San Juan College Dental Hygiene Program

What is a Dental Hygienist?• A Licensed health care professional• Provide clinical, therapeutic and educational

services to patients– Treat periodontal disease– Take and develop radiographs– Apply fluoride– Apply sealants– Administer anesthetic– Place dressings and sutures

• Oral health education and prevention specialists• Flexible scheduling

Employment Opportunity• Bureau of Labor Statistics

– Dental Hygiene is among the fastest growing professions– Excellent job prospects

• Population growth• People living longer• Greater awareness• Newer Dentists

• Projected job growth much faster than average

New Mexico’s Top Jobs*• Network/Communication Analysts• Physician Assistants• Postsecondary Teachers• Network/Computer Administrators• Database Administrators• Dental Hygienists• Respiratory Therapists• Physical Therapists• Computer Systems Mgrs.• Pharmacists• Computer Software Engineers• Cardiovascular Techs

* Jobs with the strongest employment outlook (2002-12) and high wages.Source: New Mexico Department of Labor.

Employment Settings

• Clinical Practice– General Dental Practice– Specialty Dental Practice– Government (IHS, Military, Prisons etc)

• Education• Industry• Research• Public Health

Program

• Accredited by the American Dental Associations Commission on Dental Accreditation

• 2-year program (5 semesters)• AAS degree upon completion

Work Environment:Dental Hygienists typically work in clean

well-lighted offices. Important safeguards include strict adherence to proper radiological procedures and personal protective equipment such as safety glasses, surgical masks and gloves to protect themselves and their patients form infectious diseases.

Dental Hygiene Environment

During the program and upon entering the work force

• You WILL be seeing real patients• Working in the oral cavity with potential

exposure to body fluids

Safety First

• It is the policy of the SJC dental hygiene program that students, patients, faculty and staff follow strict infection control guidelines including the use of personal protective equipment.

Admissions Criteria• Be a HS graduate or have a GED• Have a college cumulative GPA 2.75 or better• Taken the Test of Essential Academic Skills

(TEAS) entrance exam• Complete 12 hours of dental hygiene

observation in three different dental offices• Attend a SJC Dental Hygiene Information

session• Submit completed application by April 1• Prerequisites must have been completed within

last 5 years with a “C” or better• Successful candidates typically have a 3.00 or

better for all of their prerequisites

Prerequisite Courses• BIOL 121 (Introduction to Biology I)• BIOL 252 (Human Anatomy & Physiology I)• BIOL 253 (Human Anatomy and Physiology II)• BIOL 224 (Microbiology)• CHEM 110 or higher• ENGL 111 (Freshman Comp)• MATH 114 or higher

General Education Courses

• ENGL 211 or 218 (Advanced Comp or Advanced Technical Writing)• SPCH 110 or 111 (Public Speaking or Interpersonal Communication)• HLTH 118 (Introduction to Nutrition)• SOCI 110 (Introduction to Sociology)• PSYC 120 (Introduction to Psychology)

Projected Cost

• First year: $8,500 - $9,500• Second year: $4,500 - $5,500• Additional examination fees: $1,500 - $2,000

• Costs are estimated, based on in-state tuition and include immunizations, books, supplies, instruments, uniforms, special course fees, a and medical insurance

Program Philosophy

• Education is Job #1• Creativity and Scholarly Activity• Service• Professional Development

Students

• Admission limited to 12 students per year with approximately 70 applicants per year

• Graduate 12 Students per year

Students

Curriculum

• Didactic study 91 credit hours• Clinical education >678 hours• Special needs clinic 60 hours

Curriculum• 1st semester:

– Anatomy, Morphology, Clinic, Seminar, Histology, Embryology, Radiology

• 2nd semester:– Clinic, Seminar, Pathology, Periodontology

• Summer session:– Biomaterials, Clinic

• 3rd semester:– Pharmacology, Clinic, Seminar, Public Health, Local

Anesthesia• 4th semester:

– Clinic , Seminar, Principles of Practice, Practicum, Board Review

• Students must maintain a “C” or better in each class in order to remain in the program

Curriculum

• Clinical rotations– School children education– Indian Health Service – Life-Care nursing facility– Head Start

• SADHA – Regional health fairs– Special Olympics– GKAS

Facilities

State of the art facilities• 9 delivery units• Each unit has access to;

– Computerized practice management software– Intraoral camera imaging system– Digital radiography as well as traditional film

radiography

Facilities

• Wet Lab– Dental materials

• Fully integrated classroom facilities– Media capable

• Internet• VCR, CD, DVD• Document camera

– Slides, overheads, textbooks• Computer imaging• Integration of clinical images into classroom

Faculty

• Julius N. Manz DDS– Director of the Dental Hygiene Program

Faculty

• Tammy Honold, MA, RDH, CDHC– Second Year Dental Hygiene Coordinator– Program Advisor

Faculty

• Sherry Paxson, BS, RDH– First Year Dental Hygiene Coordinator– SADHA coordinator

Faculty

• Georgia Cotie CDA– Dental Clinic Manager

Faculty

• Sherilyn Oldfield– Administrative Assistant III

Faculty• Dalene Meek

– Dental Clinic Administrator

Adjunct Faculty

Marilyn Ketcham, DDSPart time Faculty

Craig Layton, DDSClinical Instructor

Paula Young, DDSClinical Instructor

Adjunct Faculty

Sarah Thiel, RDHClinical Instructor

Brittany Nichols, RDHClinical Instructor

Mandi Pickering, RDHClinical Instructor

Adjunct Faculty

Jeff Nygren, Pharmacolgy Instructor

Josalyn Sewell, RDHClinical Instructor

Nancy Rhien, RDH, PAClinical Instructor

Contact Information

• Website: www.sanjuancollege.edu/hygiene

• e-mail: dentalprogram@sanjuancollege.edu

• Phone: (505) 566-3642