Mission & Goals

Mission Statement

Austin Community College Department of Dental Hygiene prepares a diverse student population to become competent entry-level dental hygiene professionals by providing an inclusive, equitable, and safe learning environment that serves the evolving needs of the community and oral health workforce.

Philosophy

The day-to-day activities of the Dental Hygiene Program reflect our mission. All individuals deserve to be treated with respect in all interactions, whether in the classroom, among peers, or assisting a client in the dental hygiene clinic. Respect for the individual creates a trust between students, faculty, and staff that will be felt far beyond the classroom walls.

The Dental Hygiene Program is committed to the value of lifelong learning by cultivating an environment that encourages the advancement of knowledge for all of the program’s stakeholders: students, faculty, staff, members of the dental community, and the public served by the program. The needs of all stakeholders will be tempered with the understanding that the program exists for the students. All resources will be managed for the purpose of developing caring dental hygiene professionals that will prove to be valuable assets to society.

Goals

The goals of the Dental Hygiene Program are to:

Goal 1- the program will provide a supportive learning environment that promotes student success, retention, and the development of competent entry-level dental hygiene professionals.
Goal 2- the program will prepare students to provide safe, evidence-based, comprehensive, patient-centered dental hygiene care to diverse populations.
Goal 3- the program will prepare students to demonstrate professionalism, ethical decision-making, effective communication, cultural competence, and a commitment to lifelong learning and service.

Areas of Study

We provide Dental Hygiene students a thorough education in the following areas:

• Tooth morphology; head, neck, and oral anatomy
• Dental radiology procedures and techniques
• Oral health education and preventive counseling
• Dental hygiene assessment and treatment planning
• Management of dental hygiene care for child, adolescent, adult, geriatric, and special needs patients
• Provision of comprehensive dental hygiene services to include the removal of deposits from the teeth, pain management, and the application of therapeutic agents
• Assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of community-based oral health programs
• Application of ethical, legal, regulatory, and practice management concepts

Competency Statements

The program goals are supported by the following 13 competency statements, which serve as the program student learning outcomes (PSLOs).

Dental Hygiene students will competently:

• identify and apply ethical reasoning, ethical decision-making, legal principles, and professional responsibility as they pertain to the academic environment, research, patient care and management
• demonstrate effective interprofessional communication and collaboration with professionals from diverse disciplines to support comprehensive patient care and improve the oral health of communities
• apply infection and exposure control practices to maintain a safe environment for themselves and others
• collect, assess, document, and communicate patients’ medical, dental, familial, and social histories, including risk factors, and initiate appropriate referrals
• provide patients or guardians with the information necessary to make informed decisions and obtain informed consent for dental hygiene procedures
• collect, assess, document, and communicate patients’ orofacial findings through comprehensive extraoral and intraoral screenings, periodontal assessments, diagnostic imaging, and evaluation of hard and soft tissue conditions
• develop, document, and communicate individualized and comprehensive dental hygiene treatment and preventive care plans based on patient assessment findings
• implement, evaluate, modify, and document, and dental hygiene care plans
• communicate and provide patient-centered guidance to promote oral health and prevent oral disease
• recognize and manage medical emergencies in the patient care environment
• promote oral health among diverse populations through culturally responsive communication and community engagement
• assess, plan, implement, and evaluate community oral health programs
• provide dental hygiene care to diverse patient populations (children, adolescent, adult, geriatric, special needs)