Once the student completes the prerequisites for this program, an AAS is earned in two years. The cost for this program is approximately $5,000 for 2 years. Requirements for clinical practice are to undergo a criminal background check and to have all required immunizations up to date. The basic job description of a dental hygienist is:
- Preventive Services
- Oral Prophylactic Patient Treatment
- Patient Dental Education
- Radiography
- Dental Health Education
- Patient Nutritional Counseling
- Oral cancer screenings
Dental Hygiene is one of the most lucrative health professions around. During the past half century, dental hygiene has emerged and expanded as a prominent career for both men and women who are interested in being part of an important dental health team.
Four members comprise this dental health team- dentist, dental hygienist, dental assistant and dental lab technician. The dental hygienist learns specialized clinical skills providing direct client care. They may be responsible for community distribution of information related to prevention of oral diseases and the maintenance of oral health. According to the most recent edition of the Occupational Outlook Handbook and the Monthly Labor Review, published by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of the dental hygienist is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through the end of the millennium.
There is great stability in the dental hygiene field. Today’s dental hygienists have been working in their current practices for an average of 5.5 years. Hygienists may also have considerable freedom to choose their own hours. There are excellent career opportunities in the workforce with newly developed alternative career paths.
These individuals, who don’t fit the usual profile of the dental hygiene student, might meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Over 23 years of age
- Individuals seeking career change or job re- entry after a period of unemployment
- Individuals with culturally diverse background
Due to the success of preventive dentistry in reducing the incidence of oral disease, the growing older population will retain their teeth longer, and will be even more aware of the importance of regular dental care. Dentists will need to employ more dental hygienists than ever before to meet the increased demand for dental services.
Information
Salary Range
Average salary range (depending on the field of work, education, location, and expertise):
El Paso, Texas: $50,000 - $65,000
State of Texas: $60,000 -$75,000
Nationally: $73,000 – $98,000
Career Ladder Mobility
Bachelors, Masters’ Degree, Doctorate.
Duration of Program
2 year - Associate Program
Accreditation
CODA and the Importance of Accreditation
CODA's mission is to serve the oral health care needs of the public through the development and administration of standards that foster continuous quality improvement of dental and dental related educational programs.
Graduation from an accredited program is stipulated by Texas and New Mexico state law and is an eligibility requirement for licensure. In short, accreditation of the program ensures students that it has adequate educational value and resources to provide them with a quality education.
Accreditation is renewed every seven years and our next site visit is scheduled for this coming September. The program has been preparing a self-study document that self-assesses our adherence to the Accreditation Standards. The Site Visitors will evaluate the effectiveness of our educational program to meet our stated goals and objectives and the Commission’s standards for dental hygiene education programs. The site visit provides the program the opportunity to enhance areas of strengths and address and find solutions to challenges that will assure the quality of our program now and in the years to come.
CODA-Accreditation Activities, third party comments 2024
Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) will be visiting El Paso Community College Dental Assisting and Dental Hygiene Programs from April 10th to April 12th of 2024. In accordance with CODA accreditation activities, third-party comments are being solicited at this time.
The notice is to inform students, faculty, patients, and other interested parties of their right to submit comments to CODA regarding adherence to accreditation standards in the Dental Assisting and Dental Hygiene Programs at EPCC. A copy of the appropriate accreditation standards and/or the Commission’s policy on third-party comments may be obtained by contacting the Commission by calling 1-312-440-4653 or by email.
Individuals who are interested in submitting third party comments, may contact the Commission office for submission guidance. Third party comments should be emailed to the appropriate Commission staff; comments should
not be sent to the Commission office via the US Postal Service.
Revised: 2/22; 8/19; 8/18; 2/18; 2/16; 2/15; 8/13; 8/12, 8/11, 7/09, 8/02, 1/97; Reaffirmed: 8/13; 8/10, 1/03; Adopted: 7/95
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Institution: El Paso Community College
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Program(s) to be Reviewed: Dental Assisting & Dental Hygiene
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Site Visit Date: April 10 – 12, 2024
60-day deadline for receipt of comments in the commission office.
Please email comments to the appropriate CODA staff. Staff emails are found at:
Program Documents
 | Program Guide - Dental Hygiene AAS | | Dental Hygiene Program Costs | | Dental Hygiene - Educational Competencies | | Dental Hygiene - Mission, Goals and Expected Outcomes | | Dental Hygiene - Observation and Essay Instructions | | Dental Hygiene - Program Outcomes |
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