Term Effective:
Fall 2010
The requirements for this program of study are effective beginning the semester shown above. If you began working on this program before the effective semester, you may not be affected by the changes. Consult with the program contact person or the department chair to determine your eligibility to complete the program under previous requirements.
Term Inactive:
Summer 2012
Associate Degree Requirements:
The major is one of several requirements students need to fulfill in order to be awarded the Associate Degree, the highest level of academic achievement recognized by Santa Rosa Junior College. Please note that all of the following requirements must be met in order for the degree to be conferred:
For all students admitted for the Fall 2009 term or any term thereafter,
a grade of "C" or better, or "P" if the course is taken on a pass/no pass basis,
is required for each course applied toward the major.
Description:
The Dental Hygiene Associate Degree program at Santa Rosa Junior College is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education.
Students receive a comprehensive education in the health sciences and in clinical dental hygiene and are prepared for entry into the practice of dental hygiene. Upon successful completion of the program, the graduate will be able to apply knowledge and scientific concepts to assess needs, recognize problems, establish oral health goals and provide appropriate dental health care services and evaluate outcomes. The graduate will receive an Associate Degree from Santa Rosa Junior College, and will be eligible to take the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and the California Dental Hygiene Board Examination.
The dental hygienist is a licensed professional oral health educator with specialized clinical and educational skills. The dental hygienist works as a co-therapist with the dentist in the prevention, recognition and treatment of dental and oral disease. The practicing dental hygienist may be expose to environmental hazards and infectious diseases including, but not limited to, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV (AIDS). Dental hygienist are obligated to provide patient care with compassion and respect for human dignity and the rights of privacy and confidentiality of patients with infectious diseases.
Nationwide, employment of Dental Hygienists is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2008.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this major, the student will be able to:
- Discern and manage the ethical issues of dental hygiene practice in a rapidly changing health environment;
- advance the profession through active participation and affiliation with professional and community service, and display lifelong professional growth and development;
- initiate and assume responsibility for health promotion and disease prevention activities for diverse populations;
- formulate comprehensive dental hygiene care plans that are patient centered and based on current scientific evidence;
- provide treatment that includes preventive and therapeutic procedures to promote and maintain oral health and assist the patient in achieving oral health goals; and
- evaluate the effectiveness of patient treatment, patient education, planned clinical and community educational services and make necessary modifications.
Students interested in a suggested order for taking classes in this program, can view the recommended course sequence. Click here for more information about the program, or contact the Health Sciences Department.
Licensure Note: The California Dental Board (CDB) may deny licensure for crimes substantially related to the practice of dental hygiene. This includes convictions involving sex crimes, drug crimes (including DUI), and crimes of violence. It is the responsibility of the applicant to present sufficient evidence of rehabilitation to the CDB prior to licensure application.
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