Dental Hygiene - Profession

Dental Hygiene Profession Menu

PATIENT CARE CLINIC

Dental Hygiene students obtain the practicum hours necessary for dental hygiene licensure at City Tech on campus in the patient care clinic.
All patient care is provided under the supervision of licensed Dental Hygienists and Dentists.
The City Tech patient care clinic provides oral health services to the surrounding tristate area.
The Dental Hygiene program encourages potential students to schedule a dental hygiene appointment and see the process of care provided to the community.

To schedule an appointment:
Call 718-260-5074 or email DentalHygiene@citytech.cuny.edu

For Patient Care Clinic Hours and Information, click here.

CONTACT US

285 Jay Street
Academic Building 701 (A-701)
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Email: DentalHygiene@citytech.cuny.edu

Phone: 718-260-5070

DH Profession

Overview of the Dental Hygiene Profession and Educational Program

Dental Hygiene Profession

A dental hygienist is a licensed member of the dental healthcare team who provides educational, clinical, and therapeutic services to their patients within the scope of their state Dental Hygiene Practice Act. Patient care provided by a Dental Hygienist includes collection of assessment data and creating a treatment plan, implementation of care, and evaluation of the treatment provided.

To practice dental hygiene, graduates are required to pass a National Board Examination on the theory of dental hygiene and a Clinical Board Examination on the clinical practice of dental hygiene. Application for licensure must be made to the individual state(s) where the applicant intends to practice.

Educational Program

In the educational curriculum, the dental hygiene student will learn critical thinking skills to develop professional judgement, ethical conduct, and prevention of disease transmission by utilizing infection control guidelines. Students will develop communication skills for healthcare professionals, which will enable them to engage the patient as a partner in their own oral healthcare. The student will learn all aspects of documentation and standard chart entries, which are considered the standard in the profession. Students will provide care to a broad range of patients with a variety of systemic health conditions on campus at the City Tech patient care clinic. Students must complete all requirements for the AAS degree within five years of the date of their matriculation into the dental hygiene program.

After completion of the educational program, graduates will be eligible to take the series of licensing examinations namely, the National Dental Hygiene Board Examination (NDHBE) and the CDCA-WREB-CITA Examination.

Professional Roles

Among the employers of the graduates of this program are private dental practices, public and private health agencies, hospitals, industrial clinics, government agencies, U.S. Armed Services, schools of dentistry and dental hygiene and dental supply companies.

  • The Dental Hygienist1

    The dental hygienist plays an integral role in assisting individuals and groups in achieving and maintaining optimal oral health. Dental hygienists provide educational, clinical, and consultative services to individuals and populations of all ages in a variety of settings and capacities.

  • Clinician1

    Dental hygienists in a clinical role assess, diagnose, plan, implement, evaluate, and document treatment for prevention, intervention, and control of oral diseases, while practicing in collaboration with other health professionals. Hygienists are employed in private dental offices, community clinics, hospitals, University dental clinics, prison facilities, nursing homes and schools.

  • Public Health1

    Public Health dental hygienists provide care to those who do not have access to dental care. Hygienists employed in public health settings include rural or inner-city community clinics, Indian Health Service, Head Start programs, school sealant programs Administrator, State public health officer, and Community clinic administrator.

  • Researcher1

    Research conducted by dental hygienists can be either qualitative or quantitative. Hygienists employed as researchers work in colleges and universities, corporations, governmental agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

  • Educator1

    Dental hygiene educators are in great demand. Dental hygiene educators are employed as clinical instructors, classroom instructors, Program directors, and corporate educators.

  • Administrator1

    Hygienist employed as administrators work as clinical directors, administrators in statewide sealant programs, Program directors, dental hygiene educational programs, Executive directors, State association staff, University research administrator, director of corporate sales.

  • Corporate1

    Hygienists are hired as sales representatives, product researchers, corporate educators, and corporate administrators.

  • Entrepreneur1

    Examples of business opportunities developed by hygienists include, practice management companies, product development and sales, employment service, CE provider or meeting planner, consulting business, Founder of a nonprofit, Independent clinical practice, and professional speaker and writer.

Reference:

  1. https://www.adha.org/resources-docs/The_Roles_of_a_Dental_Hygienist.pdf

Career Opportunity and Projected Growth
Dental Hygienists: Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov)

Employment Outlook
A 9% growth in the employment of Dental Hygienist is expected between 2021-2031.1

Annual Wages in the New York City Region2:
Mean Average: $83,600
Hourly Mean Wage: $40.19

Reference:

  1. Dental Hygienists : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov)
  2. Dental Hygienists (bls.gov)

For more information, please contact us at DentalHygiene@citytech.cuny.edu. For more information on Dental Hygiene Licensing in New York State, click here.