Program will help alleviate Colorado’s shortage of dental hygienists.
Front Range Community College has just received accreditation approval to open the state’s first and only dental hygiene program north of the Denver metro area. The new Associate of Applied Science degree will help students quickly prepare for high wage careers in a booming field.
As one of only a handful of dental hygiene programs in Colorado, FRCC’s new program will help address an ongoing shortage of registered dental hygienists in the state.
“Front Range Community College’s new dental hygiene program will provide our students a fantastic opportunity to bolster their careers through education,” said FRCC President Colleen Simpson, EdD . “In our state-of-the-art facility, our expert faculty will teach these students critical skills—and help them earn the credentials they need to excel in this growing field.”
“We’re also giving our students access to lucrative jobs,” she added. “The dental hygiene profession pays a median income of $97,000/year. FRCC’s new program will offer our students an exceptional return on their educational investment.”
Helping Alleviate Colorado’s Workforce Shortage
According to the American Dental Association, dentists report that staffing shortages have decreased their practices’ capacity to serve patients by an estimated 11%.
“As a general dentist in family practice, I have experienced firsthand the challenges posed by the shortage of registered dental hygienists in Northern Colorado,” said Shawn Barry, DDS, who practices in Windsor. “Despite multiple efforts to recruit qualified professionals through job postings, the response has been minimal.”
This shortage in the workforce compounds issues for Coloradans who already struggle to access dental care. Increasing capacity in this career pathway will help ensure that more Coloradans are able to prioritize their oral health, ultimately lessening overall health inequities that persist for many communities and demographics in rural and urban areas of the state.
“The upcoming graduates of the dental hygiene program at Front Range Community College will play a vital role in strengthening the dental workforce,” Doctor Barry added. “They will help ensure continued quality care for our community.”
An Elevated Educational Experience
Students in the new program will receive high-tech, hands-on training from dental professionals in FRCC’s newly expanded dental clinic, located at the college’s Larimer campus. After completing the program, they’ll be prepared to take national and regional licensing exams to work as a dental hygienist and/or to pursue a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene.
“We’re creating an environment that is focused on hands-on learning—giving students a chance to practice the skills they learn in the classroom,” said Angie Peach, dean of health sciences & wellness at FRCC. “With our small classes and real-world experience, this new degree in dental hygiene will equip students with the clinical training and academic foundation they need to start a rewarding career in dental care.”
The Front Range Community College Dental Hygiene Program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The program will open in the fall of 2025 with 20 students in the first cohort.
Workforce and Health Care Equity
“Front Range Community College is working to expand our programming in this area so that we can meet the changing needs of our students and communities,” said President Simpson. “We are eager to start growing—and diversifying—the pool of dental hygienists in Colorado.”
“Seeing a dentist improves people’s overall health,” added Simpson. “By training more people to join this workforce, we’re reducing the barriers Coloradans face in accessing the care they need.”
As the largest community college in Colorado, FRCC is dedicated to achieving equity in outcomes for groups that higher education institutions have historically underserved. The college is working to close degree attainment gaps by creating an environment that fully supports and serves all students.
State-of-the-Art Facilities
FRCC recently completed an expansion of its Larimer Campus dental clinic—thanks, in part, to a generous grant from the Colorado Health Foundation.
The project added 10 new dental operating units, a sterilization room, dentist’s office and storage bays. The grant funding also allowed for the addition of new state-of-the-art handheld dental equipment to ensure students get the real-world training they need to be successful in the dental field.
“This expansion gave us the space to develop a comprehensive dental clinic where dental assisting and dental hygiene students work alongside dentists in a collaborative environment to provide low-cost dental care to the community,” said Dean Peach.
The new program will be co-located with the college’s pre-existing CODA-accredited dental assisting program, which is a one-year certificate program. FRCC was able to develop the new two-year associate degree program in dental hygiene thanks to a major grant from Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation.
The college recently constructed a state-of-the-art health care careers building at its Larimer Campus, where the new dental hygiene program will be housed. This facility and its high-tech equipment support students’ education in 13 health and wellness fields. FRCC’s existing health and wellness programs provide rigorous hands-on training that prepares our students to become skilled practitioners who serve our local communities.
About Front Range Community College
Front Range Community College offers more than 200 degrees and certificates in a wide variety of programs from locations in Boulder County, Larimer County and Westminster—as well as online. FRCC is a member of the Colorado Community College System.
About the Colorado Community College System
The Colorado Community College System (CCCS) is the state’s largest system of higher education, serving 114,000 students annually at 13 colleges and 35 locations across Colorado. Our open access mission ensures all Coloradans who aspire to enrich their lives have access to quality higher education opportunities.
