Collinsville High School has many great opportunities, with many vocational programs to choose from. Starting next year, a dental hygiene program will be another opportunity to get hands-on experience for the workplace.

You may wonder why all of a sudden a dental program is being added as an optional curriculum. Vocational Principal Joe McGinnis explained how they put out a survey last year, and it was one that the majority of students voted for. 

“It seemed to be one of the most popular choices on the survey, which was why we decided to add that one as an option,” said McGinnis.

In this class students will learn important skills such as teeth cleaning, how to take x-rays, how to apply fluoride treatments, and also how to assist dentists with procedures such as root canals, fillings, and crowns. 

Learning how to use the equipment such as drills, dental mirrors, dental probes, files, rasps, forceps, and the dental chair along with the light will also be taught.

Students will get hands-on experience with patients and get to learn how to do a consultation.

Instead of only learning the material and never having the chance to practice, students will have an opportunity to go to dental offices and experience the environment. 

It will be a great opportunity to have a chance to improve your people skills as well. It will help people learn to get better at maintaining eye contact, having good body language, explaining to patients what you are doing and why, and learning how to present treatment options.

“I think it is a great optional class to have, along with the CNA one. I feel like it will do very well,” said counselor Jason Corey. “It will also benefit whomever takes it for their future.” 

After finishing this class, instead of taking a final, students get to take the qualifying test. If they pass this test, they will be qualified to be a dental assistant. This could be a step in the right direction for their future. 

The course is a semester long, which gives you options to take more classes that you may be interested in.