Dental Therapy

Overview

Dental Therapy (DT) dəxʷx̌ayəbus - (pronounced as dahf-hi-ya-boos) is a Lushootseed phrase that translates to a Place of Smiles. Lushootseed is a common language of coastal Salish tribes, made up of many local dialects of Native Americans throughout the Puget Sound region. The objective of the program is to deliver “smiles” since smiles are strong indicators of personal confidence as well as physical and mental health.

The Dental Therapy (DT) program at Skagit Valley College was created to increase access to quality, culturally competent, and primary oral health care. The program trains dental providers who are engaged as oral health advocates in their communities. dəxʷx̌ayəbus is a dental therapy education program based on a non-dental hygiene model. Dental Therapy will modernize and expand the dental team in Native American communities.

The Dental Therapy program is a rigorous 3-year professional training program condensed in two calendar years. Dental therapy courses within the program are specific and build upon previous courses with concepts that start from simple to complex.

NOTE: dəxʷx̌ayəbus Dental Therapy is a self-supporting program. Please note that per credit tuition differs from the state tuition rate.

Program Learning Outcomes:

Also see General Education Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Dental Therapy program will be able to:

Develop clinical care through a holistic health team approach that is grounded in evidence-based practices, rich in cultural humility, public health, and community awareness.
Recognize the complexity of patient care and partner with patients to collaborate with other dental specialists and healthcare providers in managing patient’s comprehensive oral health.
Comprehend the oral health needs of underserved communities, specifically native communities, and become oral health advocates when leading community service-related activities.
Apply scientific knowledge when learning, researching, and delivering oral health care by utilizing critical thinking and evidence-based decision-making.

Dental Therapy Curriculum

The Dental Therapy program is designed to develop students into people who have the knowledge, values, and skills to practice of dental therapy. The objective for Quarters 1-2 is Preparation. The courses in these quarters focus on general education instruction, and fundamental concepts of biomedical and dental sciences. The objective for Quarters 3-4 is Processing. The emphasis is on the use of simulators where students apply preclinical skills in a lab setting. The objective for Quarter 5 is Application where students transition from preclinical to a clinic setting. The transition consists of skill consolidation activities and competency assessments to prepare students to provide patient care. The objective for Quarters 6-8 is Integration where students function as novice dental therapists in supervised clinical and community settings. Students work toward completing competency assessments to be able to progress to the Quarter 9 preceptorship. The objective for the final quarter is Reflective Practice. Students provide care within the scope of dental therapy, and reflect on what they are doing to synthesize, internalize and embody dental therapy skills.

Program Accreditation

Skagit Valley College’s Dental Therapy (DT) program is approved by the Northwest Commission on Colleges & Universities (NWCCU) and Washington State Board Forum Community & Technical Colleges (SBCTC). For further information, the addresses and telephone numbers follow:

NWCCU - 8060 165th Avenue NE, Suite 200, Redmond, WA 98052. Telephone: 425.558.4224
SBCTC - 1300 Quince St SE, 4th floor, Olympia, WA 98504-2495. Telephone: 360.704.4400

Program Admissions:

The Dental Therapy program is a selective admissions program with a dedicated application process. Prospective students who complete the admissions process will be contacted for an interview and will then be notified of acceptance into the Dental Therapy program. Additional immunizations may be required upon acceptance into the program.

Admissions Process:

Dental Therapy uses the following minimum requirements for admission:

Go to www.skagit.edu/getstarted to apply for admission at Skagit Valley College.
Must have a High school diploma or equivalent.
Must be 18 years or older at time of application.
Must pass a comprehensive background check including a national multi-state criminal background check.
Must pass a drug screening test.
Must have proof of current immunizations/vaccinations against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, MMR, hepatitis B, varicella, annual influenza, COVID vaccination, and negative Tuberculosis (TB) evaluation.
Must have proof of health insurance.
Compose an essay of 300-500 words maximum answering the following questions:

Describe how you are involved in your community and how will you influence oral care services as a dental therapist.
Describe and provide examples of your strengths and weaknesses that will shape you into an oral healthcare advocate and life-long learner.

Provide a description of Tribal Sponsorship/Sponsoring Relationship (if applicable).
Provide two letters of recommendation (teachers, employers, supervisors, co-workers, etc.)

Program Remediation Process

Progression in the Dental Therapy program is dependent on a satisfactory performance rating. Students must achieve a cumulative final grade of at least 74% (a grade of “C”) to pass a course. A score of 73.9% is not considered a passing grade by the Dental Therapy program. There is absolutely no rounding up of scores.

If a student is not passing a course, the instructor will meet with the student to schedule one-on-one instructional session(s). The goal is to identify students who need tutoring to understand the basics before attempting to learn more complex concepts. The tutoring sessions are documented.

If a student fails an entire course:

Any student with a course grade of 73.9% (failing) will have the opportunity to improve their grade with remediation and an improvement plan created by the instructor.
A final grade for a course that has been remediated will not exceed 74%.
If a student fails to meet the requirements described in the improvement plan, the remediation results will go to the dəxʷx̌ayəbus-Student Assessment Committee (dSAC) for review. dSAC’s recommendations will be forwarded to the Program Director.
A student can submit an appeal letter to dSAC explaining the circumstances regarding course failure. The dSAC will review the circumstances and make a recommendation to the Program Director.
The Program Director will review the dSAC recommendation and make a final decision.

Students who are failing two or more courses in the same quarter and cannot complete remediation will be dismissed from the Dental Therapy program.

Program Dismissal and Re-entry

Once admitted to the Dental Therapy program, students must comply with the rules and regulations of the program and any of the clinical affiliates or be subject to dismissal from the program. See the Dental Therapy Student Handbook for more information.

Students must perform in a safe and competent manner in the clinical facilities and comply with the rules and regulation of the Dental Therapy department and clinical affiliates.

Failure to do so may result in immediate dismissal from the clinical facility and the Dental Therapy program. Unsafe practice in the clinical setting may result in a failing grade in the clinical practicum courses.

Prior students not currently enrolled in the program who wish to re-enter must petition for readmission. Prior students who have not attended school for two or more quarters must meet with the department chair before continuing in the program. Selected courses may need to be repeated before a student will be placed in a clinical practicum. Students who have not attended for four quarters prior to practicum placement may be required to retake clinical, core program, and/or science courses that have regularly updated curriculum. Students will be assessed based on past performance, current performance and experience, and then given an individualized remediation plan of courses to become practicum eligible. Practicum placement may be delayed due to full cohorts; students reentering may plan on being placed into the next available open practicum cohort group.

Specialized Program Information

CERTIFICATION/LICENSURE

Upon successful completion of the AAS degree in Dental Therapy, graduates are eligible to be certified/licensed by regional certification/licensure boards.

DENTAL THERAPY PROGRAM LOCATIONS

The Dental Therapy program at SVC is offered at the Mount Vernon Campus and Swinomish Indian Tribal Community (SITC) Dental Clinic.

Mount Vernon Campus - 2405 E College Way, Mount Vernon, WA 98273
SITC Dental Clinic - 17395 Reservation Rd., PO Box 332, La Conner, WA 98257

Program Notes

For additional information about the Dental Therapy program, go to SVC’s website at www.skagit.edu/dentaltherapy.