Dental Hygiene

Rock Valley College is committed to addressing issues related to blood-borne pathogens and infectious diseases, such as Human Immunodeficiency (HIV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), and coronavirus (COVID-19) to protect patients, students, faculty, and staff, as well as protect the rights of individuals who may have a blood-borne infectious disease. Students treat a variety of patients and as a result, the potential exists for exposure to blood-borne and other infectious diseases during patient care services.

1. Students and faculty are ethically obligated to provide patient care with compassion and demonstrate respect for human dignity.
2. Students and faculty may not ethically refuse to treat a patient solely because the patient is at risk of contracting, or has, an infectious disease such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), or Hepatitis B infection. These patients may not be subjected to discrimination.
3. Students, faculty, and staff are ethically obligated to respect the rights of privacy and confidentiality of patients with infectious diseases.
4. The program has established and enforced written preclinical, clinical, and laboratory protocols to ensure adequate asepsis, infection, hazard control, and hazardous waste disposal. Availability of gloves, masks, and protective eyewear by faculty, students, and patients in lab and clinical settings is consistent with current federal, state, and/or local guidelines. The protocols are reviewed by faculty to ensure accuracy and compliance.
5. Patients with infectious diseases are not denied treatment unless there is an active threat to the health or safety of the provider or others.

Revised 12/13/2024

Last Reviewed 2/19/2015

Consistent with Board Policy 4.10.010 (“Non-Discrimination”), the Rock Valley College Dental Hygiene Program does not discriminate against qualified applicants or enrolled students with disabilities. The Essential Abilities/Technical Standards outlined below are not intended to deter any individual from seeking admission to, or participating in, the Dental Hygiene Program.

POLICY STATEMENT: The Dental Hygiene Program has determined that the following Essential Abilities/Technical Standards are necessary for students admitted to the Program to achieve the knowledge, skills and competency required to work in the Respiratory Care field. The following Essential Abilities/Technical Standards must be met by all students admitted to the Dental Hygiene Program. If a student cannot fulfill these Essential Abilities/Technical Standards, with or without reasonable accommodation, the student may be subject to dismissal from the Program.

1. Essential judgment skills to include the ability to identify, assess, and comprehend conditions surrounding patient situations for problem-solving concerning their conditions and coming to appropriate conclusions and/or course of action. Example: Identify cause-effect relationships in clinical situations; identify an emergency.
2. Essential neurological functions to include the ability to use the senses of seeing, hearing, touch, and smell to make correct judgments regarding patient conditions to demonstrate competence to safely engage in work as a Dental Hygienist. Behaviors that demonstrate essential neurological functions include but are not limited to, observation, listening, understanding relationships and spatial relationships, writing, and psychomotor abilities. Example: Detect emergency cries for help. Observe client responses. Sitting on a stool or standing in an operatory for extended periods as required by a dental hygienist.
3. Essential psychomotor abilities to include ability to perform fine motor movements required for instrumentation skills, hand/eye coordination, and working with use of intraoral mirrors. Example: Perform all aspects of oral prophylaxis such as scaling and root planing (non-surgical periodontal therapy), periodontal debridement, and polishing.
4. Essential communication skills to include the ability to communicate effectively and professionally with fellow students, faculty, patients, and all members of the dental team. Skills include verbal, written, and nonverbal abilities consistent with effective communication, as well as comprehension of the English language and appropriate professional medical terminology. Example: Document in the dental record. Initiate communication with a member of the dental team regarding patient care.
5. Essential emotional coping skills to include the ability to demonstrate the necessary mental health and to assume responsibility for one’s actions. This includes basic skills that allow for positive interactions with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Example: Establish rapport with members of the dental team and patients.
6. Essential intellectual/conceptual skills to include the ability to measure, calculate, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate, to engage competently in the safe practice of dental hygiene. Example: Ability to understand assigned objectives and identify essential skills and tasks required to meet goals as described in course objectives.
7. Other essential behavioral attributes to include the ability to engage in activities consistent with safe practice without demonstrated behaviors of addiction to, abuse of, or dependence on alcohol, or other drugs that may impair behavior or judgment. The student must demonstrate responsibility and accountability for actions as a student in the Dental Hygiene Program and as a developing dental hygienist.

PROCEDURE:

1. The Essential Abilities Standards are reviewed with all students during information sessions for the Dental Hygiene Program. Students will be required to sign a statement at their student orientation indicating that they have read and understand that they will be expected to meet the requirements of the Essential Abilities Standards and Policy.
2. Faculty is responsible for determining whether a student has met the requirements of the Essential Abilities Standards.
3. Students failing to meet Essential Abilities, as determined by faculty, at any point in the Dental Hygiene Program may have their process interrupted. Students will then be required to demonstrate their ability to meet the Essential Abilities within a defined time frame.
4. Students unable to meet the Essential Abilities, even if a reasonable accommodation is made, will be dismissed from the Dental Hygiene Program.
5. Students who are dismissed from the Program due to their inability to meet the Essential Abilities Standards may request review of the dismissal by following procedures outlined in the RVC Student Handbook for grade appeal.