Dental Hygiene A.A.S. Technical Standards Policy

All applicants to the Dental Hygiene A.A.S. program must be able to meet the department's technical standards as outlined on this page. Any information supplied is strictly voluntary and will be shared only with appropriate school officials who coordinate or provide support services or accommodations. Hudson Valley Community College's Center for Access and Assistive Technology will provide accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Please complete the attached form certifying that you have read, understand and are able to meet these standards.

Technical Standards For Admission, Promotion and Graduation

Technical Standards are non-academic criteria used in the admission, promotion and graduation of students. Technical Standards are published discipline specific essentials critical for the safe and reasonable practice of Dental Hygiene. They also protect qualified persons with disabling conditions against discrimination. Technical Standards are a concrete statement of the minimum physical, sensory/motor, communication, behavioral/social, mental/emotional and environmental requirements for normal and safe professional function. They are intended to inform the prospective student/professional of the attributes, characteristics and abilities essential to dental hygiene practice. Professional competency is the summation of many cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills. The College has a moral and ethical responsibility to select, educate and certify competent and safe students and practitioners. Patient health and safety is the sole benchmark against which we measure all performance requirements, including the Technical Standards addressed in this document.

Applicant Certificate of Understanding must be signed on last page and returned to the Office of Admissions.

Technical Standards

All candidates for the Dental Hygiene Associate in Applied Science Degree must possess essential skills and abilities necessary to complete the Dental Hygiene curriculum successfully either with or without reasonable accommodations for any disabilities the individual may have. The School of Health Sciences Technical Standards are as follows:

1. COMMUNICATION
   Obtain medical/dental history from the patient, parent or guardian. Deliver, receive and interpret verbal and non-verbal communication to and from the patient, instructor, peer students and staff personnel. Accurately record findings on all patient records.
2. OBSERVATION AND SENSORY SKILLS
   Visually assess, bimanually palpate, and tactfully interpret hard and soft anatomic structures. Appropriate depth perception with vision from a distance of 18 inches with or without corrective lenses. Recognize and react to signs of medical emergency.
3. MANUAL DEXTERITY AND MOTOR SKILLS
   Use of personal protective devices (tolerate face mask/shield, safety eyewear, surgical gloves and laboratory coat). Carry out OSHA infection control procedures (use of cleaners and chemicals).
   Perform dental hygiene procedures (scaling, polishing, x-rays) and manipulate dental materials. Access to the patient from a seated or standing position, with or without assistive device (wheel chair).
   Operate switches, knobs, levers in operation of the dental chair and accessory equipment in all clinics and laboratory settings.
   Appropriate psychomotor skills, manual dexterity and motor ability to perform fine and gross motor skills to allow for effective and safe instrumentation.
4. CONCEPTUAL/ANALYTICAL REASONING
   Perform treatment modalities using concepts and judgments that are the standard of care for the Dental Hygiene profession.
5. SOCIAL SKILLS
   Demonstrates respect and caring for all patients. Demonstrates sensitive responses to patients in clinical settings. Interacts with peers, patients, staff and faculty in an emotionally stable, professional and ethical manner. Respects diversity of cultures among clinical patients, college personnel and peers. Demonstrates team approach in carrying out responsibilities in all settings.

For information on services for students with disabilities or if you have a question regarding this information please call or write to:

DeAnne Martocci
Director, Center for Access and Assistive Technology
(518) 629-7154
T.D.D. (518) 629-7596
FAX (518) 629-4831

Please feel free to write a separate letter and to forward any reports, articles or other information that would be helpful in providing support.
NOTE: Appropriate documentation must be supplied in order to secure the requested accommodations. The completed form and related correspondence should be returned to the Dental Hygiene Department, Fitzgibbons Health Technologies Center room 157, Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, NY 12180.