Dental Programs

 Associate of Applied Science Degree

A dental hygienist is a vital member of a team of dental professionals dedicated to improving oral health and supporting the general health of individuals and groups. As licensed professionals, dental hygienists provide educational, clinical, and therapeutic services and may be involved in research, administration, client/patient advocacy, marketing, or consulting. Dental hygienists may practice in a variety of settings such as private dental offices, public health facilities, schools, nursing homes, and hospitals. They may also work in correctional facilities, business and industry, and other settings.

Dental hygienists in a clinical setting perform oral and general health assessments and provide oral health instruction, as well as counseling regarding nutrition and healthy lifestyle and their impact on oral and general health. Dental hygienists take and interpret radiographs and provide many types of preventive services such as removing deposits from teeth, applying fluoride, placing sealants, and more. Infection control and emergency management are also important functions. In New Mexico and other states, dental hygienists may be certified to provide local anesthesia.

Dental hygienists enjoy working with people, have good manual dexterity, and enjoy working with their hands. They possess the maturity and critical thinking skills to provide current, quality, professional care. They have strong interpersonal skills to motivate and educate patients of all ages. Dental hygienists are lifelong learners and are dedicated to continuing education, enhancing the profession, and practicing ethical decision-making and behavior.

Dental hygienists are generally well-paid and are respected professionals in their communities. Job opportunities in the field are expected to grow 7 percent from 2022 to 2032. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).  Graduation from this program qualifies students to take national and state examinations to become licensed dental hygienists anywhere in the country, and there are international employment opportunities for dental hygienists educated in the U.S.

Students wishing to pursue a Bachelor’s degree should consult with an advisor regarding the transferability of courses in the prerequisite list as well as the dental hygiene curriculum.

Webpage: https://dacc.nmsu.edu/academics/programs/dental-programs/index.html

Required Skills and Abilities

• Students will need to demonstrate good oral expression (speech clarity) and written comprehension in English, critical thinking skills, near vision, and physical stamina (e.g., the ability to sit for long periods of time and move about freely).
• Applicants offered admission to the program usually have a GPA of 3.0 or better and a 3.3 or better in Science Courses such as Chemistry, Biology, and Nutrition. 
• Be able to manipulate dental/medical equipment, move/lift equipment up to 30 pounds without assistance, and perform patient care procedures with manual precision.
• Must be able to expose radiographs, and administer local anesthetics, and nitrous oxide.
• Must be able to participate in all program-related activities, including, serving as a student partner during clinical practice and learning, student club activities, and required program community service learning events.  
• Be able to assist with and or provide CPR as needed
• Must be able to clearly distinguish and see all colors to accurately identify pathology based on color. 

Program Admission Special Requirements

• This is a limited-entry program.
• Faculty-student ratio in the clinical setting is 1-to-5. All science courses must be taken within 5 years before admission to the program. The application can be found on the program's webpage as well as a prospective student handbook outlining important information for new applicants to familiarize with. 
• Applicants must be aware that although the program has a patient pool, applicants are responsible for securing patients to meet their clinical/graduation requirements. 
• All applicants must be aware of exposure to bloodborne pathogens in the dental environment and the need to be immunized for the prevention of bloodborne diseases as a result of exposure in the dental environment.
• Applicants must also be certified in CPR annually and comply with training requirements set by the program once offered admission. 
• Applicants must submit a completed application and all application requirements no later than the specified date on the application packet. 

Core Requirements

General education and related classes are required prior to applying to the Dental Hygiene Program and are identical to those offered at New Mexico State University Las Cruces (main) Campus (29 credits) in addition to Comm 1115G, Psych 1110G & Soci 1110G (9 Credits) for a total of 38 Credits. 

Prospective Student Handbook

Prospective Student Handbook

Dental Hygiene Accreditation

The Dental Hygiene Program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation 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 on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at (312) 440-4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611.

The Commission’s web address is: http://www.ada.org/coda 

Certificate of Completion

Dental assisting is a rewarding profession. Dental assistants are people who like helping others, enjoy working closely with patients and  other members of the dental team.  Dental assistants frequently are relied on as the dentist’s “other set of hands.”  Thus constantly challenging the dental assistant to expand and grow their knowledge and skill sets.  

There is no lack of variety in the types of tasks that dental assistants perform. Some of the skills dental assistants perform include: 

• prepare equipment, materials, and instruments for patient care;
• perform sterilization and disinfection procedures;
• provide patients with instructions both before and after dental procedures ;
• create temporary crowns, bleaching trays, custom trays, & custom fitted sport mouth guards;
• provide coronal polishing and fluoride treatments
• place pit & fissure sealants;
• take impressions of teeth;
• take patient vital signs, record or review medical histories and medications;
• provide individualized oral hygiene instruction for patients and/or parents:
• create study casts (molds);
• expose, develop, and mount dental radiographs;
• anticipate dental provider needs for patient procedure 
• perform a variety of other duties surrounding patient care, infection control, and radiology

They may also be responsible for administrative tasks, such as billing, patient verification, scheduling of various types of treatment appointments, ordering and material inventory.

Assistants may work in a general-practice office where a dentist provides multiple types of treatment, including restorative/operative work (fillings), prosthetics (crowns, bridges, and dentures), and perhaps some surgery. They may want to specialize for work in periodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, endodontics, pedodontics, or orthodontics.

In the state of New Mexico, dental assistants can become certified to perform the following expanded duties:

• radiology (taking x-rays),
• coronal polishing (polishing of teeth and removal of stains),
• fluoride treatments (the act of placing fluoride on a patient’s teeth), and
• sealant placement (used to prevent decay).

These certifications are obtained through the State Dental Board and are a portion of the Dental Assisting National Board Certification Exam.

Important Facts About This Certificate Program

Course Fees

In addition to tuition, a course fee of $250 is charged for DAS 115 Dental Radiology.

Required Skills and Abilities

• Students will need to demonstrate good oral expression (speech clarity) and written comprehension in English, critical thinking skills, near vision, and physical stamina (e.g., the ability to stand for long periods of time).
• Students must be able to manipulate dental/medical equipment, move/lift patients and equipment up to 60 pounds without assistance, and perform patient care procedures with manual dexterity.
• Successful applicants usually have a GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Must be able to operate dental X-ray units to expose radiographs. 
• Must be able to participate in program-required events, including student club activities, community service learning, meetings, etc. 
• Must understand and be aware of potential exposure to blood-borne pathogens in the dental environment and be aware that immunizations against blood-borne pathogens are highly recommended and or required for all dental professionals due to the risk of exposure. 
• Must be able to assist with, and or perform CPR as needed. 
• Must be able to participate in classroom, clinical, laboratory, and practicum activities according to program guidelines and requirements.
• Must adhere to all program guidelines and policies at all times.   

Program Admission Special Requirements

The Dental Assistant program is a limited-entry, special-application program. When a candidate is considered for acceptance into the program, the following factors are taken into account:

• High school and/or college transcripts and a minimum GPA of 2.8, however, most admitted candidates have a 3.0 or higher. 
• Proof of county residency
• Essay (in accordance with rubric and instructions included in packet)
• Copy of current healthcare provider CPR card and proof of current immunizations
• Completion of all program admission requirements as outlined in the program application packet. 
• Completion of program application (submitted by deadline). 
• Must participate in all program-required activities for admitted students. 

Dental Assisting Update: 

The DACC Dental Assisting Program submitted a notice to the Commision on Dental Accreditation (CODA) to voluntarily withdraw the Dental Assisting Program from the accreditation process effective July 1, 2024. All students applying to the Dental Assisting Program on Spring 2024 must be aware that upon admission to the program in July, 2024, the program will no longer be accredited by the Commision on Dental Accreditation. 

The content, structure and quality of the program will remain under DACC's annual program review to ensure students receive high quality education that meets the New Mexico Board of Dental Health requirements for licensure. 

Dental Assisting handbook

Program Student Handbook

Dental Assisting accreditation

The Dental Assisting Program is not accredited by the Commision on Dental Accreditation. Graduates from the program can take the DANB Radiation Health and Safety Exam or Board Approved Exam which allows them to apply for their radiation certification in the State of New Mexico. Graduates must check with the licensing board of any other state if they intend to practice dental assisting in a state outside of New Mexico.