Middlesex Community College: Dental Hygienists Get Professional Development At MCC

Press release from the Middlesex Community College:

Caitlin Buckley

7/1/2021

A promoter of lifelong learning, Middlesex Community College offers professional development opportunities through the college’s Community Education and Training (CET) department. With CET, Middlesex students can earn certifications and enhance their careers. CET’s Dental Hygiene Local Anesthesia course is one of the first and longest running certifications for registered dental hygienists in Massachusetts.

“Since 2005, Community Education has provided hundreds of licensed dental hygienists with an opportunity to learn a high demand skill and advance their careers by earning their certification in Local Anesthetic,” said Sheila Morin, MCC’s Director of CET. “Our Local Anesthesia Certification course is a comprehensive program that allows participants to learn from our expert faculty.”

Developed to meet the dental board of MA requirements, the course provides participants with relevant and practical experiences. Requirements of the course consist of 40-50 hours of online self-paced study, interactive presentations and a three-day clinical. Participating students will get 30 injection opportunities and a clinical final exam.

Middlesex created the certification course after dental hygienists were approved to administer local anesthesia to patients in 2004, according to Debra November-Rider, MCC’s Lead Faculty and Course Director. In response to the new demands of the industry, MCC helped those already working in the field stay up-to-date with valuable knowledge and skills.

“Not only is it a requirement for licensure to have a clinical hands-on experience, but it allows the hygienist to learn safe and effective local anesthesia administration with the supervision of a trained dental hygiene instructor licensed in local anesthesia administration,” November-Rider said. “It also allows them to be competitive with new graduates since local anesthesia is now a required course in the curriculum.”

Having worked in the dental field since 1983, Lynn Granger – from Brookfield, Mass. – became a dental hygienist in 1991. She has enjoyed working in the field over the years and has been provided with a variety of different work opportunities. In MCC’s Local Anesthesia course, she was able to build her transcripts and prepare to sit for her written boards.

“MCC staff were knowledgeable and just great,” she said. “I feel completely confident to give local anesthesia!”

Also a longtime dental hygienist, November-Rider has learned along with the industry how to address ever-changing needs, including understanding how to follow strict infection control and prevention practices.

This helped MCC be able to continue offering the course during the pandemic. Following precautionary measures, participants are provided with personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks, gloves, disposable gowns and face shields.

“Once the guidelines were in places from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Dental Association (ADA), as well as the American Dental Hygienists Association (ADHA) regarding COVID-19, it was a matter of acquiring the necessary PPE and properly implementing the guidelines,” November-Rider said.

The next session of CET’s Dental Hygiene Local Anesthesia certification course is enrolling now through Monday, August 12. Students can complete their independent self-paced study between Wednesday, July 7 through Monday, October 4. The three-day clinical experience will take place Saturday, October 9 through Monday, October 11.

MCC’s CET programs provide academic, professional and personal enrichment for students of all ages and stages in their lives. For more information about CET’s certificate programs and noncredit courses, visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/careertraining/ or contact Sheila Morin at morins@middlesex.mass.edu or 781-280-3608.

Discover your path at Middlesex Community College. As one of the largest, most comprehensive community colleges in Massachusetts, MCC has been a proven leader in online education for more than 20 years. We educate, engage and empower a diverse community of learners, offering more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses. Middlesex Community College: Student success starts here!

This press release was produced by the Middlesex Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.