ADMISSIONPHILOSOPHY:Admissions to the Dental Hygiene Program is competitive. The Admissions and Academic Standards Committee is charged with reviewing the applicants and accepting those who possess the best credentials. (the Dental Hygienist must exhibit a combination of scientific skills and healthcare knowledge, technical abilities, communication and interpersonal skills, as well as professional attitudes and behaviors required to deliver the care expected from today’s healthcare provider.)
The Dental Hygiene Program has a responsibility for the welfare of patients treated in our clinics, as well as a responsibility to graduate the best possible dental hygiene professional. Therefore, the Dental Hygiene Program maintains certain minimum technical standards for admission. It is the responsibility of the candidate to review the technical standards The committee attempts to select the best possible students based on the criteria set forth.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS: Applicants are selected based on the criteria below:
Several areas are considered in the admissions process:
1. Academic Ability: considers dental hygiene to be a profession with a strong scientific basis. Students
entering this educational program must possess a strong background in science as well
as the ability to build on this existing base.
2. Personal and other attributes:Dental Hygiene requires excellent “people skills”. Applicants must possess and demonstrate the ability to communicate both in written and verbal communication skills. The competent dental hygienist provides care using the highest professional knowledge, judgement and ethical standards.
In addition, those interested in a career in dental hygiene should determine whether or not they possess maturity, commitment, and flexibility required to complete the curriculum and succeed in this profession.
Managing stress and the possession of high ethical standards are considered to be desirable qualities. These criteria are assessed by:
3. TECHNICAL STANDARDS:
Motor Skills-Applicants must have sufficient motor function to conduct various diagnostic and treatment procedures; to manipulate dental instruments and handpieces. These behaviors require both gross and fine muscular movements and coordination as well as sight, touch, and manual dexterity and fully functioning wrists, hands, fingers, and arms. Candidates must be able to ensure basic life support emergency procedures, including CPR, can be performed on all patients; transfer and position disabled patients with the help of auxiliary personnel; position themselves in an appropriate sitting or standing position so as to render dental care; position dental equipment including carts, stools, and dental chairs; operate hand or foot controls using fine movements; operate handpieces during dental treatment requiring hand movements of less than one millimeter; utilize hand instruments on hard and soft tissues, perform all necessary procedures required in educational exercises, pre-clinic labs, labs, and clinic.
Sensory Skills-Applicants must have functional use of the senses of vision, hearing, touch and smell in order to effectively learn in the classroom, labs, and clinics, and ultimately to provide oral health care in private practice.
Communication Skills-Applicants must have sufficient fluency in the English language to be able to speak, understand, read and write as so to obtain information from lectures, textbooks; communicate concepts; perceive and describe patient behaviors and emotional states; communicate effectively and sensitively with patients and all members of the health care team both orally and in writing.
**The final selection of applicants is based on rank of the final overall admissions scores. Admission to the Dental Hygiene Program is highly competitive.