Program expectations
Before the first day of class
Applicants must provide:
- Copy of current health care provider CPR Certification (Class must include Adult, Child, Infant CPR and Use of Defibrillator)
- Evidence of completion of Hepatitis B Vaccination Series (or signed declination form)
- Measles Mumps Rubella and Chicken Pox vaccination (or history of past disease)
- Current Tetanus (within last 10 years)
- Current Tuberculin skin test (within last year)
It is the full responsibility of the applicant to notify their program department should any contact information change (i.e. phone number, address, email). Failure to comply with this requirement may prevent admission.
While in the program
Students must:
- Follow all OSHA, CDC, and State regulations regarding bloodborne and infectious diseases. Refer to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Table 1) for related policies. Specific PCC Infection Control Policies and Procedures are also available to applicants upon request.
- Pass a criminal history check and ten-panel drug test before practicum and/or field training as a condition of their acceptance into a medical, dental, or community facility.
Technical standards
Dental Hygiene students must be able to meet the following standards.
- Critical Thinking: ability for clinical judgment
- Interpersonal Abilities: sufficient to interact with individuals, families, and groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural and intellectual backgrounds
- Communication Abilities: sufficient for effective interaction with others in spoken and written English
- Physical Endurance: to remain continuously on task for several hours while sitting, standing or moving
- Physical Abilities: sufficient to move from clinic area to clinic area and maneuver in small space with full range of motion; manual and finger dexterity, and hand-eye coordination
- Motor Skills: gross and fine abilities, sufficient to provide safe and effective patient care and operate equipment
- Hearing Ability: sufficient to monitor and assess health needs
- Visual Ability: normal or corrected, sufficient for observation of oral conditions, patient observation and assessment; ability to discriminate between subtle changes in oral conditions and density in radiographs; see in darkroom conditions
- Tactile Ability: sufficient for the use of small instruments with control, sufficient with light touch when using instruments in the mouth to perform and detect swellings in tissues by palpitation
- Olfactory Senses (smell): sufficient for maintaining environment and patient safety; as diagnostic tool for oral diseases
- Professional Attitude and Demeanor: ability to present professional appearance and implement measures to maintain own physical and mental health and emotional stability; ability to demonstrate emotional health required for the utilization of intellectual abilities and exercise good judgment