirements. Under exceptional circumstances and at the approval of the Department Head and the Registrar’s Office, a student may be granted an extension.
Hours	Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with the exception of community outreach experiences. Students will be advised of their community outreach hours once registered and attending the program.
Delivery	Class-based
Campus	Downtown
Start Dates	Sep

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Job prospectives

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Dental Technologist / Dental Technician
Dental Lab Quality Control Specialist
Dental Materials Sales Representative
Dental Equipment Technician or Specialist
CAD / CAM Designer for Dental Restorations
Dental Laboratory Manager
Dental Technology Instructor

Admission Requirement

Admission to the Dental Hygiene Program is through a competitive selection process. Successful applicants are identified through a combined evaluation of grade point average (GPA) based on program pre-requisites, and an online, open-response, situational judgement test (Casper). Application advice:

The Dental Hygiene Diploma is an annual selection-based program. You must meet all your education requirements by the date posted on the website.
If you do not meet the educational requirements on time, your application will be cancelled.
If you meet the requirements but do not receive an offer of admissions, you must reapply and resubmit academic information if you want to apply for another intake.
Under specific circumstances, an applicant who receives an offer of admission may request a one year deferral. Please review the defer request form for details.

Admission Requirements:

Applicants must have successfully completed at least 30 credits in first-year university level courses, or equivalents, with an overall GPA of 3.0 (‘B’). Where the academic standing of applicants who have completed 2nd, 3rd or 4th year courses in the required subject(s) is higher than that of the 1st year courses, the higher grade will be considered.
6 credits in English * an academic writing course is strongly recommended.
6 credits in Human Anatomy & Physiology taken at the same institution (must include labs)
6 credits in Chemistry (must include labs)
6 credits in Psychology
3 credits in Statistics
3 credits in Electives
Submission of a Casper score. Casper Test scores are only valid for one admission cycle.

If your educational documents are not from a Canadian or American institution, you must submit an evaluation of foreign credentials. A comprehensive evaluation report, from the International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES) located at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) including an ICES VCC Dental Hygiene Supplemental Report is required. Upon Acceptance:

Valid CPR-BLS certification. Certificate must remain valid throughout the program.
Criminal Records Check (CRC): Students in this program are required to complete a CRC. The CRC must be completed according to VCC’s Criminal Record Check instructions. Students whose CRC results indicate they pose a risk to vulnerable populations will not be able to complete the requirements of the program (e.g. practicums) or graduate.
Students must submit a negative tuberculosis (TB) skin test or chest X-ray dated a maximum of six months prior to the program start date. An additional TB test is required after each potential exposure to TB and/or travel to areas with a known prevalence of TB.
Immunization Record: A School of Health Sciences Student Immunization Record must be completed. Students may be declined placement in a clinical or practicum site if a completed immunization record is not provided.
N95 mask fit testing will be required prior to clinical rotations to health authority locations during the final year of the program. Information, fee payment, and scheduling related to mask fit testing will be provided during the program. Mask fit testing is valid for 1 year and should only be completed when directed during the dental hygiene program.
Students will be required to submit proof to the department of a dental examination from a licensed British Columbia dentist within 6 months of the program start date. It is preferred that your dental and dental hygiene healthcare be complete and current.

Missing prerequisites? Learn more about VCC's tuition-free academic upgrading or English as a Second Language (ESL) courses, or discover which university transfer options are right for you.

Recommended Characteristics

Program tasks require precise hand-eye coordination and dexterity. Activities may include instrument handling and small-scale technical work requiring steady hand movements.
Program tasks involve repetitive hand, wrist, and shoulder movements.
Program tasks require extended periods in fixed positions while performing detailed work.
Program environment may involve contact with latex-containing materials.
Travel to different locations is required for community rotation requirements.

Program Availability

Not currently available.

Courses

Full-time

Course list is not available at the moment.

This information is intended as a guideline only. Program and course details are subject to change with the approval of VCC's Board of Governors.

Fees and Costs

Application fee	$36
Tuition	$26,255	Year 1 - $13,294 Year 2 - $12,961
Student union	$290
College initiative	$238
Materials	$510	not including textbooks
Campus resource	$526
Laundry	$727
Uniform (Deposit)	$30
Medical & Dental	$570	Provided by Student Union
U-Pass	$892	Discounted, unlimited transit pass. Learn more.
Graduation	$45
Total	$30,145

Books & Supplies

Textbooks or other supplies may be required for this program. Visit the VCC Bookstore for more information.
Additional costs:
- Textbooks – Approx. $500
- Student kits – Approx. $5,100 + tax

Open Educational Resources(OER) at VCC

No-cost textbooks are available for this program.

* Fees are approximate and subject to change with the approval of VCC's Board of Governors. Students are required to pay any applicable fee increases. Application and assessment fees are non-refundable. Tuition fees include a non-refundable deposit ($300 or $500, depending on program).

Fees listed are for domestic students. For international programs, visit VCC International.

Any refunds are issued according to VCC's refund policy.

Need help with tuition?

Explore your options for scholarships, grants, bursaries, and loans.

Application Process

The Dental Hygiene program is an annual selection based program based on a combination of GPA and the CASPer assessment. You must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.00 in your 30 credits of first-year university courses to be considered. If you are applying for a September intake, any in progress pre-requisite courses must be completed no later than the fall term of the previous year (September to December of the year before your intake). Indigenous applicants: You are encouraged to reach out to Indigenous Services (indigenous@vcc.ca) for assistance with your application. Acceptable university level courses: If you have questions about the acceptability of your courses, please call 604.871.7000, option 2 to make an appointment with an Advisor. CASPer: The CASPer assessment is valid for one admission cycle only. CASPer results are not provided to applicants by CASPer or VCC. NOTE: CASPer schedules tests dates, and tests may close earlier than VCC's deadline. Seats are on a first come, first served basis. Once tests are full, there may not be another chance to write the test for the intake of your choice. Choose your date and register on the CASPer website. Important dates:

October 1: Applications open
October 7: CASPer test date
November 6: CASPer test date
November 18: CASPer test date
November 30: CASPer test date
December 9: CASPer test date
December 31: All pre-requisite academic courses must be complete
January 8: CASPer test date
January 18: CASPer test date
February 1 at 4 p.m.: Applications close
- Academic requirements must be met and submitted
- Transcripts can be sent to selectiontranscripts@vcc.ca (only official transcripts sent directly by institutions will be accepted). If you are completing university transfer courses at VCC, you do not need to request to have your VCC transcripts sent to the Registrar’s Office.

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Program information