Savannah Technical College Opens Dental Hygiene Facility

#1312 | September 14, 2012

Savannah Technical College Opens Dental Hygiene Facility New lab space supports rigorous program of study and clinical space for patients

SAVANNAH – When Savannah Technical College (STC) opened the doors to its new Dental Hygiene Clinic Thursday evening, things were as sparkly as a smile fresh from a dental cleaning.

     “I’m especially proud that we are able to offer the Dental Hygiene program at Savannah Technical College,” said College President Kathy S. Love. “It is the perfect example of our commitment to local workforce development. We listened to area dentists’ concerns and worked diligently to create a seamless transfer of location and administration of the program last year.”

     The Dental Hygiene program, operated for 44 years by Armstrong Atlantic State University (AASU), was transferred to Savannah Technical College last year, when AASU made known its plan to eliminate the program. Once Savannah Tech was granted the transfer of the accreditation by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation, arrangements were made to lease program and clinical space from Armstrong. While the construction on the new facility was completed, faculty were hired, including supervising dentists, and classes were taught without academic interruption for students.

      The new facility, on the College’s Savannah Campus, is a mix of renovated space (7,745 square feet) and new construction (6,407 square feet). It includes a clinical lab with 24 dental hygiene stations, four radiology rooms, a dental materials lab, two classrooms, specialized spaces for records, sterilization, and patient reception, as well as six faculty offices and an administrative area. Designed by Hansen Architects of Savannah and built by Benning Construction, the cost of the project was $1.81 M.

     Dental Hygiene Department Head Dr. Suzanne Edenfield has been with the program for 30 years providing instruction, clinical supervision and administrative leadership. According to Edenfield, “Our students and patients love this space. We are very pleased to be here.”

     The 82-credit-hour program for an Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene accepts approximately 24 students annually. Students provide clinical patient care as a component of their curriculum requirements. Edenfield is proud of the program’s record of success, noting that most students are offered employment positions pending successful completion of two credentialing examinations and licensure. The program has had 100% licensure pass rate for many years.

      The program utilizes a competitive admissions process. Students wishing to enter the Dental Hygiene program must complete an application packet by May 1, 2013 for admission to the Fall class. For more information about program admission, please contact STC’s Health Sciences Academic Advisor Heather Valentine (hvalentine@savannahtech.edu or 912.443.5721) or Dr. Suzanne Edenfield (sedenfield@savannahtech.edu).

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For more information about Dental Hygiene program admission:
STC’s Health Sciences Academic Advisor Heather Valentine
(hvalentine@savannahtech.edu or 912.443.5721)
Dr. Suzanne Edenfield (sedenfield@savannahtech.edu)

 Media Contact:
Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512
ashaffer@savannahtech.edu