Dental Hygiene Program Information
Program Mission
The mission of the Howard Community College Dental Hygiene Program is in accord with the mission of the college’s overall mission to “Provide Pathways to Success”. The Dental Hygiene Program’s mission is to graduate dental hygiene professionals who will be active members of the dental team, competent to provide educational and preventive care services to a diverse population, while maintaining a professional demeanor.
Program Goals
- Prepare students to take and pass necessary dental hygiene board licensure examinations required for employment as a dental hygienist.
- Comprehensively prepare competent individual students for the field of dental hygiene.
- Educate students to utilize the dental hygiene process of care (assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation) in the treatment of patients.
- Prepare students for academic and clinical preparedness for the scope of dental hygiene practice in order to provide comprehensive dental hygiene care to a diverse community without discrimination.
- Comprehensively prepare students for the legal and ethical principles underlying the practice of dental hygiene, being accountable for all practices.
- Prepare students to become a professional member of the dental team as well as team player and role model.
- Engage students to a continued commitment to the dental health organizations and continuing education requirements.
- Provide students with the opportunities to develop communication skills, problem-solving skills, critical thinking and patient management skills necessary to treat patients accordingly.
- Adhere to all medical emergency protocols, infection control, and safety precautions required in the profession of dental hygiene.
Program Objectives
Upon successful completion of the dental hygiene program and all licensing examinations, the dental hygienist will be able to:
- Assume entry-level roles of the profession (clinician, educator, researcher, change agent, consumer advocate, administrator), as defined by the ADHA.
- Apply ethical reasoning relevant to dental hygiene, use professional integrity, comply with state and federal laws governing the practice of dental hygiene, and take responsibility of actions.
- Assess, plan, implement and evaluate community-based oral health programs.
- Assess, diagnose, plan, implement and evaluate patient treatment, needs, and revisions.
- Provide dental hygiene services in a variety of settings and use screenings, referrals, and education to promote oral health care to patient volunteers.
- Obtain, review, and update complete medical, dental, and social histories.
- Determine medical, dental, and social conditions that require special treatment considerations.
- Perform a complete intra-oral and extra-oral examination with proper documentation of all findings, distinguishing a healthy periodontium from diseased periodontium.
- Perform a complete hard tissue (dental) and periodontal assessment with proper documentation.
- Obtain diagnostic radiographs and be able to distinguish normal from abnormal findings.
- Perform dental hygiene interventions to eliminate and/or control etiologic factors to prevent and control dental caries, periodontal disease and other oral conditions.
- Determine the clinical outcomes of dental hygiene interventions using assessment data to determine maintenance schedules for patient volunteers.
- Determine the need for referrals to appropriate health care professionals when needed.
- Communicate effectively with patients, colleagues, and other health care professionals.
- Commit to self-assessment and life-long learning in order to provide contemporary clinical care, joining professional organizations pertinent to dental hygiene.
- Manage pain and anxiety during treatment through the use of accepted clinical techniques and appropriate behavioral management strategies.
- Categorize patients into periodontal classifications.
- Utilize OSHA and infection control policies to assure a safe work environment for all patients, students, faculty, and staff.
- Be prepared to utilize emergency medical procedures.
- Apply knowledge and skills to treat all patient types without discrimination.
Course Transferability
Pre-requisite courses required to enter the dental hygiene program may transfer to a four-year institution. Dental hygiene courses that are part of the core curriculum, may not transfer. It is recommended that students work closely with an HCC academic advisor in regards to the transferring of courses.
Dental Hygiene Scope of Practice
Permitted functions and supervision levels for dental hygienist varies by state. For Maryland, the following chart depicts the dental hygiene function and supervision level:
| Function | Supervision Level |
|---|---|
| Prophylaxis | General Supervision Levels; dentist needs to authorize prior to services, but need not be present |
| Dental X-rays | General Supervision Levels; dentist needs to authorize prior to services, but need not be present |
| Local anesthesia | Direct Supervision on Levels; dentist needs to be present |
| Topical anesthesia | General Supervision Levels; dentist needs to authorize prior to services, but need not be present |
| Fluoride | General Supervision Levels; dentist needs to authorize prior to services, but need not be present |
| Pit/fissure sealants | General Supervision Levels; dentist needs to authorize prior to services, but need not be present |
| Root planning | General Supervision Levels; dentist needs to authorize prior to services, but need not be present |
| Soft tissue curettage | General Supervision Levels; dentist needs to authorize prior to services, but need not be present |
Administer and Monitoring of Nitrous Oxide | Direct Supervision on Levels; dentist needs to be present |
| Study cast impressions | General Supervision Levels; dentist needs to authorize prior to services, but need not be present |
| Place perio dressings | General Supervision Levels; dentist needs to authorize prior to services, but need not be present |
| Remove perio dressings | General Supervision Levels; dentist needs to authorize prior to services, but need not be present |
| Place sutures | Not allowed in Maryland |
| Remove sutures | General Supervision Levels; dentist needs to authorize prior to services, but need not be present |