The Dental Programs at Santa Rosa Junior College includes both dental assisting and dental hygiene programs. There is a public teaching clinic for preventive dental procedures such as radiographs and dental cleanings. Please use the menu bar on the left for more information on the appropriate dental program or service.
ALERT – Dental Hygiene Applicants, beginning with entering class Fall 2019
The Dental Hygiene Program will require a Math 155 or higher class as a prerequisite to admission into the Dental Hygiene Program - August 2019
All students must fulfill this requirement and all other Science and non-Science prerequisites at the time of application.* Contact a Health Science counselor about this change.
*For the applicants Fall 2019 ONLY, this prerequisite may be taken after the application deadline (Spring 2019) and must be completed and the grade reported by the end of the first week of June 2019.
Program Accreditation & Affiliation
The American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation, hereafter referred to as "the Commission", accredits the Santa Rosa Junior College Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting Programs. The Commission is a specialized accrediting agency recognized by the Council on Post secondary Accreditation and the U. S. Department of Education. The Dental Hygiene Program received accreditation “without reporting” status in 2016. The Dental Assisting Program received accreditation “without reporting” status in 2013.
The Dental Program's master plan, policies, and curriculum are modeled after Commission guidelines.
The Santa Rosa Junior College Dental Programs are affiliated with the University of California, School of Dentistry, San Francisco, California.
Dental Programs Mission Statement
The Santa Rosa Junior College Dental Programs will educate a group of diverse dental hygiene and dental assisting students by providing a curriculum which reflects the core values of the profession, instills life-long learning appreciation, and educates the students as caring, clinically proficient and ethical entry-level dental health care professionals prepared to serve the community in both private and public settings.
Philosophy of Allied Dental Programs
Society is made up of individuals interacting in complex groups with differing cultural, social, educational and spiritual values. The nature of society is one of constant change. As such, individuals must adapt to societal change to fulfill needs and make existence meaningful.
We believe that human beings have human needs related to health, which are biological, psychological and socio-cultural in nature. Society responds to these needs by promoting the advancement of health. The concept of health contains a continuum from maximum illness to maximum wellness. Individual goals for wellness may be different from those of society. Oral health care providers should be responsive to the needs of both the individual and the society. Oral health sciences are composed of disciplines of study, which provide skill, knowledge and services to society.
The Santa Rosa Junior College Allied Dental Programs are designed to produce individuals capable of meeting professional and societal needs. The role of each program is to provide an intellectual atmosphere producing oral health-care providers who are literate, knowledgeable, motivated to be life-long learners, capable of solving problems and making decisions. Faculty members foster the development of caring, curious, competent and ethical practitioners. Furthermore, the SRJC faculty is committed to serving as role models to inspire personal and professional growth and advancement.
The educational process should be student-centered, relevant, goal-directed, competency-based and conducted in a facilitative environment. The process encourages active student participation and the application of research principles resulting in meaningful learning, the stimulation of intellectual curiosity, and the development of critical thinking. An environment conducive to learning is structured to include mutual helpfulness, freedom of expression, mutual trust and respect and physical comfort while recognizing similarities and accepting differences.
Licensure in California
The licensing agencies may deny licensure to dental hygienists and dental assistants for crimes substantially related to the practice of dental hygiene or dental assisting. This includes convictions involving sex crimes, drug crimes (including DUI), and crimes of violence. It is the responsibility of the applicant to present sufficient evidence of rehabilitation to the Dental Board of California or the Dental Hygiene Committee of California prior to licensure application.