Technical Standards: Dental Hygiene Program
As a health care specialty, primarily defined by anatomical boundaries, the practice of dental hygiene has unique requirements in that the accumulation of scientific knowledge must be accompanied by the simultaneous acquisition of essential diagnostic and clinical skills, management functions, and professional attitudes, ethics, and behaviors. Such requirements are requisite to the provision of safe and effective management of the hard and soft tissue of the oral cavity and adjacent anatomical areas, including the teeth, jaws, and surrounding soft tissues. The faculty has a responsibility to graduate the best possible dental hygienists; thus admission to the program is offered only to those who present the highest qualifications for education and training in the art and science of oral health.
Applicants to the Dental Hygiene program must possess the following general qualities: critical thinking, sound judgment, emotional stability and maturity, empathy, physical and mental stamina. Applicants must possess the ability to acquire knowledge, technical functions and use such knowledge, skills, and functions in a wide variety of didactic, laboratory, and clinical settings at a level of competency defined by the department. The faculty is responsible for the welfare of the patients treated under the aegis of the department and the educational welfare of its students.
The Dental Hygiene Admissions Committee maintains that certain minimal technical standards must be present in applicants to the program. A candidate must have the following essentials: fine motor skills; sensory/observational skills; communication skills; intellectual-conceptual, integrative, and quantitative abilities; behavioral/social skills and professionalism.
- Motor Skills
Candidates for admission to the Dental Hygiene program must have sufficient motor function to perform and participate in didactic, pre-clinical technique, laboratory, clinical procedures and exercises at a level of competency defined by the department. At a minimum, this includes coordination of both gross and fine muscular movements, equilibrium, and touch. Candidates for admission to the Dental Hygiene program must have manual dexterity, including full functioning wrists, hands, fingers, and arms. - Sensory/Observational Skills
Candidates for admission to the Dental Hygiene program must have sufficient sensory/observational skills to perform and participate in didactic, preclinical technique, laboratory, clinical procedures and exercises at a level of competency defined by the department. At a minimum, this includes the ability to participate in didactic, preclinical technique and laboratory exercises, interact with patients in terms of observation and data gathering. Candidates for admission to the Dental Hygiene program must have the visual acuity and functional use of other sensory modalities. - Communication Skills
Candidates for admission to the Dental Hygiene program must have sufficient communication skills to perform and participate in didactic, pre-clinical technique, laboratory and clinical procedures at a level of competency defined by the department. At a minimum, this includes the ability to communicate effectively in written and spoken English in classroom, laboratory, and clinical settings. - Intellectual/Conceptual, Integrative, and Qualitative Skills
Candidates for admission to the Dental Hygiene program must have sufficient intellectual/conceptual, integrative, and qualitative skills to perform didactic, pre-clinical technique, laboratory, and clinical procedures and exercises at a level of competency defined by the department. At a minimum, this includes the ability to manage data, solve problems, and make rational decisions regarding patient care in a timely manner. - Behavioral/Social Skills and Professionalism
Candidates for admission to the Dental Hygiene program must have sufficient behavioral/social skills and professionalism to perform didactic, preclinical technique, laboratory, and clinical procedures at a level of competency defined by the department. At a minimum, this includes the attributes of integrity, empathy, communication, and motivation, emotional maturity and stability, sound judgment, punctuality, inclusivity, and interpersonal skills. For this reason, candidates for admission to the Dental Hygiene program must be able to: adapt to changing conditions, cope with stress, delegate responsibilities, meet deadlines, and possess effective time management skills in order to function as part of a dental health care team.
Upon admission, a student who discloses a properly certified disability will receive reasonable accommodation but must be able to perform the essential functions of the curriculum, either with or without reasonable accommodation. Applicants verify in writing that they are able to meet these technical and performance standards with or without accommodation and are instructed to contact Accessibility Resources for questions and assistance. Determination of eligibility and recommendations of accommodations must be made by Accessibility Resources. The student can begin this process by applying at:
Risks for Dental Hygiene Profession
Exposure to Blood Borne Pathogens: Due to the nature of the clinical experiences in the Dental Hygiene program, students will be participating in a work environment that has the potential of exposure to blood borne pathogens. All students accepted into the Dental Hygiene program are provided with written policy and instruction on infection control protocol to reduce the risk of disease transmission. The program complies with all institutional, local, state, and federal policies. Policies and procedures of the department’s infection control protocol are available to all applicants upon request.
Risk for Work-Related Disorders: Other work-related disorders associated with the practice of dental hygiene could result from repetitive activities and exposure to high decibel sounds. Advancements in design and technology in the profession are continually evolving to minimize these effects.
