Dental Hygiene School
22 Month Associate Degree Program
What is a Dental Hygienist?
Dental Hygienists are licensed oral health professionals who work with dentists to provide preventative oral care to patients. Dental hygienists focus on the treatment and prevention of oral diseases that protect teeth and gums and protect the patient’s overall health. They teach patients about the importance of maintaining good oral health and provide therapeutic, administrative, research, clinical and educational services. Upon completion of an accredited program, dental hygienist will receive their associate degree and be eligible to take the National Dental Examinations.
What does a Dental Hygienist do?
Dental hygienists are highly trained and educated to perform many key responsibilities that include:
- Obtain patient history to understand a patient’s previous dental work and medical history
- Perform an oral health care assessment that includes dental charting, oral cancer screening, and gum disease health
- Remove calculus and plaque (hard and soft deposits) from all surfaces of the teeth
- Apply preventative materials to the teeth (e.g., sealants and fluoride), teach patients appropriate oral hygiene strategies to maintain oral health, and counsel patients about good nutrition and its impact on oral health
- Prepare diagnostic tests for the dentist to administer
- Develop dental x-rays to identify concerns and then develop a treatment plan
- When necessary, administer local anesthetic or nitrous oxide analgesia
- Educate patients in preventative oral care
- Document and communicate with the dentist findings and areas of concern
Where do Dental Hygienists work?
Dental hygienists have a wide variety of employment options available to them. You can find employment opportunities not only in a dental office but also as a marketing representative for dental-related companies or as an office manager for private or group practices. Should you decide to expand your skills you could find yourself working in dental hygiene education, research, and as a professional speaker. Common dental offices hiring trained and licensed dental hygiene professionals include:
- General and/or Cosmetic Dentistry
- Pediatrics
- Orthodontists
- Endodontists
- Periodontist
- Prosthodontist
- Hospitals
- Nursing Homes/Long-Term Care Facilities
- Schools
- Public Health Clinics
Clinical Hours and Career Services at MedQuest College
Clinical Hours
Prior to graduation, students are required to complete clinic hours and competencies under the guidance of instructors and dentists. During clinic courses, students will refine their skills learned and work directly with patients for real-life experience. All clinic hours will be completed on campus in a working dental clinic.
Career Services
Our Career Services Director provides assistance to graduating students and alumni that include instruction in resume writing, preparation of cover letters, interviewing techniques and networking skills. The college provides job placement assistance for its graduates. Alumni in good standing may continue to use any and all placement resources indefinitely at no charge.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVE
The Dental Hygiene program is designed to develop in students the personal traits and professional skills required to perform as a competent entry-level dental hygienist through didactic instruction and hands-on laboratory and clinical experiences. Curriculum content addresses anatomy and physiology, general and oral pathology, patient management, pharmacology, public health dentistry, radiography, and other topics necessary for students to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to perform as effective members of the professional dental care team.
MedQuest College has provided high-quality instruction to students in Kentucky and Indiana since 1999. By providing Southern Indiana, Louisville and Lexington Kentucky, and surrounding areas with quality programs we are able to proudly say that MedQuest College has successfully employed thousands of graduates in the medical fields. Our campuses are located in Louisville Ky and Lexington KY. We are institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES), a nationally recognized accrediting body.
