Seattle Central celebrates launch of new Dental Hygiene program
Seattle – An event to celebrate the launch of Seattle Central Community College’s new degree program in Dental Hygiene will take place Tuesday, October 11, 2005. A tour of the new clinical laboratory facility, located on the Seattle Vocational Institute campus, will begin at 5:00 p.m., followed by a program and reception from 5:30-6:30.
The event is co-sponsored by Seattle Central Community College and the Washington Dental Service Foundation, which made a $100,000 grant to help cover start-up costs for the program. In making the gift presentation, WDS Foundation President and CEO Tracy Garland cited the overall shortage of dental hygienists and, in particular, a shortage of under-represented minorities in the profession. The Foundation has also awarded two scholarships to incoming dental hygiene students from minority backgrounds.
“Our Foundation is looking for ways we can improve the oral health of the community,” she said. “Recruiting under-represented minorities to the dental professions is an important step in expanding access to care for underserved groups.”
The two-year (seven-quarter) Dental Hygiene Program, which is enrolling its first 18 students this fall, has been approved for initial accreditation by the American Dental Association. This means the first students will graduate from a provisionally accredited program and can sit for their certifying exams. The program will undergo a full accreditation review in 2008, the earliest the program can be considered for full accreditation.
Dental hygiene is projected to be one of the 30 fastest-growing occupations in the country and, according to a recent workforce survey, there is a statewide vacancy rate of 24.5 percent in the field. Seattle Central’s program becomes the eighth dental hygiene program in the state. The program is unique in integrating diversity and cultural literacy skill development as a primary concept in the curriculum.
The Washington Dental Service Foundation is committed to improving the oral health of Washington residents by supporting innovative approaches and focusing on oral disease prevention. Founded in 1985, the Foundation is primarily funded by Washington Dental Service. As community advocates for oral health, the Foundation is working to make certain that prevention and early treatment of disease are community priorities.
The Seattle Central Dental Hygiene event is free and open to the public. Seattle Vocational Institute is located at 2120 South Jackson Street in Seattle. RSVP’s are requested by phone, (206) 934-6925, or via email: thankyou@sccd.ctc.edu.
For information about the WDS Foundation contact Tracy Garland at (206) 934-7388 or visit their website at www.ddpwa.com/wdsfoundation/wdsfoundation.htm. Seattle Central Dental Hygiene Program information may be obtained at seattlecentral.edu/blc, or by calling (206) 934-4186.