Dental Hygiene
Graduates of the 18-month Dental Hygiene program at RCC’s School of Dental Health enter their chosen careers equipped with a comprehensive skill-base. They are capable, whether working collaboratively with other professionals or independently, of providing primary oral health care through clinical therapy, education, and health promotion to various client groups.
RCC’s student-centred curriculum has four subject areas, namely:
* biomedical sciences
* oral health sciences
* behavioural sciences, and
* dental hygiene theory and practice.
It is built on the 2008 National Dental Hygiene Competencies and Entry-to-Practice Standards; Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada standards; College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario Standards of Practice, and the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario Code of Ethics.
Students are given both a solid theoretical base as well as sound clinical practice skills. This method produces well-rounded oral health care professionals who are proficient, within the scope of their practice, in the recognition and treatment of diseases of the gums and surrounding tissues, as well as the provision of preventative services in the promotion of their clients’ general and oral health. Their training also ensures that they have the skills to incorporate compassion, cultural sensitivity, evidence-based research and sound business acumen in their practice.
The Dental Hygiene program at RCC’s School of Dental Health also prepares graduates for the National Dental Hygiene Certification Exam and provincial clinical examinations.
Upon registration with the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario or another relevant provincial dental hygiene regulatory authority, a Registered Dental Hygienist may pursue careers in private clinical practice, public health, community dental hygiene, academia, research, marketing and consulting. Recent changes to the Dental Hygiene Act make it possible for Registered Dental Hygienists to become self-initiating, thereby opening avenues to set-up their own dental hygiene clinics. This allows dental hygienists to work independently, interdependently and collaboratively with other health care professionals in a variety of practice settings and environments.
