Dental Radiation Safety

Effective: Fall 2020
Certificate of Achievement Program Map
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This program map from the 2024-2025 catalog year represents one possible pathway to complete this program. Your pathway may vary depending on your transfer plans and also previous college credit, including AP Test scores, concurrent enrollment courses and high school articulated courses.

I'm ready to get started. What do I do next?

  1. Review this program map to get an overview of the required courses
  2. Meet with a counselor to develop your customized student education plan www.chabotcollege.edu/counseling
  3. Use DegreeWorks, an online student education planning tool, to track your progress toward graduation www.chabotcollege.edu / admissions / degreeworks
Program Description

To be eligible to complete this certificate, students must already be enrolled in the Dental Hygiene Program at Chabot College. Dental Hygiene students who complete this certificate successfully will be prepared to take x-rays in the dental office. Course content includes head and neck anatomy, dental radiology, radiation safety, radiographic decision making, dental terminology, the electronic dental record, disease processes, infection control, communication and professionalism, and clinical procedures. Students will complete additional courses in the dental hygiene curriculum for an AS in Dental Hygiene in year 2. Students will complete the first year of the dental hygiene curriculum and must hold a valid CPR Healthcare Provider/BLS card and completed the HIPAA eLearning course


What can I do with this major?

The X-Ray Certificate will allow students who successfully complete the first year of the Dental Hygiene Program Curriculum to be able to take x-rays and work as a Dental Assistant in a dental office. Students must be enrolled in the Dental Hygiene Program.

In California, the number of Dental Assistants is expected to grow much faster than the average growth rate for all occupations. Jobs for Dental Assistants are expected to increase by 16.5 percent, or 8,100 jobs between 2016 and 2026.

Source: EDD/LMID Projections of Employment by Occupation.


Learning and Career Pathway
  • Health and Wellness

Icon Key

= Critical Course = Prerequisite for Other Courses = Prerequisite Required = Required for Major GE = General Education

Semester 1

15 units

DHYG 60
Dental Anatomy and Morphology

1.5 units
Development, eruption, and structures of the intraoral cavity and extraoral structures; structures of the teeth, tooth numbering systems, occlusion and anomalies. Identification of teeth and oral structures.
Course Details:
  1. Corequisite: DHYG 60S
  2. Corequisite: DHYG 69A
    3. and
  3. Corequisite: DHYG 71A

DHYG 50A
Dental Hygiene Orientation I

0.5 units
Orientation to the dental hygiene program to include information regarding scheduling, course requirements, financial aid considerations, program policies and procedures as well as core competencies.
Course Details:

    DHYG 60S
    Dental Anatomy and Morphology Independent Study

    0.5 units
    Supplemental instruction on the development, eruption, and structures of the intraoral cavity and extraoral structures: structures of the teeth, tooth numbering systems, occlusion and anomalies. Identification of teeth and oral structures.
    Course Details:
    1. Corequisite: DHYG 60

    DHYG 61
    Head and Neck Anatomy

    2 units
    Anatomy of the head, neck and oral cavity; structure and function of the oral cavity and adjacent structures. Emphasis on clinical recognition of normal structures, , their vascular supply and the regional osteology.
    Course Details:
    1. Corequisite: DHYG 69A
      2. and
    2. Corequisite: DHYG 71A

    DHYG 61S
    Head and Neck Anatomy Independent Study

    0.5 units
    Supplemental instruction on the embryology of the head, neck and oral cavity, structure and function of the oral cavity and adjacent structures. Emphasis on the recognition of normal structures, the anatomical relationships between structures and regional osteology.
    Course Details:
    1. Corequisite: DHYG 61

    DHYG 69A
    Oral Health Care Education

    2 units
    Educational techniques and technical skills used to assist individuals and groups in becoming integrally involved in their dental/oral health care. Information and application of information related to oral health care, oral health promotion and disease prevention.
    Course Details:

      DHYG 71A
      Pre-Clinical Dental Hygiene

      4 units
      Laboratory and clinical experiences in patient assessment, dental hygiene care planning, goal setting and implementation of instrumentation techniques for providing prevention- oriented dental care and non-surgical periodontal therapy. Emphasis on post-treatment evaluation. Application of theory to the treatment of clinical patients.
      Course Details:
      1. Corequisite: DHYG 60
        2. and
      2. Corequisite: DHYG 69A
        3. and
      3. Corequisite: DHYG 71S

      DHYG 71S
      Pre-clinical Dental Hygiene Independent Study

      1 unit
      Supplemental instruction in the use of dental hygiene instruments. Emphasis on instrumentation technique including the use of fulcrum options, modified pen grasp, direct and indirect vision.
      Course Details:
      1. Corequisite: DHYG 71A

      DHYG 74A
      Dental Radiography I

      3 units
      Introduction to the principles of radiography, x-radiation protection, operation of x-ray equipment, infection control procedures and hazardous waste maintenance. Practice in film exposure, processing, mounting and interpretation.
      Course Details:

        Semester 2

        15.5 units

        DHYG 51
        General and Oral Pathology

        4 units
        Oral pathology and dysfunctions of systems of the body which directly affect the oral cavity. Significance of oral and general pathology in relationship to treatment by the dental hygienist. Relationship of oral and general pathology related to the disease process.
        Course Details:

          DHYG 55A
          Dental Materials

          1.5 units
          General, specialty, preventive and restorative materials will be covered, with focus on components, properties, classification and manipulation of specific materials. Lab activities designed to prepare student for use of materials within the dental setting.
          Course Details:
          1. Prerequisite: DHYG 69A

          DHYG 69B
          Treatment and Evaluation in Dental Hygiene

          1 unit
          Continued development of the principles of assessment in dental hygiene care. Prevention, non-surgical periodontal therapy and maintenance through application of the Dental Hygiene process, including assessment, planning, goal setting, implementing and evaluation used in providing dental hygiene care. Emphasis on evaluation of dental hygiene care as an essential component of the dental hygiene process.
          Course Details:
          1. Prerequisite: DHYG 69A
            2. and
          2. Prerequisite: DHYG 71A

          DHYG 71B
          Clinical Dental Hygiene

          4 units
          Continuation of laboratory and clinical experiences in patient assessment with emphasis on dental hygiene care planning, goal setting and implementation of instrumentation techniques for providing prevention-oriented dental care and non-surgical periodontal therapy. Emphasis on post-treatment evaluation. Introduction to the technical skills and procedures used in the clinical practice of dental hygiene.
          Course Details:
          1. Prerequisite: DHYG 71A
          2. Corequisite: DHYG 69B
            3. and
          3. Corequisite: DHYG 75

          DHYG 73
          Educational Theories in Dental Hygiene Care

          1.5 units
          Basics of research processes associated with clinical dental hygiene practice. Teaching, learning, and research processes. Application of principles for patient education. Identification of effective environments for teaching and learning.
          Course Details:
          1. Prerequisite: DHYG 69A
            2. and
          2. Prerequisite: DHYG 71A
          3. Corequisite: DHYG 69B
            4. and
          4. Corequisite: DHYG 71B

          DHYG 74B
          Dental Radiography II

          1.5 units
          Continuation of clinical experience in exposing films, group and individualized criticism of mounted films; principles of Panographic and Digital radiology; special patient needs; occlusal and pedodontic surveys; emphasis on radiographic interpretative skills.
          Course Details:
          1. Prerequisite: DHYG 74A

          DHYG 75
          Medical Emergencies

          1 unit
          Prevention, recognition and management of medical emergencies that occur in the dental setting.
          Course Details:
          1. Corequisite: DHYG 69B
            2. and
          2. Corequisite: DHYG 71B

          HLTH 60
          Responding to Emergencies

          1 unit
          Development of knowledge and skills for recognizing and caring for emergency situations. Includes healthy lifestyles and prevention of illness and injury. Designed to meet the needs of individuals in the community who frequently provide First Aid. Successful completion of the knowledge and skills tests qualifies for a National Safety Council First Aid and Adult CPR card.
          Course Details:
          Total Units: 30.5 units
          This program map is not a guarantee of course availability or financial aid applicability.