KVCC Dental Hygiene Program

The Dental Hygiene program prepares students to become qualified Dental Hygiene practitioners. A Dental Hygienist's primary responsibility is to promote optimal oral health through preventive and educational services. Graduates of this program are granted an Associate's in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree, and are eligible to take the National Board Exam in Dental Hygiene and the Regional or State Licensing Exams.

ACCREDITATION

The program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and has been granted the accreditation status of “approval without reporting requirements.” The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission can be contacted at (312) 440-2500 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611.

The Commission on Dental Accreditation is soliciting third party comments relative to the accreditation status of the Department of Dental Hygiene Education at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. Comments may be submitted by interested parties such as faculty, students, program administrators, Commission consultants, specialty and dental related organizations, patients and consumers.

DENTAL HYGIENE CLINIC

Welcome to KVCC’s Dental Hygiene Clinic! Our students provide complete dental hygiene care to the general public. The students initially work on manikins and each other completing approximately 20 weeks of rigorous class work prior to seeing clients. The appointments are initially 3 hours in length, allowing time for the students to collect the data necessary to make a complete dental hygiene diagnosis with a treatment plan that fills the client’s dental hygiene needs. The faculty evaluates students during the appointment to assess students’ progress. Depending on your dental hygiene needs, additional appointments may be required.

To enhance your appointment utilization, you may want to download and complete the following forms from the links below: Client Bill of Rights and Medical History. Certain medical conditions require antibiotic premedication which will be determined at the time you schedule your appointment.

Appointments are available by calling the KVCC Dental Hygiene Clinic at 269-488-4338. When you phone for this appointment, please be prepared to give our receptionist a few medical history answers plus what medications you are taking including the dosages.

Thank you for your interest in the Kalamazoo Valley Community College Dental Hygiene Program.

We are proud of our unique dental hygiene program, which includes one year of prerequisite coursework and two years of dental hygiene. Our clinic uses the EagleSoft software for both clinical and practice management. Our radiography department is digital. If you are comfortable with computer technology, sciences, and care about helping people, our program may be right for you. Important Information about the KVCC Dental Hygiene Program:

• Accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).
• An on-campus, state-of-the-art dental hygiene clinic in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
• Fourteen dental chair clinic with four x-ray operatories.
• Low faculty/student clinical ratio to provide students with the opportunity for an interactive learning environment.
• Courses on local anesthesia and pain control are part of the students’ education.
• Computerized client file/scheduling programs.
• Computer experience needed includes: keyboarding, use of a mouse, and some software problem solving skills.
• Community based clinical experiences.
• Diversified client base.