Read the Admission Details for the year you plan to apply since admissions criteria, deadlines and prerequisites, are subject to change from year to year. The previous year’s application information is posted only as a resource. It is your responsibility to be informed and adhere to all requirements, procedures and deadlines for the application year you are applying.

Accommodations- People requiring accommodations due to disability should contact the Accessible Education Services office at 503-491-6923 or aes@mhcc.edu.

Thank you for your interest in the Dental Hygiene program at Mt. Hood Community College! You must satisfactorily meet admission program criteria and the application deadline to be considered for admission. The deadline for fall term 2024 admission is January 26, 2024. 

How to Apply

1.  Become an MHCC Student

Apply for General Admission to MHCC if you are new or have not attended in the last four (4) terms. Select AGS in Health Professions as your major. Please note it could take 1-2 business days to receive your MHCC ID number. 

2.  Pay Application Fee ($35)

Once you are ready to submit your application, pay the $35 DH non-refundable application fee. You will need to upload your payment receipt to submit with your application. 

3. Complete Prerequisite Courses and Submit Official Transcripts

Submit official transcripts from every regionally accredited college/university attended, regardless of program relevancy, program length, or age no later than January 26, 2024. If you’re finishing prerequisites in fall term, wait until grades are posted before requesting transcripts. Otherwise, complete this step as soon as possible. 

Transcripts must be issued directly by the institution from which the course(s) were taken. Coursework showing as transferred from one institution to another is not accepted. Official electronic transcripts (e-transcripts such as Parchment or EDI) via secure electronic delivery service may be submitted to ar@mhcc.edu. E-transcripts cannot be sent from the student to MHCC as they are not considered official. If submitting transcripts by mail, send to:

Mt. Hood Community College – Dental Hygiene Application
Admissions, Registration and Records
26000 SE Stark St.
Gresham OR 97030

• Regionally Accredited Institutions: Required from all institutions attended.
• Non-Regionally Accredited Institutions: Not required.
• AP, DSST or IB Transcripts/Scores: Required only if using for meeting the writing admission requirement and must be issued directly from College Board, DSST or International Baccalaureate in a sealed envelope (see Credit Alternatives) and sent directly to MHCC.
• Foreign/Non-US Based Educational Transcript: Required only if using to meet admission requirements and must first be evaluated by an outside credential service. The evaluated transcript must be submitted by the application deadline for the program. For more information, visit international transcript. Evaluation processing for foreign transcripts could take up to six weeks. It is best to start this process early. A foreign bachelor's degree does not fulfill the prerequisite requirements.
• MHCC transcript: Not required, already on file. 

4. Complete 10 Observation Hours

For your application to be considered for admission, complete 10 hours of observation between 1/28/2023 and 1/26/2024 in ALL these listed services of a dental hygiene setting. 

• Dental Examination
• Dental Prophylaxis
• Dental Scaling and Root Planing
• Filling/Restoration
• Local Anesthesia/Injection
• Oral Cancer Screening/Exam
• Patient Education/Oral Homecare Instructions
• Periodontal Evaluation
• Radiographs
• Ultrasonic instrumentation
• Unit Set-up/Tear-down
  

Use the submission form in MyMHCC to provide the email address of the dental office staff you observed and a direct link will be sent to them to verify your observation hours and experience. They must fill out the observation form by the application deadline for you to gain interview points. You may use the submission form multiple times to reach 10 hours. ALL services must be observed. 

5. Submit Resume

Upload a current resume to submit with your application. Resumes should include observation hours, volunteer, academic, work (include related and non-related work) and leadership experience you may have along with specific dates, facility/location and frequency for all work/volunteer/observation experience. To qualify for point awarding and increase your competitiveness if invited to an interview, volunteer work that is not dental hygiene related cannot be older than 2019.

College coursework completed at a college without regional accreditation will not be considered for admissions or graduation requirements; however, it may be used toward proof of related education/experience.

For assistance with your resume, contact the Career Planning and Counseling Center at 503-491-7432.

6. Complete Five Hours of Dental Hygiene Volunteer Work (Optional)

To receive additional points and increase your competitiveness, applicants who complete five (5) hours of public health volunteer experience between 1/28/2023 – 1/26/2024 must submit official documentation certifying this work. Official documentation must include verification of dental hygiene volunteer hours, be on company letterhead, and signed by the supervisor. A certificate supplied by the dental hygiene program to volunteers at program partnership events is also an acceptable form of documentation. Upload the document to your application. 

7. Apply to the Dental Hygiene Program  

Submit your DH application from September 5, 2023 through January 26, 2024. Be sure to have your required documents and transcript(s) for entering your prerequisite courses. Once started, your application cannot be saved.

Application Timeline*

After You Apply

After you've applied to the DH program, here's what the selection process entails.

The approximate top 50 scoring applicants will be invited to attend an interview with program faculty and other applicants.

Points earned prior to the interview do not carry forward to the interview. All applicants start at zero points during the interview phase.

During the interview phase, program faculty will look at your resume including observation hours, volunteer, academic, work and leadership experience. You will be asked to respond in writing to several questions and will have an individual interview with Dental Hygiene Faculty. Your attention to detail/ability to follow directions and logical reasoning skills will be evaluated during the interview phase.  

Acceptance to the Program

If you are offered a seat in the program, you will be required to complete the following to keep your position:

• Complete all four (4) supporting classes by the end of the spring term before beginning the program (if not completed at the time of application).
  
• Attend the required orientation in June (a specific date and time will be in your acceptance letter).
• At orientation, information and due dates will be given for the required health and safety documents, criminal background check and drug screen. These must be completed and turned in by the assigned due dates.

Admission Disclosures

Mt. Hood Community College reserves the right to modify the criteria and the process for selection.

Admission to the College does not guarantee admission to the Dental Hygiene program. Admission of all students to the program is centralized in the Admissions, Registration and Records office. This office has the final authority on what constitutes equivalency for all admission criteria and the sole authority to inform students of their admission status.

If you have questions regarding admission requirements and procedures, please email LRadmissions@mhcc.edu.

Reasons for Admission Disqualification

Withholding information or providing materially misleading information or giving untruthful information to questions on the program application or during the application process could be cause for non‐acceptance or dismissal from the program. If you were admitted and then failed a required course or were dismissed from the program or any other health related program, you may be denied admission into the program.

If you have a criminal history, we strongly encourage potential applicants to call the program director at 503-491-7128 and/or the Oregon Board of Dentistry at 971-673-3200 and inquire about whether or not licensure is possible in your situation. It is often handled on a case-by-case basis at the time of licensing application, so do not wait until you have completed your education only to find that you may be ineligible for licensure, which is required for employment.

Application Reopen Disclosure 

In the event of an insufficient applicant pool, if you have already gone through the interview process (within the same application year), you are not allowed to reapply should the program reopen. You may reapply during the application cycle for the following year.

Previous Admission

If you were previously accepted into the program and then declined acceptance or withdrew, you may not be given priority consideration in subsequent applications. You will need to re‐apply to the program and will be required to meet the current program admission requirements and program standards. Materials cannot be brought forward from previous applications for a current application. Updated official transcripts are required only if new courses have been taken.

Application Statistics