The mission of the Amarillo College Dental Hygiene Program is to provide quality technical education leading students toward the profession of Dental Hygiene and to enhance the quality of life in our community through the direct provision of Dental Hygiene services, including patient education, disease prevention, and therapeutic intervention to patients of all walks of life. This mission is accomplished by partnering with students to achieve academic excellence, participating in community service, offering comprehensive patient-centered care, and utilizing critical thinking and evidence-based decision-making skills. The mission and goals of the Dental Hygiene Program are closely related to Amarillo College's mission of transforming our community and economy through learning, innovation, and achievement. The educational objectives of the Amarillo College Dental Hygiene Program are based on creating a partnership with students to assist them in achieving academic excellence. The following goals are measured and evaluated to help ensure the program is fulfilling its mission:

Goal #1: To graduate students who demonstrate entry-level dental hygiene practitioner skills through excellent academic and clinical instruction.

• PSLO #1: Dental hygiene students will systematically plan and manage patient treatment by applying the Dental Hygiene Process of Care.             
• PSLO #2: Dental hygiene students will recognize medical and dental conditions requiring special precautions or considerations.
• PSL0 #3: Dental hygiene students will analyze and interpret assessment data to formulate a dental hygiene diagnosis.

Goal # 2: To graduate students who serve as a valuable resource for quality, comprehensive, patient-centered dental hygiene treatment to the community.

• PSLO #4: Dental hygiene students will demonstrate mastery in providing oral healthcare to individuals at all stages of life and for all periodontal classifications.  
• PSLO #5: Dental hygiene students will develop health promotion and disease prevention activities for diverse populations.

Goal # 3: To graduate students who apply critical thinking skills and exhibit ethical conduct in the healthcare setting. 

• PSLO #6: Dental hygiene students will critically, scientifically, and effectively synthesize information.
• PSLO #7: Dental hygiene students will critically analyze published reports of oral health research and apply this information to dental hygiene practice.        
• PSLO #8: Dental hygiene students will demonstrate professionalism and self-responsibility and adhere to an ethical code of conduct throughout the program.

Goal # 4: To graduate students who are evaluated as having met the No Excuses mission of the institution by demonstrating internal and external success.

• PSLO # 9: Dental hygiene students will participate in required remediation as indicated, complete entrance and exit skill evaluations, and participate in a focused national board review through HESI.

Goal # 5: To graduate students who contribute actively to the profession through professional involvement and continued education.

• PSLO #10: Dental hygiene students will provide planned educational services using appropriate interpersonal communication skills and strategies to promote optimal health through community and service learning.

The competencies of our program align with the domains recognized by the American Dental Hygiene Association, the American Dental Association, the Council on Dental Accreditation, and the American Dental Education Association. These domains encompass professionalism, which includes ethics, values, skills, and knowledge integral to all aspects of the profession. Additionally, they include health promotion/disease prevention, patient care, role in the community, and professional growth and development. By incorporating these domains into our program, we ensure that our students are prepared to excel in all aspects of dental hygiene practice.

Competencies-to-Evaluation Mapping Matrix

• Competency 1: Demonstrate systematic planning and management of patient treatment by applying the Dental Hygiene Process of Care.
• Competency 2: Recognize medical and dental conditions requiring special precautions or considerations before dental hygiene treatment.
• Competency 3: Analyze and interpret assessment data to formulate a dental hygiene diagnosis.
• Competency 4: Demonstrate mastery in providing oral healthcare to individuals at all stages of life and for all periodontal classifications.
• Competency 5: Develop health promotion and disease prevention activities for diverse populations.
• Competency 6: Critically, scientifically, and effectively synthesize information.
• Competency 7: Critically analyze published reports of oral health research and apply this information to dental hygiene practice.
• Competency 8: Demonstrate professionalism and self-responsibility and adhere to an ethical code of conduct throughout the program.
• Competency 9: Participate in required remediation as indicated, demonstrate competence on entrance and exit skill evaluations, and participate in a focused dental hygiene review capstone test through HESI.
• Competency 10: Provide planned educational services using appropriate interpersonal communication skills and strategies to promote optimal health through community and service learning.

Introduction

The Amarillo College (AC) Dental Hygiene Program is committed to ensuring the safety and health of patients, students, faculty, and staff by addressing issues related to bloodborne pathogens, including Hepatitis B (HBV), Hepatitis C (HCV), Tuberculosis (TB), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). This policy also upholds the rights of individuals with bloodborne infectious diseases.

Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens

Students are required to treat all assigned clients, which may expose them to bloodborne pathogens and infectious diseases during clinical services. Instruction is provided on infectious diseases, disease transmission mechanisms, and infection control procedures to minimize the risk of transmission among patients, operators, and students. Students must adhere to standard precautions and follow OSHA and CDC guidelines during all clinical procedures.

Responsibilities and Assumptions

While the dental hygiene faculty will provide necessary information to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and protect students, they do not assume responsibility for students' personal health. Students are ultimately responsible for preventing self-contamination from infectious diseases.

Safety and Risk Minimization

The AC Dental Hygiene Clinic is a safe environment for providing and receiving dental care. Adhering to appropriate infection control procedures significantly reduces the risk of contracting bloodborne diseases during dental treatments. This policy aims to minimize the risk of transmitting bloodborne pathogens and other environmental hazards in the clinic.

Immunizations

Students are advised to receive the Hepatitis B vaccine before starting clinical work. If a student declines the vaccine, they must sign a "Vaccination Declination Form," taking responsibility for their health. This form will be kept on record for any student who declines vaccinations.

Standard Precautions

Standard precautions involve the routine and consistent use of barrier protection, such as gloves, lab coats, masks, and protective eyewear, to prevent skin and mucous membrane exposure to microorganisms from contact with blood or body fluids. Standard precautions must be observed to prevent contact with potentially infectious materials. In cases where differentiating between body fluid types is difficult or impossible, all body fluids will be treated as potentially infectious.

Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens

During clinical courses, students exposed to bloodborne pathogens must follow the procedures outlined in the AC Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan, detailed in the Dental Hygiene Clinic Manual.

Communication of Hazardous Materials

Labels and signs must be affixed to containers of regulated waste containing blood or other potentially infectious materials. These labels should be fluorescent orange or orange-red with contrasting lettering or symbols.

Enforcement of Policy

Students engaging in unsafe or careless clinical practices that risk the health of clients, students, or staff will face disciplinary action. This includes a faculty review of the student's actions or behavior, which may result in immediate suspension from the program.

Transfer

Transferability of course work is usually dependent on the receiving institution’s course content requirements. No university is required to accept in excess of 66 semester credit hours in transfer from a community college. A university may accept more than 66 semester credit hours by choice, but cannot be compelled to do so. All students who may wish to transfer course work from Amarillo College to any college or university should contact the Admissions Office at the school to assure transferability.

Students may also compare the common course numbers with the common course information from the school where they wish to transfer. Courses designed to transfer to public colleges and universities in Texas are designated with the Texas Common Course Number in the catalog. If students encounter transfer problems, they should contact the Office of the Registrar. Students transferring to public colleges and universities in Texas should contact the receiving institution regarding additional fees that may be charged if they enroll for credit hours that exceed those required for their degrees (see “Notices to Students” section of catalog for more information).

Transfer Dispute Resolution

If an institution of higher education does not accept course credit earned by a student at another institution of higher education, the receiving institution shall give written notice to the student and to the sending institution that transfer of the course credit is denied, and shall include in that notice the reasons for denying the credit. Attached to the written notice shall be the procedures for resolution of transfer disputes for lower-division courses as outlined in this section, accompanied by clear instructions outlining the procedure for appealing the decision to the Texas Commissioner of Higher Education.

A student who receives notice as specified in the first paragraph of this policy may dispute the denial of credit by contacting the registrar’s office at either the sending or the receiving institution. The two institutions and the student shall attempt to resolve the transfer of the course credit in accordance with Board rules and guidelines. If the transfer dispute is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student or the sending institution within 45 days after the date the student received written notice of denial, the sending institution may notify the Commissioner in writing of the request for transfer dispute resolution, and the institution that denies the course credit for transfer shall notify the Commissioner in writing of its denial and the reasons for the denial. The Commissioner or the Commissioner’s designee shall make the final determination about a dispute concerning the transfer of course credit and give written notice of the determination to the involved student and institutions.