Welcome!
We are delighted for your interest in the Pierce College Dental Hygiene Program.
Our 30 plus year accredited Program, from the American Dental Association (ADA) Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), enjoys National acclaim and recognition for consistently graduating clinically skilled and intellectually strong dental hygiene clinicians. The Pierce College Dental Hygiene Faculty strive for an affable academic climate that commands the very best from the student, balances all aspects of the skills needed for you to be competent and successful, and maintains a high standard to ensure public safety. Currently, our dental hygiene clinic is incorporating the very latest and best technology, including office management software, digital radiography, computer-assisted anesthesia, and more!
What is the profession of Dental Hygiene?
A licensed health professional dedicated to the prevention and treatment/control of oral diseases. A dental hygienist licensed in the State of Washington is an oral health educator and clinician taught to perform all aspects of treating gingival and periodontal diseases (gum disease), some restorative procedures (placing and carving or finishing fillings), and the administration of local anesthesia and nitrous oxide sedation.
What qualifications/traits/behaviors do I need to be a successful dental hygiene student/clinician?
- Be inquisitive/intrigued about oral environment: mouth, teeth, tissue and its relationship to the whole body
- Have an ability to disregard or at least tolerate oral mouth odors and blood, food debris, etc. in the mouth
- Enjoy people and people interaction showing compassion and caring to place the patient's welfare first
- Be respectful of self and others' views and rights
- Be organized and detailed
- Have sufficient emotional stability and responsibility to withstand the stresses, uncertainties, and changing circumstances that characterize the practice of dental hygiene
- Enjoy fine motor tasks
- Be able to communicate effectively: reading, writing and verbally/non-verbally
- Be responsible for own learning and accountable for one's own actions
- Be ethical with integrity, intellectual ability, physical competency, and personal responsibility
What are the benefits of becoming a Dental Hygienist?
- Job security: Demand is high for clinicians with rural areas in very high demand.
- Flexibility: Part-time, full-time, partial days, etc., as a work schedule. Arrange your schedule exactly how you prefer!
- Variety: Diversity in locations, patients, technology and the ever evolving/dynamic science of dental hygiene.
What is the Program like at the satellite campus in Port Angeles?
The Port Angeles site has an exclusive and highly specific educational setting. You are "Pierce College Dental Hygiene at Peninsula College!" Classroom lectures occur at Peninsula College via ITV (interactive television) with Fort Steilacoom faculty, and the clinical and lab classes take place at the modern and new Olympic Community Action Program Dental Clinic. Port Angeles students enjoy the broader college community of Peninsula College. You have your own specific classroom, your own clinical faculty, and most recently, a mentoring program to provide a strong community-based support to the students. The role of a distant campus student requires more autonomy in your learning, and necessitates very strong written communication skills as most of your communication with the Pierce College site and the faculty is via email. Indeed, all students in the Pierce College Dental Hygiene Program must develop very strong written communication skills, as all of our courses use Blackboard as our main means of communication to and from the student since we employ part-time faculty that are not on campus daily. Finally, the Port Angeles students enjoy all the same alacrity as the students at Fort Steilacoom.
Our Mission Statement:
The Pierce College Dental Hygiene Program prepares learners for the privilege and responsibility to practice in the profession of Dental Hygiene. This preparation focuses on essential competencies for the successful practice of the profession, inspires lifelong learning, and service to the community.
Disclaimer:
Please be advised that all content is subject to change.
