Dental Hygiene

The mission of the Malcolm X College Dental Hygiene Program is to educate students to provide comprehensive dental hygiene care to all populations using critical thinking and evidenced-based decision making.  

Dental hygiene students, faculty, and patients are exposed to bloodborne pathogens.  These include (but are not limited to) pathogenic microorganisms present in human blood and saliva and have the potential to cause diseases such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B (HBV), and Hepatitis C (HCV.  The infectious disease and bloodborne Pathogen Policy is available by contacting the dental hygiene program at 312-850-7077.

For this reason dental hygiene students admitted to the Program are required to submit antibody titers for Hepatitis B, Varicella Zoster, Measles Mumps, & Rubella and proof that they are negative for tuberculosis. 

Additionally, many of our clinical partners require proof of Covid vaccination. Clinical rotations are a part of the program. If you do not have the Covid vaccine, it may affect your ability to participate in these rotations and could impact your success in the program. 

Technical Standards 

To participate in the Program, students must be able to meet the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) competencies and Program Technical Standards. Program Technical Standards are not intended as a deterrent to participation in the Program. We encourage Program applicants with disabilities or admitted participants who later are identified with disabilities to consult with the Senior Director.  The Senior Director, in consultation with the City Colleges of Chicago’s ACCESS Center, will assess whether reasonable accommodations of academic adjustments and auxiliary aids can be provided in a manner that does not fundamentally alter the nature of the Dental Hygiene Program.  If an applicant or a student prefers to have an initial confidential conversation regarding reasonable accommodations, the student should contact the Dean of Student Services.  To the extent feasible, the Dean of Student Services will confer with the Senior Director to discuss the applicant’s or student’s requests without sharing identifiable information about the applicant or student. 

Below are the Technical Standards which are necessary to successfully complete Dental Hygiene Program requirements.  These Technical Standards are not conditions of admission or participation but rather reflect the performance abilities and skills necessary to be a successful dental hygiene student. This list of standards is not exhaustive, and meeting all the Technical Standards does not ensure successful completion of the Program.

Admitted students must attest to the capacity to meet Technical Standards prior to enrollment in the Program.  Enrolled students must reaffirm this capacity prior to the start of second year of the Program.

A student must be able to understand patients, faculty, and staff.  The student must be able to assess and monitor patients.

• Take blood pressure readings.
• Interact with the patient in a manner to protect patient privacy.
• Monitor percussion sounds during patient assessment.
• Distinguish between the variety of equipment/emergency alarms.

A student must be able to monitor and assess the patient and equipment function and observe findings in a patient’s mouth and on the computer screen, to provide safe and effective dental hygiene care.

•           Read written instructions.
• Read fine print, blood pressure measurements and fine instrument measurements in millimeter increments. 
• Differentiate color/characteristics of gingiva for signs of infection and/or disease.
• Record procedures and observations legibly in a permanent dental record.
• Observe demonstrations and patients close up and at a distance to learn skills and to gather patient data (e.g., observe a patient’s gait, observe faculty instrumentation.        demonstrations).
• Possess visual acuity for near, far, depth perception, and peripheral vision.

A student must be able to collect patient data tactilely.

•       Determine pulse rate and detect calculus on a typodont and on a patient.

A student must be mobile enough to treat a patient while sitting on a dental stool or equivalent seating and be able to respond quickly in an emergency situation.

•       Respond to emergency situations in a timely manner.
• Reach patient’s mouth from an ergonomically seated position.
• Reach above shoulder height to manipulate equipment.
• Reach below waist level to manipulate equipment.
• A student must be able to perform multiple motor tasks simultaneously. 
• Manipulate instruments in a patient/student partners mouth to without causing trauma and to effectively gather assessment data and clean and polish teeth.
• Use hand, fingers and wrist simultaneously.
• Perform airway management and CPR.
• Possess hand – eye, hand – eye foot coordination.

Students must be able to effectively communicate with patients and members of the dental health-care team.

• Clearly and accurately record and interpret verbal and nonverbal communication in English.
• Interact with patients, faculty, staff and families from a variety of cultural backgrounds.
• Use a computer, be knowledgeable in Microsoft Office, be able to learn to use electronic dental records and be able to navigate and effectively use Learning Management    Software.

Students must be able to collect data, measure, calculate, reason, analyze, synthesize, integrate, apply information, and problem solve.

Students must possess the emotional skills required to use their intellectual abilities to:

• Exercise good judgment.
• Promptly complete all responsibilities attendant to patient care.
• Develop mature, sensitive and effective relationships with patients and other dental healthcare workers. 
• Function effectively under stress. 
• Adapt to changing environments.
• Display flexibility.
• Learn to function in the face of uncertainties and ambiguities inherent in the clinical problems of many patients.
• Demonstrate compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest and motivation.

Applicants are eligible to apply online once the following criteria have been met: