Dental Hygiene, A.S.

Accreditation Renewed for CTC @ WVU Tech’s Dental Hygiene Program

The Community and Technical College at WVU Tech recently received re-accreditation for their two-year degree in Dental Hygiene.

According to a statement by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, “The program in dental hygiene is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and has been granted the accreditation status of ‘approval without reporting requirements’.” The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education.

“We are really excited with the results of the accreditation process. All of our faculty and staff within the Dental Hygiene Department worked very hard on the self-study report,” said Dr. Kristin Mallory, Vice President of the CTC @ WVU Tech and the former Department Chair for Dental Hygiene. “I am extremely pleased with the outcome.”

President Jo Harris added, “Dental Hygiene has always maintained a very high standard for their curriculum. Most of our graduates walk off this campus with a degree and straight into an excellent paying job.”

The Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Job Outlook Handbook states that employment within the Dental Hygiene profession is expected to grow “much faster than average” through 2014, ranking Dental Hygienists among on of the fastest growing occupations. The national median for hourly earnings as of May 2004 was $28.04. The BLS also recognized the job prospects for Dental Hygiene “are to remain excellent.”

To learn more about The CTC @ WVU Tech’s Dental Hygiene program, please contact  Melissa France at Melissa.France@mail.wvu.edu or 304-442-3345.
 

Accredited by American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation

The Dental Hygiene program was recognized by the WV State College System Board of Directors as a Program of Excellence in 1995. The program is designed to prepare students for a career in dental hygiene. A dental hygienist is a preventive oral health professional licensed to provide educational, clinical, and therapeutic services to the public. The program, fully accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation, is normally two full academic years with 73 hours of credit course work and many clock hours of clinical practice. The Dental Hygiene program is a limited enrollment program which admits one class each fall semester. An admissions committee selects candidates.

Program Objectives

In addition to the learning outcomes set forth in the general education core curriculum for the associate degree, the mission of the dental hygiene program reflects the department goals to comprehensively:

• Prepare competent individuals for licensure and clinical practice of dental hygiene

• Prepare students to be lifelong learners

• Provide opportunities for patient care in the dental hygiene clinic, community health sites, rural clinics, and dental offices

• Prepare students for transfer to four-year programs of study

• Deliver formal education to adults

Program outcomes are assessed by exit examinations in each didactic course, by clinical performance, and performance on state, regional, and national licensure examinations. General education is assessed by the WorkKeys examination.

Note: Healthcare providers are at risk for exposure to certain bloodborne pathogens