FIFTH DENTAL HYGIENE PROGRAM IN
NEW JERSEY UNDERWAY SPONSORED BY DELTA DENTAL
OF NEW JERSEY
-Dental hygiene is a growing field in New Jersey and throughout the country-
-October is Dental Hygiene Awareness Month-
PARSIPPANY, NJ (October 11, 2005) – With
help from a $240,000 grant from the Delta Dental
of New Jersey Foundation, the fifth dental hygiene
program in New Jersey is underway at Burlington
County College (BCC). The college now offers
a two-year program leading to an Associate of
Applied Science degree, with a major in dental
hygiene.
Dental hygiene is a growing field in New Jersey
and throughout the country. According to the
American Dental Association, there will be a
continued need for dentists to employ more dental
hygienists to meet an increased demand for dental
services. This demand is due to the public's
emphasis on preventive oral care and people retaining
their teeth longer.
"Hygienists play a valuable role in the
dental industry - supporting dentists and providing
valuable patient care through cleanings, preventive
education and detection of disease," said
Gene F. Napoliello, D.D.S., president of the
Delta Dental Foundation. "The profession
offers options and flexibility, which is why
it continues to be a popular career path for
those interested in entering the field of dentistry."
Delta Dental Foundation awarded grant monies
in 2003, which were distributed over a three-year
period. The last installment of $60,000 was made
in summer 2005 in recognition of Burlington County
College meeting its final milestone - program
accreditation. Specifically, funding has been
used to build and equip an instructional clinic
facility in the Parker Building on the BCC Pemberton
Campus to run an accredited, two-year associate
degree program in dental hygiene. Purchases included
dental treatment chairs, lighting units, sterilization
equipment and cabinetry in the clinical area
consisting of 12 fully equipped, four-handed
sit-down treatment cubicles.
"We are grateful to Delta Dental of New
Jersey for supporting our goals to further offer
our students additional opportunities in the
field of dentistry,"
said Linda Hecker, CDA, RDH, BS, MA, director
of Dental Hygiene at BCC. "We now offer
the only dental hygiene school in Burlington
County. Along with providing our community with
future dental hygienists, we can now also provide
affordable dental services to Burlington's dentally
underserved."
Dental hygiene students, supervised by faculty
and dentists, will be offering students, faculty,
staff and the local community dental x-rays during
the fall 2005 semester. In spring 2006, services
will be expanded to include dental cleanings.
All services are anticipated to be priced at
an extreme discount.
"Though our first semester has just begun,
Delta Dental's donation has already been put
to good use,"
continued Hecker. "During 'Give Kids a Smile
Day,' February 2, 2005, we used the donated equipment
from the dental hygiene program to treat over
100 local children and managed to donate over
$22,600 worth of volunteer dentistry in one day."
Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation has provided
funding for other dental hygiene programs throughout
New Jersey including Bergen Community College,
Camden County College, Middlesex County College
and The University of Medicine and Dentistry
of New Jersey. The Foundation also annually awards
scholarships to Garden State residents interested
in studying to become a hygienist. For more information
about the Delta Dental New Jersey hygienist scholarship
program, contact foundation@deltadentalnj.com.
DENTAL HYGIENIST PROFESSION
Who is the Dental Hygienist?
A dental hygienist is a prevention specialist,
oral health educator and clinician who, as a
co-therapist with the dentist, provides preventive,
educational, and therapeutic services. As technology
and preventive treatments continue to develop
and expand, dental hygienists are assuming more
duties and spending increasing amounts of time
with patients during checkups.
What Are Hygienists Responsibilities?
The day-to-day responsibilities and clinical
services a hygienist can perform vary according
to individual state regulations. Duties may include:
- Expose, process, and interpret x-rays
- Apply fluorides and sealants to the teeth
- Teach patients proper brushing and flossing
techniques
- Clean and remove stains, plaque, and tartar
from teeth
- Counsel patients about proper nutrition
- Review patient's health history and dental
charting
- Make impressions of patients' teeth for models
of teeth used by dentists to evaluate patient
treatment needs
Where Do Hygienists Work?
Although about 70 percent of dental hygienists
work in private dental offices, state licensing
enables them to provide direct clinical service
to patients or apply oral health knowledge in
a number of settings including public health
clinics, nursing homes, correctional institutions,
and other long-term or managed-care facilities.
Job Security
The services that dental hygienists provide
are needed and valued by a large percentage of
the population. According to the American Dental
Association, there is currently a great demand
for dental hygienists and employment opportunities.
Dentists will need to employ more dental hygienists
to meet the increased demand for dental services
due to the public's emphasis on preventive oral
care and people retaining their teeth longer.
Salary
According to the BLS, average annual earnings
for dental hygienists were $60,640 in 2004. Dental
hygienists may be paid on an hourly, daily, salary
or commission basis.
Sources:
www.ada.org/public/education/careers/hygienist_bro.asp
www.adha.org
www.bls.gov
www.state.nj.us/labor
About Delta Dental of
New Jersey, Inc.
Delta Dental of New Jersey, Inc., is New Jersey’s
and Connecticut's leading dental benefits carrier,
providing coverage to more than one million people
through contracts with employers in New Jersey
and Connecticut. The Delta Dental Plan system
offers seamless dental benefits administration
for employer groups throughout the country and
the largest network of credentialed dentists
in the nation. For more information visit us
on the Web at www.deltadentalnj.com.
