Technical Standards

The technical standards outlined below are the physical, cognitive and behavioral abilities required for students to successfully complete the Dental Hygiene Program.  These requirements must be met by all students, with or without reasonable accommodations, entering the program.

Students have the responsibility to self-identify as a person with a disability with a need for accommodation(s).  Students who have or believe they may have a disability requiring accommodation(s) should contact the UAMS ADA Coordinator at DisabilityServices@uams.edu  or 501-526-5641.

Communication

  • Effectively communicate with faculty, classmates, patients, and other health care personnel in a professional, positive, and tactful manner.
  • Follow verbal and written instructions in English in order to correctly and independently perform dental hygiene services.
  • Demonstrate adequate communication skills to succinctly describe patient conditions, document findings in a patient record and implement oral health teachings.

Sensory and Motor

  • Possess visual acuity with corrective lenses to identify oral tissue changes and evaluate treatment effectiveness.
  • Possess hearing ability with auditory aids to understand the normal speaking voice without viewing the speaker’s face and take/hear blood pressure with a stethoscope.
  • Possess physical ability to sit for prolonged periods of time, perform repetitive wrist motion for instrumentation for extended periods of time, and move from room to room or maneuver in limited spaces.
  • Exhibit bi-manual dexterity to use a variety of instruments in the small, confined space of the oral cavity.
  • Utilize foot-controlled equipment such as a rheostat pedal.

Intellectual

  • Read and comprehend technical and professional materials (i.e. textbooks, journal articles, handbooks, and instruction manuals).
  • Independently prepare papers, prepare case study reports, and take paper, computer-based, and practical examinations.
  • Possess computer skills to use a variety of software programs and the Internet for research and course projects.

Behavioral and Social

  • Professional attitudes and behaviors must be demonstrated at all times.
  • Students must perform in an ethical manner while interacting with others.
  • Personal integrity and adherence to standards that reflect the values and ethics of the dental hygiene profession are required.
  • Function safely under stressful conditions with the ability to adapt to an ever-changing environment inherent in clinic situations involving patient care.
  • Exhibit constructive time management skills to effectively and efficiently sequence treatment needs.