Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Apply to Dental Hygiene

To join this program, you must apply for admission. This highly competitive program accepts 20 students every fall term. The selection process is based on a point system. Competitive applicants typically have a 3.6 GPA, A’s in their science prerequisites, and some experience in a dental setting.

Questions? Attend an information session or contact us.

How to apply

1. Apply to PCC

   Applying to PCC is free and only takes a few minutes. Complete this step as soon as possible so you can start using PCC resources.
   Apply to PCC

2. Application timeline

   Term you want to start	Apply to Dental Hygiene
   Fall 2026	January 2 – April 17, 2026 at 8:59pm (PST)

   Take prerequisites

   All prerequisite courses must be passed with a grade “C” or higher by the end of the winter term prior to the application deadline. Pass/No Pass grades are not accepted. Please review the admission guide for prerequisite details.

   • WR 121Z: English Composition I
   • MTH 65 or higher: Introductory Algebra, second term
   • BI 234: Microbiology (must be within the last 7 years)
   • CH 102 or higher: College Level Chemistry, or higher-level chemistry course
   • BI 231: Anatomy & Physiology I
   • BI 232: Anatomy & Physiology II
   • FN 225: Nutrition
   • Psychology elective*
   • Communication elective*
   • Sociology elective*

   *Applicants must successfully complete one course from the PSY, SOC, and COMM categories with a grade of C or higher. A comprehensive list of Associate of Applied Science (AAS) approved courses can be found by viewing the general education list.

3. Gain dental experience

   You can earn points and increase your competitiveness by completing one of the following:

   1. Job shadowing
      Shadow a registered dental hygienist for 20 hours. Upload the Dental Hygiene Shadowing Hours Form to your application under “observation hours”.
   2. Paid dental office work experience
      
      • To document paid job shadowing experience, applicants must upload and submit the Dental Experience Documentation Form. The form must be signed by the Dental Hygienist that was shadowed.
      • To document 1000 hours of work experience in a dental setting, current enrollment in a DANB CDA program, or DANB CDA certification, applicants must upload and submit the Dental Experience Documentation Form. This form must be signed either by your Supervisor, DANB CDA Instructor, or Dentist. If applicable, applicants must upload a copy of their CDA certification for verification.
   3. DANB Certified Dental Assisting Certification
      To document DANB Dental assisting certification (CDA), applicants will need to upload a copy of their DANB CDA. Please see page 14 of the dental hygiene admission guide for an example of the correct certificate.

   Additional dental experience points can be earned by completing one or both of the following experiences at the PCC Dental Clinic:

   • Shadow a PCC Dental Hygiene student at the PCC Dental Clinic for 3.5 hours.
   • Complete a treatment at the PCC Dental Clinic. This entails completing an entire dental hygiene process of care which includes teeth cleaning from start to finish. Each appointment lasts approximately 4 hours and may require multiple appointments.

   For PCC Dental Clinic scheduling and experience verification information, please refer to the PCC Dental Clinic Experience Form.

4. Create application account

   You will apply through an independent organization: American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Dental Hygiene Centralized Application Service (DHCAS). Log in to ADEA DHCAS and create your account. You can create your account as early as November 2025. However, PCC’s dental hygiene program application will not be visible or available until January 2026. For questions related to the DHCAS application, contact DHCAS Support: dhcasinfo@dhcas.org or 617-612-2095.

5. Apply to the Dental Hygiene Program

   The application process has three phases.

   1. Phase I: selection criteria
      Submit your DHCAS application by the April deadline. Based on phase I point totals, the top 40 applicants will be invited to phase II. Applicants will be notified by email.
   2. Phase II: HSRT
      Applicants invited to phase II will be required to participate in the Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT) as a part of the phase II selection process. Read more about the HSRT on the Insight Assessment FAQ page under the Testing and Administration section. The test takes about 1.5 hours. For more info, see How to Prepare and Top 10 Critical Thinking FAQ’s.
      Once the HSRT scores are evaluated, the 20 highest-scoring applicants from Phase II will be offered a seat in the program.
   3. Phase III: selection and requirements
      Students offered a seat must complete required immunizations, CPR certifications, criminal background checks, and drug screens prior to program start. Detailed information on phase III immunization, CPR, criminal background checks and drug screen can be found by reviewing the requirements for clinical and field education. Do not attempt to meet these requirements before being offered a seat in the program.

6. Submit transcripts

   PCC requires applicants to submit official transcripts from all colleges attended, including PCC, directly to DHCAS. If your prerequisites are in progress during winter term, you need to wait until final grades are posted before requesting transcripts. Otherwise, complete this step as soon as possible. Follow the instructions in the DHCAS application.

7. Pay application fee

   Once you are ready to submit your application, pay the non-refundable application fee directly to DHCAS.

   • DHCAS application fee: $50 (DHCAS has a fee assistance program)

Admissions timeline: Fall 2026

• November 1, 2025: Start Building ADEA DHCAS Application
  • ADEA DHCAS application cycle opens adea.org/dhcas 
  • Applicants are encouraged to begin building their common application sections prior to the PCC open application period
• January 2, 2026: PCC’s ADEA DHCAS Application Opens
  • ADEA DHCAS will be visible/available for selection online at adea.org/dhcas
• March 22, 2026: End of Winter Term
  • Deadline for prerequisite completion, degree completion, and job shadowing/work experience
  • If courses are completed during the Winter Term, we recommend sending your official transcripts which reflect winter term grades after April 1, 2026
• April 17, 2026 8:59pm (PST): Dental Hygiene Application Deadline
  • Appeals for missing the deadline will not be considered
  • Applicants are responsible for ensuring ADEA DHCAS has all updated transcripts
• Mid-May: Phase II Notifications
  • Up to 40 of the top scoring applicants will be invited to participate in Phase II
  • Applicants will be notified of their invitation to Phase II via the email account associated with
    their DHCAS account
  • Applicants must RSVP for Phase II in order to secure their spot
• Late May/Early June: Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT) Scheduled
  • Applicants are invited to take part in the HSRT online
• Mid-June: Program Acceptance Notification
  • Up to 20 of the top scoring applicants will be notified of their seat offer
  • Applicants are informed of their admission status via the email account associated with their
    DHCAS account
  • To confirm admissions status, admitted students must meet the Phase III requirements prior to starting the program in the fall
• June 11, 2026 from 8am-4pm: First Mandatory In-Person Orientation
  • Admitted and alternate applicants attend the first mandatory in-person orientation
  • Details regarding Phase III requirements will be addressed during this orientation
• September 10 & 11, 2026 from 8am-4pm: Second Mandatory In-Person Orientations
  • Admitted and alternate applicants attend the second mandatory in-person orientation
• September 21, 2026: Fall Term Begins/Start of the Program
  • The Dental Hygiene program is delivered across two academic years