| Program
Description
Dental Hygiene is a cooperative program offered by Valdosta Technical
College and Valdosta State University. Students earn an Associate of Applied Science degree from Valdosta
State.
The program consists of a combination of 35 semester hours
of academic core courses at VSU and 48 semester hours of clinical
training at VTC (see curriculum outline).
Students in the clinical setting are given the opportunity to treat
patients in all phases of dental hygiene including dental prophylaxis
(cleaning), infection control, nutrition, periodontology, oral pathology,
and preventive maintenance. The clinical facility at Valdosta Technical
College is a state-of-the-art department where up-to-date equipment
allows students to learn the most current procedures used in dental
practice today. The program consists of both lecture and lab experiences.
Students are also given the opportunity to provide dental hygiene
information in the community through on-site visits to clinics,
schools, and retirement homes.
Graduates of the Dental Hygiene program can look forward to a career
in a field that, according to labor statistics, will grow as much
as 60% in the next ten years. Upon graduation from the program and
prior to employment, graduates must pass national and state certification
exams.
Program Requirements
Applicants must meet general admissions requirements, and must also:
- Apply to Valdosta State University for acceptance into the Dental
Hygiene Program.
- Apply to Valdosta Technical College for admission to the clinical
portion of the program.
Technical Standards for Dental Programs
All candidates for the dental programs must meet intellectual, physical, and social core performance standards necessary to provide safe patient care in an independent manner. The areas below include examples of necessary activities and skills but are not all-inclusive.
1) Critical Thinking:
Critical thinking ability sufficient for clinical judgment. Examples include identification of cause/effect relationships in clinical situations, development of care plans, transferring knowledge from one situation to another, evaluating outcomes, problem solving, prioritizing, using short and long-term memory.
2) Interpersonal:
Interpersonal abilities sufficient to interact with individuals, families, and groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural and intellectual backgrounds. Examples include establishing rapport with patients, families, and colleagues, negotiation of interpersonal conflict, and respect of cultural diversity.
3) Communication:
Communication abilities sufficient for verbal and written interaction with others. Examples include explanation of treatment procedures, initiation of health teaching and documentation of treatment.
4) Mobility:
Physical abilities sufficient for movement from room to room and in small spaces. Examples include moving around in a dental clinic setting, sitting or standing and maintaining balance for long periods; twisting, bending, stooping; moving quickly in response to possible emergencies; pushing, pulling, lifting or supporting a dependent patient; squeezing with hands and fingers; and repetitive movements and administration of cardiopulmonary procedures.
5) Motor Skills:
Gross and fine motor abilities sufficient for providing safe, effective dental care. Examples include calibration and use of equipment, positioning of patients, grasping and manipulation of small objects/instruments, using a computer keyboard.
6) Hearing:
Auditory ability sufficient for monitoring and assessing health needs. Examples include hearing emergency signals, fire alarms, auscultatory sounds and cries for help.
7) Visual:
Visual ability sufficient for observation and assessment necessary in dental care. Examples include visualization of monitors, watches with second hands, medication labels and anesthetic vials and anesthetic syringe; visualization of objects from twenty inches to twenty feet away; use of depth perception and peripheral vision; distinguishing colors; and reading written documents.
8) Tactile:
Tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment. Examples include detection of calculus utilizing hand instruments, performance of palpation for purposes of intra and extra oral exam.
9) Emotional:
Emotional stability sufficient to tolerate rapidly changing conditions and environmental stress. Examples include providing patients with emotional support, adapting to changing conditions in the work environment and stress, dealing with unexpected or unpredictable events, maintaining focus on a task, performing multiple tasks concurrently and being able to handle non-cooperative and non-compliant patients.
10) Social Core Performance :
Prior felony convictions may affect a student’s ability to participate in the clinical portion of the program and in board certification. All students with a criminal conviction must make an appointment with the program coordinator to discuss their eligibility to participate in the program prior to applying for admission to the program.
Curriculum
Credits required for graduation: 83 semester hours
Valdosta Technical College 48; Valdosta State University - 35
| 
|
Valdosta State
University - Core Courses |
|
Credit
Hours |
|
|
|
ENGL 1101 Composition I |
|
3 |
|
|
|
ENGL 1102 Composition II |
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
MATH 1101 |
|
3 |
|
|
|
or |
|
|
|
|
|
MATH 1111 |
|
3 |
|
|
|
BIOL 2651 Human A&P |
|
4 |
|
|
|
BIOL 2652 Human A&P |
|
4 |
|
|
|
BIOL 2900 Microbiology |
|
4 |
|
|
|
CHEM 1151 General: Chemistry I |
|
4 |
|
|
|
CHEM 1152 Organic: Chemistry II |
|
4 |
|
|
|
POLS 1101 American Government |
|
3 |
|
|
|
HIST 2111 American History |
|
3 |
|
|
|
Total Hours |
|
35 |
|
» *Students must have successfully
completed at least 20 hours at VSU in order to be eligible for graduation.
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