It is necessary for students accepted into the program to purchase required uniforms. Additionally, students must purchase instrument kits estimated at $4,000.00 the first year and $1,980.00 the second year and buy books that average $700 per year. Dental Hygiene Clinical students also are required to pay lab fees of $250.00 each semester; which are paid at the time that tuition is paid.
Students accepted into the program must have transportation to various clinical facilities. It may be necessary for travel to extramural clinical sites outside of the Shreveport - Bossier City area.
Due to the potential for exposure to communicable diseases, students who are accepted into the program are required to have current immunizations: including the Hepatitis A & B vaccines. Students are required to have the influenza vaccine annually; as well as be tested for Tuberculosis and the HIV virus annually. Students not accepted into the program do not need to meet this requirement. The student is responsible for the cost associated with vaccinations and blood testing.
Students having prior criminal convictions must submit information regarding conviction to the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry and to the dental hygiene program prior to enrollment in the program. Depending on the conviction, a student may be denied access to clinical training facilities and/or a license to practice dental hygiene.
Students accepted into the program must have proof of current CPR certification. This certification must be the Course “C” or Health Care Provider certification that includes Adult, Child, and Infant CPR, rescue breathing and choking.
All students accepted into the dental hygiene program must meet performance standards for admission. Those accepted must be physically and mentally capable of successfully performing all tasks safely, accurately and expeditiously. Please see program director if you have any questions regarding performance standards. After proper instructions have been given, the SUSLA Dental Hygiene Program reserves the right to verify performance level.
Please note: there are other fees associated with the Dental Hygiene Program. Please check with program faculty for a complete list.
Dental hygienists work in a variety of settings; including governmental clinics, private dental offices, in research, sales, public health departments, schools, and in higher education. The salaries dental hygienists earn vary from state to state and even region to region.
Students who earn admission to this dental hygiene program will be required to submit to drug testing prior to enrollment each year as well as incidental testing where accidents occur, or where student behavior is such that it may jeopardize the safety and well-being of patients, peers or faculty (See program director for full copy of policy.
Admissions Policies, Procedures, and Criteria
Applicants must minimally complete 12 credit hours at Southern University at Shreveport or be enrolled in 12 hours at the time of application to the program. You must successfully complete the following courses:
| English (SENL 101S) |
3 credit hours |
| Math (SMAT 121S) |
3 credit hours |
| Microbiology (SBIO 212S/212LS) |
3 credit hours/1 credit hour (Lecture/Lab) |
| Anatomy & Physiology (SBIO 221S/221LS) |
3 credit hours/1 credit hour (Lecture/Lab) |
| Anatomy & Physiology (BIOL 222S/222LS) |
3 credit hours/1 credit hour (Lecture/Lab) |
| Chemistry (SCHE 110S) |
3 credit hours (Lecture) |
| Dental Hygiene (DHYG 101) |
1 credit hour |
| Communication (SCOM 101S) |
3 credit hours |
| Psychology (SPSY 201S) |
3 credit hours |
| Social Science (SSOC 201S) |
3 credit hours |
Applicants must complete and submit an application and include a $65.00 money order (non- refundable) application fee, made payable to the Student American Dental Hygienists Association). Applicants must submit an official unopened transcript from all colleges and universities attended including Southern University at Shreveport.
Applicants Must:
- Obtain application packet for the dental hygiene program and complete by March 31st of the year admission is sought.
- All selections will be made once a year following the end of the Spring semester. A personal interview with the Dental Hygiene Admissions Committee is required.
- Student must complete a minimum of twelve (12) semester credit hours at Southern University at Shreveport. No exceptions will be made to this regulation.
- Student must have earned a minimum of a 2.8 uncorrected cumulative grade point average (4.0) scale in all previous college coursework. Student must have earned a minimum of a 3.0 grade point average (4.0) scale in the required science courses for the program.
- Students admitted to the dental hygiene program will be bound by all rules and regulations set forth by Southern University at Shreveport and the Dental Hygiene Program. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the program.
An official copy of the candidates scores on the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) test (admission exam). Minimum required score is 70%.
- Student must earn grade of “C” or better in all required general education.
- Please keep in mind that not being accepted does not mean that the student is not qualified, it means that the student did not earn the points to be in the top twelve (12) admitted to the program.
- During the Dental Hygiene process of scoring admission applications, students will gain points by having successfully completed more than the minimal prerequisite requirements.
Eligibility and Admission Criteria
If the number of eligible students applying to the dental hygiene program exceeds the number of available positions, students with the highest scores in all admission criteria will be selected. If there is more than one student qualifying for the last position (identical GPA’s) the student scoring higher on the TEAS test will be selected. A total of twelve (12) students will be admitted to begin clinical in the fall semester each year. Students will only be admitted once each year.