Students who complete the Dental Hygiene Program at Amarillo College and pass their licensure exams are equipped to provide preventive, educational, and therapeutic services that support disease prevention and total oral health in a dental setting. Amarillo College has a superlative record of student success, which is mirrored in the program’s uninterrupted string of full and unconditional reaccreditation efforts. This includes consecutive and rare perfect scores on site visits by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). The U.S. Department of Education recognizes CODA as the sole agency to nationally accredit dental and dental related education programs conducted at the post-secondary level. The mission of AC’s Dental Hygiene Program is to provide quality technical education that leads students to academic excellence and inclusion in community service, and it does that as well as any such program in the nation.
Dental hygienists clean teeth, examine patients for signs of oral diseases such as gingivitis, and provide other preventive dental care. They also educate patients on ways to improve and maintain good oral health. A dental hygienist most often works in general or specific oral health practices, but other areas of employment are possible – from professional education and federal programs to the armed services. Employment of dental hygienists is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations. Ongoing research linking oral health to general health will continue to spur demand for the preventive dental services provided by dental hygienists.