Dental Programs
Prepare for a rewarding career in dental hygiene or dental assisting at M State, where you'll get invaluable clinical experience at M State Dental Hygiene Clinic and affiliation sites.
Both Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting are selective admission programs offered on our Moorhead campus.
Our campus Dental Hygiene Clinic provides preventive dental care for the Fargo Moorhead community and surrounding area, offering invaluable clinic experiences for students in the M State dental programs.
The Dental Hygiene Clinic offers comprehensive dental hygiene services to the public by appointment. Services provided include cleanings, scaling and root planing, dental x-rays, fluoride varnish treatment and dental sealants. Treatments are provided by Dental Hygiene or Dental Assisting students under the supervision of a dentist and licensed instructors.
All services are provided during regular clinic hours on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1-4 p.m. and Wednesday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon. Other appointment times are available for dental x-rays only. The clinic is open Monday through Friday during spring semesters.
For appointments, contact Tina at 218.299.6560.
Our fees are greatly reduced from those charged by private dental practices.
The Minnesota Board of Dentistry requires state and federal criminal background checks prior to licensure for both dental assistants and hygienists, and students in M State's dental programs must have current immunizations. Requirements are outlined in the program applications.
Dental Assisting
AAS degree, 63 credits
Diploma, 48 credits
The M State Dental Assisting programs educate students to be essential members of dental health care teams. Students learn skills necessary to:
- Work closely with dentists during direct patient care, including diagnostic, preventive and operative procedures
- Manage business office responsibilities such as appointment scheduling and billing procedures
- Perform dental lab procedures
- Provide expanded functions authorized by the Minnesota Board of Dentistry such as taking digital dental x-rays, polishing teeth, placing dental sealants, fabricating temporary crowns, administering nitrous oxide sedation and orthodontic duties
The curriculum includes general education courses; biomedical and dental science courses; on- campus lab and clinical practice; and off-campus clinical affiliations in general, community and specialty dental practices.
Graduates are eligible to write the
- Dental Assisting National Board Certification Exam
- Minnesota State Board of Dentistry Licensure Exam
- Minnesota Board of Dentistry Jurisprudence Exam
How to apply
2. Review the Dental Assisting program admission requirements
3. Apply to the Dental Assisting program* (The fall 2024 application will open on Tuesday, January 2.)
4. Review the Dental Assisting Application Assessment
* You must be accepted to M State to access the Dental Assisting program application.
Program accreditation
The M State Dental Assisting program is approved by the Minnesota Board of Dentistry and is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The program has been granted the accreditation status of Approval without Reporting Requirements.
CODA can be contacted at 312.440.4653 or 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611-2678. Its web address is http://ww.ada.org/en/coda.
Dental Hygiene
AAS degree, 88 credits
M State’s Dental Hygiene program prepares students to provide comprehensive dental hygiene care to diverse populations in a variety of settings. Skills include direct patient care, patient assessment, dental hygiene diagnosis, dental hygiene care planning, scaling, root planing, radiographs, preventive measures, sealants, local anesthetic administration, nitrous oxide sedation and customized oral health education.
Students learn the skills to:
- Demonstrate clinical competence required to provide current comprehensive dental hygiene services
- Communicate effectively with patients, peers and dental health team providers by utilizing professional written and oral communication
- Exhibit ethical behavior consistent with dental professional conduct
- Utilize current technology relevant to the dental profession
- Demonstrate basic dental office management skills
- Apply current concepts of infection control and occupational safety
Following graduation and licensure requirements of the State Board of Dentistry, the dental hygienist becomes a primary health care professional, oral health educator and clinician.
How to apply
2. Review the Dental Hygiene program admission requirements
3. Apply to the Dental Hygiene program (The fall 2024 application will open on Tuesday, January 2.)
4. Review the Dental Hygiene program Application Assessment
Program accreditation
The M State Dental Hygiene program is approved by the Minnesota Board of Dentistry and is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The program has been granted the accreditation status of Approval without Reporting Requirements.
CODA can be contacted at 312.440.4653 or 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611-2678. Its web address is http://ww.ada.org/en/coda.
Degrees
Testimonials
Sandrine Kouhe
I grew up in Fargo with my family and chose M State in Moorhead because not only is it affordable, but they also had my program there. I really enjoyed my time there and can say that M State sent me in the right direction.
