CBC Dental Hygiene Students Pass State Boards Before Graduation

CBC dental hygiene students pass state boards before graduation

From left to right: Lexi Larsen, Ashley Salinas, Katherine Pham

BEEVILLE, TX—Landing a job immediately after graduation is a top priority for most graduates, and three Coastal Bend College students graduating from the dental hygiene program are one step closer to that goal after receiving news they successfully passed their state board examinations.

CBC dental hygiene students Lexi Larsen from Logan, Utah, Katherine Pham from Houston, and Ashley Salinas from Houston have one less thing to do after graduating on Friday, May 6.

“Completing the state boards requires lots and lots of studying—literally hundreds of hours. We have a written exam as well as a clinical exam where we work on a patient and are observed,” said Salinas.

Dental Hygiene Program Director Connie Griffin explains that students must successfully complete the written National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and a regional or state clinical board examination in addition to graduating from the program before being able to obtain a license to practice the profession.

The dental hygiene program takes two years to finish, and students begin working in a clinical setting with patients the latter half of their freshman year. Having hands-on training and practice, plus access to clinical and instructional faculty, is the cornerstone of the program’s success.

“I couldn’t have done it without our instructors. They help us every step of the way to feel knowledgeable and confident as we head into our written and clinical exam,” Larsen said.

Recently the dental hygiene program sent out acceptance letters to the 2016-2017 cohort of students, and the application process for admittance into the program is competitive.

CBC’s Dental Hygiene Clinic offers low cost basic dental cleaning services to the community and an annual sealant day for children. The clinic will accept patient appointments beginning in fall 2016. For more information, please call (361) 354-2555.