Dental Hygiene

Dental Hygiene Profession

A dental hygienist is a licensed member of the dental healthcare team who provides educational, clinical, and therapeutic services to their patients within the scope of their state Dental Hygiene Practice Act. Patient care provided by a Dental Hygienist includes collection of assessment data and creating a treatment plan, implementation of care, and evaluation of the treatment provided.

Educational Program

In the educational curriculum, the dental hygiene student learns critical thinking skills to develop professional judgement, ethical conduct, and prevention of disease transmission by utilizing infection control guidelines. Students develop communication skills for healthcare professionals, which enable them to engage the patient as a partner in their own oral healthcare. They learn all aspects of documentation and standard chart entries, which are considered the standard in the profession. Students provide care to a broad range of patients with a variety of systemic health conditions on campus at the City Tech patient care clinic. After completion of the educational program, graduates are eligible to take the series of licensing examinations, namely the National Dental Hygiene Board Examination (NDHBE) and the CDCA-WREB-CITA Examination.

Professional Roles

Among the employers of the graduates of this program are private dental practices, public and private health agencies, hospitals, industrial clinics, government agencies, U.S. Armed Services, schools of dentistry and dental hygiene and dental supply companies. Dental hygienists hold an integral role in assisting individuals and groups in attaining and maintaining optimal oral health. They provide educational, clinical and consultative services to people and populations of all ages in diverse settings and capacities. The professional roles of the dental hygienist include the following categories:

• Clinician: Dental hygienists in a clinical role assess, diagnose, plan, implement, evaluate, and document treatment for prevention, intervention, and control of oral diseases, while practicing in collaboration with other health professionals. Hygienists are employed in private dental offices, community clinics, hospitals, university dental clinics, prison facilities, nursing homes, and schools. 

• Public Health: Community health programs are typically funded by government or nonprofit organizations. These positions often offer an opportunity to provide care to those who otherwise would not have access to dental care. Educational requirements vary. As more community health programs emerge, the need for dental hygienists with advanced education and training is necessary. These positions may require a bachelor’s degree.

• Researcher: Hygienists are employed as researchers work in colleges and universities, corporations, governmental agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Education requirement is a bachelor’s degree; however a graduate or doctoral degree is preferred.

• Educator: Dental hygiene educators work in colleges and universities as clinical or classroom instructors and program directors. They can also work as corporate educators.  Many dental hygienist educators have Master or PhD degrees.

• Administrator: Hygienists employed as administrators work as clinical directors, program directors of dental hygiene educational programs, and research administrators. Educational requirements vary by position; however, most require a graduate or doctoral degree.

• Corporate Empoyee: Hygienists are hired as sales representatives, product researchers, corporate educators, and corporate administrators. 

• Entrepreneur: Dental hygienists can become successful entrepreneurs in a variety of businesses, including consulting and continuing education, product development and sales, practice, and nonprofit organization management. Educational requirement is an entry-level (associate or bachelor) degree. 

Learning Outcomes

• Develop knowledge and clinical skills to be competent in providing dental hygiene care and to facilitate the desire to continue learning new clinical advances in patient care.

• Acquire and use the professional dental hygiene skills needed for communication, inquiry, analysis, and clinical excellence.

• Work collaboratively within and across health care disciplines to provide optimal patient care outcomes.

• Evolve dental hygiene professional skills to promote humanistic, ethical, and legal standards of care when treating patients from diverse socioeconomic, educational, and cultural backgrounds within the community.

Licensure Information

Dental Hygiene students obtain the practicum hours necessary for dental hygiene licensure at City Tech on campus in the patient care clinic. All patient care is provided under the supervision of licensed dental Hhgienists and dentists. 

To practice dental hygiene, graduates are required to pass a national board examination on the theory of dental hygiene and a clinical board examination on the clinical practice of dental hygiene. Application for licensure must be made to the individual state(s) where the applicant intends to practice.

Accreditation

NYCCT Dental Hygiene Program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at (312) 440-4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611. The Commission's web address is:https://coda.ada.org. 

Additional Costs

There are additional costs associated with the Dental Hygiene program that are not covered by Financial Aid. They include:

Advisement Information

Up-to-date detailed Dental Hygiene advisement information is available on the department website. Prospective new and transfer students should review the program information and FAQ and request program advisement with one of our faculty advisors.