The Dental Hygiene program at Missouri College is designed to provide students with a comprehensive and interdisciplinary plan of studies, through applied theory and practical applications, to become entry-level dental hygienists qualified for employment in clinical practice and alternative career settings. Students receive training in general education, biomedical sciences, dental sciences and dental hygiene sciences. The core curriculum is structured to include a lecture component, a laboratory component, and a clinical component. The final 45 weeks of the curriculum includes supervised experiences in a clinical environment which requires competencies, logs, and evaluations completed by the student. At the conclusion of the program, graduates who have diligently attended class and completed their clinical duties should have the skills to seek entry-level employment as dental hygienists.
ACCREDITATION/CERTIFICATION INFORMATION DISCLOSURE
Accreditation is a voluntary process which may be undertaken by schools to demonstrate compliance with specific standards designed to indicate a level of education quality. Missouri College is institutionally accredited (accredited in total) by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools of Colleges and Technology (ACCSCT), an independent accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education (DOE). This indicates that Missouri College substantially meets or exceeds the stated criteria of education quality established by ACCSCT and approved by the DOE. This recognition of institutional accreditation by ACCSCT entitles Missouri College to offer Title IV Financial Assistance to students who qualify. An additional form of accreditation that a school may undertake to obtain is a specific, individual accreditation of certain programs (programmatic accreditation). Institutional accreditation is not the same as or a substitution for programmatic accreditation. Although programmatic accreditation is not required for employment in many cases, the existence of programmatic accreditation is a further indication that a program meets the standards of the profession, and may therefore indirectly enhance employment opportunities. Also, in some cases, programmatic accreditation will allow the graduates of the accredited program to sit for some credentialing exams immediately upon graduation without any requirement of work experience.
The Dental Hygiene program at Missouri College is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) of the American Dental Association (ADA) and has been granted the accreditation status of initial accreditation. Therefore, graduates of Missouri College’s Dental Hygiene program are eligible take the National Board Licensure Examination upon graduation. This credential is a nationally recognized voluntary licensure that enhances employment and career opportunities.
STATE LICENSURE/REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Licensure and/or registration requirements are controlled by the individual states and are subject to change without notice. Any person who is of good moral character and reputation and who has satisfactorily completed a course in dental hygiene in an accredited dental hygiene school may apply to the board for examination and registration as a dental hygienist in Missouri. Missouri College does not control state licensure, certification and/or registration requirements and cannot guarantee that graduates will be eligible to work as dental hygienists in Missouri or other states, at all or at any specific time, regardless of their eligibility status upon enrollment.
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