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Program details
The School of Dental Hygiene offers education and training leading to a Diploma in Dental Hygiene.
Expected duration: 3 years
To enroll in the Diploma in Dental Hygiene program, you must complete all required prerequisites or their equivalents as outlined in the Applicant Information Bulletin, along with clinical experience.
Licensure information
After successfully passing the National Dental Hygiene Certification Board Examination, graduates in Manitoba must:
- Apply to the College of Dental Hygienists of Manitoba for a license to practice as a dental hygienist.
- Meet the requirements of provincial regulatory authorities.
NOTE: The minimum educational credential required for licensure in Manitoba is the Diploma in Dental Hygiene.
Continuing education
Licensed dental hygienists have the option to further their education by completing a Bachelor of Science Degree in Dental Hygiene.
Professional status
Dental hygiene is a self-regulated health service profession. As licensed professionals, dental hygienists operate within a scope of practice defined by provincial legislation.
Practice setting opportunities available to dental hygienists
- Private dental offices
- Community health centres
- Hospitals
- Long-term care facilities
- Home care and other outreach programs
- Schools
- The military
- Research labs
- Associations and industry centres
Sample course offerings
- HYGN 1232: Oral and Dental Anatomy (3 credit hours)
- HYGN 1236: Dental Hygiene Theory and Practice I (4 credit hours)
- HYGN 1270: Biology of the Head and Neck (3 credit hours)
- HYGN 1340: Communications (2 credit hours)
- HYGN 1352: Community Health I (3 credit hours)
- HYGN 2280: Pharmacology (2 credit hours)
- HYGN 2300: Pathology (3 credit hours)
- HYGN 2316: Dental Hygiene Clinical Practice III (4 credit hours)
- HYGN 2370: Nutrition in Dentistry (2 credit hours)
- HYGN 2380: Pain Management (2 credit hours)
For full course descriptions, please visit the Academic Calendar.
Admission requirements
The following are minimum requirements for entry into the Diploma in Dental Hygiene program. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the program.
Direct entry
Direct entry applicants are those who have not attended a post-secondary institution or have completed fewer than 24 credit hours at a recognized university or college. To qualify as a direct entry applicant, you need to meet the following requirements:
- High school graduation: You must have graduated from a Manitoba high school with 5 full credits at the Grade 12 level in courses designated S, G, or U.
- Minimum average: You need a minimum average of 85% in the following courses, with no less than 60% in each course:
- English 40S
- Applied Mathematics 40S or Pre-Calculus Mathematics 40S
- Chemistry 40S
- One additional academic 40S course
NOTE: For more details, you can view the direct entry admission requirements.
Advanced entry
Advanced entry is for applicants who have completed a minimum of 30 credit hours of university-level study, including several required and recommended courses at the University of Manitoba or another recognized post-secondary institution.
We encourage you to review the dental hygiene advanced entry admission requirements, which provide details on:
- Required courses for admission
- Adjusted Grade Point Average (AGPA) calculation and requirements
- English language proficiency requirements
- Transfer credit
- Applying as a student from another institution
For more information, you can view the advanced entry admission requirements.
NOTE: If you do not meet the requirements for direct or advanced entry into the Diploma in Dental Hygiene program, you can apply for admission to University 1, the Faculty of Arts, or another program.
How to apply
Learn more
Keep exploring
- Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene, Degree Completion Program (BScDH)
- Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD)
- Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD/PhD)
- Master of Science – Orthodontics (MSc)
- Master of Dentistry - Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (MDent)
- Master of Dentistry - Pediatric Dentistry (MDent)
- Doctor of Philosophy in Oral Biology (PhD)
Contact us
Admission and application inquiries
Mailing address
Undergraduate Admissions
424 UMSU University Centre
University of Manitoba
65 Chancellors Circle
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada
Office location
Room 424 UMSU University Centre
65 Chancellors Circle
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Submit a question
Phone: 204-474-8808
Toll-free: 1-800-224-7713 ext 8808
Program inquiries
Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry – School of Dental Hygiene, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences
Room D212
780 Bannatyne Avenue
University of Manitoba (Bannatyne campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3E 0W2
dent_hygiene@umanitoba.ca
Phone: 204-789-3683
Fax: 204-789-3948