Dental Hygiene Program
Dean
Ms. Carmen Guerrero, Career & Technical Education
Dental Programs
Dr. Armine Derdiarian, Coordinator
Full-time Faculty
Dr. Richard Enriquez, Professor
Mrs. Margaret Newville, Assistant Professor
WHAT IS THE DENTAL HYGIENE PROGRAM?
The Oxnard College Dental Hygiene (DH) Program is a two-year degree program that trains students to become Registered Dental Hygienists (RDH). The program is extremely rigorous, but also very rewarding. DH students are given the opportunity to work on live patients at the Oxnard College Dental Clinic, located on the Oxnard College campus.
WHAT IS A DENTAL HYGIENIST?
An RDH is a licensed dental professional who is part of the dental care team. They perform such services as oral examination, oral prophylaxis (scaling, root planing, soft tissue curettage and polishing the teeth). They expose and process dental x-rays, administer local anesthesia and nitrous oxide sedation for pain control. Also, they apply preventive medications such as topical fluorides and dental sealants along with instructing patients in oral disease control and nutrition.
Dental hygiene is a high-demand health career. For 2012, the California Employment Development Department lists the median annual salary of dental hygienists in Ventura County as $103,484 and the median hourly wage in Ventura County as $49.75 (source: https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/).
