Dental Therapy

Overview

Dental Therapy (DT) dəxʷx̌ayəbus (pronounced as dahf-hi-ya-boos) is a Lushootseed phrase that translates as 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 Dental Therapy (dəxʷx̌ayəbus) program is to deliver “smiles” because smiles are strong indicators of personal confidence as well as physical and mental health..

The Dental Therapy program (dəxʷx̌ayəbus) was created to increase access to quality, culturally responsive providers who are oral health advocates in their communities. The expectation is that graduates of the Dental Therapy (dəxʷx̌ayəbus) program will be skilled clinicians who practice with confidence, and value the patient/provider relationship. Graduates will have learned to treat all individuals with respect, and value the importance of life-long learning.

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 program is based on a non-dental hygiene model. The 28-month curriculum is designed to develop graduates who have the knowledge base, and understand the values of patient/provider interaction. Graduates will have demonstrated competence in the skill sets necessary to begin the practice of dental therapy.

In Year 1, the curriculum theme is devoted to Preparation (Quarters 1 and 2) and Processing (Quarters 3 and 4) of information to serve as the foundation for future attainment of competence. In addition, students begin the development of the psychomotor skills through simulated preclinical educational activities and formative assessments.

Year 2 curriculum builds on the content from Year 1 by combining didactic and psychomotor learning with clinical experience. The theme during Year 2 is Application (Quarter 5) and Integration (Quarters 6, 7 and 8). Both cognitive, affective, and psychomotor skills move beyond the preclinical foundations and experiences introduced in Year 1.

Year 3 will take place at the student’s sponsoring clinic and is designed as an immersion into the practice of dental therapy. The theme of this year (Quarter 9) is Reflective Practice. Students will continue to develop as a competent dental therapist through the synthesis, application and interpretation of all cognitive, affective, and psychomotor skills learned in Years 1 and 2. Students will continue to be evaluated and will be provided feedback to aid in their growth and confidence building.

Program Accreditation

Dental Therapy is approved by the Northwest Commission on Colleges & Universities (NWCCU) and Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges (SBCTC).

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

The Dental Therapy (dəxʷx̌ayəbus) program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and has been granted the accreditation status of “initial accreditation.” The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at (312) 440-4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611. The Commission’s website address is: https://coda.ada.org/en.

Program Admissions:

The Dental Therapy (dəxʷx̌ayəbus) program is a selective admissions program with a dedicated application process. Prospective students who successfully complete the admissions process described below will be contacted for an interview. The format of the interview is designed to select students who are adaptable, active listeners, and motivated to address oral health issues. Applicants who successfully pass the interview phase will be given a conditional acceptance status. For final acceptance into the program, applicants must clear a background check and drug screening through a third-party HIPAA-compliant enterprise system, provide a record of immunization(s), and have a completed Clinical Affiliation Agreement.

Admissions Process:

Dental Therapy uses the following minimum requirements for admission:

Students may only enter the Dental Therapy program at the beginning of Fall quarter.
Complete the online Admissions Application (OAAP) that is required for general admission to Skagit Valley College. Go to www.skagit.edu/getstarted to apply for admission at Skagit Valley College.
Complete a supplemental application (which accompanies OAAP), and a Dental Therapy program specific application.
Must have a High school diploma or equivalent.
Must be 18 years or older at time of application.
Must have proof of 200 hours of dental clinic experience.
Must pass a comprehensive background check including a national multi-state criminal background check via a third party vender.
Must pass a drug screening test via a third party vender.
Must have proof of current immunizations/vaccinations against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, MMR, hepatitis B, varicella, annual influenza, COVID vaccination, and negative Tuberculosis (TB) evaluation via a third party vender.
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 that will shape you into an oral healthcare advocate and life-long learner.

Provide the name and contact information (address, email, and phone number) of the Health Administrator responsible for completing the Clinical Affiliation Agreement.
Provide the name and contact information (address, email, and phone number) of the individual(s) who will be the Supervising Dentist(s).
Provide two letters of recommendation from teachers, employers, or supervisors.

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 graduation requirements, student will earn Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree in Dental Therapy. Graduates become eligible to be certified/licensed through 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.