A registered dental hygienist is a licensed professional who has graduated from an ADA/CODA accredited dental hygiene school and has successfully passed the written National Dental Hygiene Board Exam and the Western Regional Examining Board clinical exam. The TVC dental hygiene program has received the status of initial accreditation from the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).
The dental hygienist is highly educated and trained as a clinical provider to assess a patient’s oral health, perform diagnosed treatment such as cleaning teeth for children and adults, complex periodontal therapy, taking x-rays, applying fluoride to teeth, placing periodontal therapeutic agents and sealants. As an integral member of the dental health team, the dental hygienist educates the dental patient of other diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which may be affected by poor oral hygiene, periodontal disease and infection, and assists the patient in achieving oral health.
In Alaska, a licensed dental hygienist, under separate certificate, is able to administer local anesthetic and nitrous oxide. This is available only after successfully passing the requirements established in the Alaska Statutes and Regulations for Dentists and Dental Hygienists, and passing written and clinical boards.
Career Opportunities
A dental hygienist may work as a clinician in a private practice office, in specialty practices such as periodontics, pediatrics, orthodontics, in facilities of public health, managed care, and research, correctional institutions, hospitals, schools, and nursing homes. They may be employed as educators, managers, oral preventative program developers, researchers, sales, consumer advocates, editors, and consultants.
Specialized Admission Requirements
Acceptance into the TVC dental hygiene program is competitive and requires documentation of current immunizations, and appropriate titer to hepatitis B and chicken pox. The application and specific instructions for applying to the Dental Hygiene program will be available on-line Spring 2009. The next class of six students will begin September 2009.
Contact Information:
Rena Bower, CDA, RDH, BSOE
Program Coordinator
Assistant Professor,
Phone: 455-2834
Email: rlbower2@alaska.edu
Room 435, Tanana Valley Campus Center, 604 Barnette Street
Shannon Vargas, Dental Clinic Office Manager
Email: slvargas@alaska.edu
Phone: 455-2805
Room 436, Tanana Valley Campus Center, 604 Barnette Street