As a health care professional, it is important that you present to your patients, instructors, and peers, a positive image of those qualities representative of a dental hygienist. Part of this image is reflected in your personal appearance and dress. Patients often form a first impression based on the physical appearance of their clinician and tend to develop more trust in a person who looks clean, neat, and professional. As a dental hygienist, you are also a role model to other health professionals and members of the community.
To assist you in developing an appropriate professional appearance, the following guidelines have been established and are to be used in the various educational settings in both clinic and classroom sessions during your dental hygiene education.
Appropriate Dress Code:
- Assigned scrub color for your graduating class
- Scrubs to be worn to and from the school
- Change shoes into clinic appropriate shoes before class time
- EXCEPTION: scrubs are not required for classes at main campus
As the classroom temperature varies for individuals, lab jackets, sweaters, nice casual sweatshirts or a light jacket can be worn for comfort over scrubs.
Inappropriate Dress Code:
- Non scrub attire
- Open toe shoes or slippers
- Any form of street attire
- Excessive eye and face make-up
- Messy, unclean, or wet hair
- Lab coats should be worn to each lab session.
- Students wear selected clinic uniforms and lab coats with name pins during all clinic sessions.
- Barrier gowns are used for clinic sessions to protect scrubs.
- Radiology: Students may wear selected clinic uniforms and a lab coat with name pins.
- White shoes (impervious to fluids) are worn during sessions requiring scrub
During the course of the program students are required to cover all tattoos that may be seen depending on the attire selected for any given day. Dress appropriately, or use bandages, etc., to cover the art. No exposed belly piercing. No facial piercing. Keep in mind that patients may be quick to form an opinion based on first appearances of the oral health care provider
- Clean dry hair - wet hair indicates unpreparedness; hairstyles are recommended to be professional in length and style.
- Make-up for women should appear professional and career oriented versus nighttime and social.
- Deodorant is required. Fragrance should be light or none at all
- Jewelry is limited in the clinic environment.
- Fingernails are to be trimmed short enough to be flush with the top of the finger pad and only clear nail polish may be worn. Students may not have acrylic fingernails.
(See College Catalog “Smoking and Tobacco Use Restrictions” Board Policy # 3555)
- No use of tobacco products is permitted within any college owned and/or leased facility.
- No use of tobacco products is permitted on the grounds of any college-operated athletic field or facility.
- No use of tobacco products is permitted in any college-owned vehicles.
- The sale of tobacco products on all college-owned and/or lease property is prohibited.
- Use of tobacco products on college-owned or leased property is permitted only in special designated areas.
For dental hygiene students who are tobacco users, the designated smoking area is on outside the south entrance of the Health Sciences and University Center.
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Dental Hygiene Orientation Manual