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MCC Daily Tribune Archive

Dental Hygiene Graduates Score Perfect Pass Rate on Licensure Exams


As MCC Dental Hygiene program graduates prepared for national and regional licensure exams over the summer, all were eager to take the next step towards their careers. Upon receipt of exam results in September, the entire cohort had reason to celebrate. The MCC group distinguished itself as one of only 11 colleges in the Northeast to achieve a 100 percent pass rate on the regional exams.

According to David Lawrence, DDS, program director, all 28 MCC graduates passed all three exams—written, patient treatment clinical and computer simulated clinical exams. A score of 75 percent or more is required to pass each examination. The MCC graduates scored an average of 98 percent on the clinical portions of the North East Regional Board (NERB) exam.

National Board Dental Hygiene Exam is a written exam developed and administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations. The exam covers two years worth of educational material delivered within a dental hygiene program. The regional exams are facilitated by the North East Regional Board (NERB), a consortium of 15 state dental boards. 

“The excellence of our program is best represented by this achievement,” said Lawrence. “Having a dental clinic on campus for our students to gain experience working with patients truly lends to their success on licensure exams. This is the first time during my 15 years at the college that a cohort achieved a perfect pass rate on all three exams,” he said.

The Dental Hygiene program at Monroe Community College opened in 1963. An average of 30 students graduate from the program each year. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, dental hygienists earn the 10th highest health care salary, with a mean annual wage of $57,790.

Rosanna Condello
Public Affairs
09/27/2005