ASSOCIATE IN SCIENCE DEGREE
The
Dental Hygienist
 The
Dental Hygienist, as a member of the dental health team,
is qualified by education and license to provide primary
care to patients for the maintenance of oral health
and prevention of oral disease.
Dental hygienists
should enjoy working with patients on an individual
level and group presentations on oral health. They need
to have good communication skills, appear neat and clean,
have good manual dexterity and an interest in science.
Work
Conditions and Earnings
The dental hygienists usually work in private dental
offices. As a health care worker the dental hygienist
is guided by the OSHA guidelines for infection control.
Earnings vary depending on the amount of experience
of the hygienist, the location of employment and the
employer specialty. Dental hygienists who work in private
dental offices usually are salaried. Some hygienists
work for two or more dentists.
Under supervision
of the dentist, the hygienist removes deposits and stains
from teeth, applies agents to help prevent tooth decay,
provides oral health instruction, administers local
anesthesia and nitrous oxide sedation, and performs
soft tissue curettage.
Employment
Outlook
The employment opportunities for dental hygienists,
full- or part-time, are good and expected to increase
due to increased participation in dental prepayment
plans.
Licensing
Examination
Completion of the program qualifies the student to take
the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and the
California Dental Hygiene Clinical Examination for licensure.
The California
State Licensing requires the submission of official
fingerprinting; a license may be denied if the person
has been convicted of a felony. For more information
on this, contact the California Board of Dental Examiners,1432
Howe Avenue, #85, Sacramento, California 95825.
General
Information
The WLAC Dental Hygiene Program was organized and established
in conjunction with the University of California at
Los Angeles as the first two-year dental hygiene curriculum
in Southern California.
Dental
Hygiene Curriculum
The program in dental hygiene is accredited by The Commission
on Dental Accreditation. The Commission is a specialized
accrediting body recognized by the Commission on Recognition
of Post Secondary Accreditation and by the United States
Department of Education.
In the curriculum,
courses are planned in sequence and courses cannot be
repeated unless the student reapplies to the program
or space becomes available in the second year. It is
necessary to obtain at least a C grade in all courses
in order to continue in the dental
hygiene program. Candidates for graduation must satisfactorily
complete the dental hygiene program according to the
State of California Dental Practice Act guidelines for
curriculum.
Plan
of Instruction
The two-year program provides education of the highest
quality in basic sciences, dental sciences and clinical
dental hygiene services. The curriculum leads to an
Associate of Science degree.
Facilities
Classroom and laboratory facilities are located on campus
at West Los Angeles College. The Dental Clinic facilities
are located in the Health Science Center at UCLA, Wadsworth
Veterans' Hospital, Cedar-Sinai Medical Centerl and
The Children's Dental Center. Students also observe
and participate in various specialty clinics at UCLA
which include radiology, pediatric dentistry, periodontics,
orthodontics, and oral surgery.
Cost
of the Program
Student enrollment fees are currently $26.00 per unit.
Non-resident fee is available upon request. Additional
expenses in the program include instruments, infection
control materials, laboratory equipment, books, professional
dues and malpractice insurance. Approximate cost for
the first year is $5,000 and for the second year $2,000.
Admissions
Statement
The selection of students for admission to a hygiene
educational program shall be based on estimates of their
capacity for success in the study of dental hygiene
as determined by evaluation of all available and significant
information including information regarding background,
knowledge, aptitude for and interest in the study and
practice of dental hygiene, and the range of subject
matter and quality of their scholastic record.
California Dental Practice Act 1994
Dental Hygiene Home Page |
Location: A-9 Building
Hours: Monday-Friday
9:00AM-4:30PM
Phone: (310)-287-4464
Fax: (310)-287-4461
Dental Hygiene Faculty Roster
Dental Hygiene Full Time Faculty
- Ara Aguiar, RDH, MBA
- Satenik McDaniel, RDHAP, MPH
- Lisa Takayama, RDH, MS
Biology Full Time Faculty
- Steven Fink, MS
- Phyllis J Morrison, PhD
Dental Hygiene Part-time Faculty
- Cynthia Chambers, RDH, MS
- Carmen Dones, RDH, BS
- Carmen Garrido, RDH
- Debi Gerger, RDH, MP
- Linda Glatstein, RDH, BS
- Donna Klauser, DDS
- Donna Lawrence, RDH
- Arvie Malik, RDH, BS
- Fariba Mehr, RDH, MS
- Joan Otomo-Corgel, DDS, MPH
- Eleanor Padnick, DDS, MA
- Jerome Samonte, RDH, BS
- Sandra Schneidewind, RDH, BS
- Patricia Zuk, PhD
Professor Emeritus - Ulla E Lemborn, RHD, MS
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