Dental Hygiene

Taft College’s Dental Hygiene Program consists of two-years and over 1600 hours of courses focused solely on education that culminates competence in preventing and treating oral diseases to protect the oral cavity and the patients’ total health. Throughout the program, students will learn and participate in lectures, labs, and patientcare clinic sessions, where they gain skills in health assessment, dental hygiene treatment planning, periodontal instrumentation and preventative oral health education leading them to entry-level competence for a license to practice. The Taft College Dental Hygiene Program gives students the knowledge, experience, and educational requirements necessary to pass regional and national board examinations. The Program is accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation and is approved by the Dental Hygiene Board of California.

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Program Student Learning Outcomes

·     Legal and Ethical Principles. Graduates will be competent in the ethical and legal aspects of the dental hygiene profession.

·     Dental Hygiene Process of Care. Graduates will be competent in providing preventive and therapeutic dental hygiene services to patients of all ages, ethnicity, and socioeconomic levels.

·     Community Awareness.  Graduates will participate in various community health programs that will focus on improving the oral health of individuals, families, and community groups.

·     Life Long Learning. Graduates will have the ability to apply experience, skills, and knowledge to develop and implement a plan for professional growth.

·     Infection Control.  Graduates will be competent in all aspects of infection control procedures and hazardous waste management.

·     Critical Thinking.  Graduates will be competent in problem solving strategies related to comprehensive patientcare and management of patients

Taft College’s Dental Hygiene Program consists of two-years and over 1600 hours of courses focused solely on education that culminates competence in preventing and treating oral diseases to protect the oral cavity and the patients’ total health. Throughout the program, students will learn and participate in lectures, labs, and patientcare clinic sessions, where they gain skills in health assessment, dental hygiene treatment planning, periodontal instrumentation and preventative oral health education leading them to entry-level competence for a license to practice. The Taft College Dental Hygiene Program gives students the knowledge, experience, and educational requirements necessary to pass regional and national board examinations. The Program is accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation and is approved by the Dental Hygiene Board of California.