Goals, Competencies, and Duties
Goals
The SUSLA Dental Hygiene Program will:
- Prepare a qualified professional who will be proficient with respect to the competencies for the Dental Hygienist.
- Prepare a graduate who acquire the ethics, values, skills and knowledge of the profession of Dental Hygiene.
- Prepare a graduate to be competent in the delivery of oral health promotion and disease prevention in the public and alternative settings.
- Prepare a graduate who is aware a variety of opportunities for professional growth and development.
- Prepare students to successfully pass the National, Regional and State Licensing Examinations
Competencies
- Graduates must be competent in providing dental hygiene care for the child, adolescent, adult, geriatric, and medically compromised patient.
- Graduates must be competent in providing the dental hygiene process of care which includes: Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation
- Graduates must be competent in providing dental hygiene care for all types of classifications of periodontal disease including patients who exhibit moderate to severe periodontal disease.
- Graduates must be competent in interpersonal and communication skills to effectively interact with diverse population groups.
- Graduates must be competent in assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating community based oral health programs including, health promotion and disease prevention activities.
- Graduates must be competent in providing appropriate life support measures for medical emergencies that may be encountered in dental hygiene practice.
- Graduates must be competent in applying ethical, legal and regulatory concepts to the provision and/or support of oral health care services.
- Graduates must be competent in the application of self-assessment skills to prepare them for life-long learning.
- Graduates must be competent in the evaluation of current scientific literature.
- Graduates must be competent in problem solving strategies (critical thinking and decision-making skills) related to comprehensive patient care and management of patients.
Main Duties:
- Work with dentists and other healthcare professionals to meet the oral health needs of the patients
- Perform oral cancer screenings, review medical histories, take blood pressure readings, and chart the teeth
- Remove deposits from the teeth
- Educate patients about proper oral hygiene
- Take x-rays of the teeth
- Administer local anesthesia
- Administer nitrous oxide/oxygen
- Apply fluoride and sealants to the teeth
- Counsel patients on proper nutrition, tobacco cessation, dental treatment options