Pima Medical Institute is officially launching a new Dental Hygiene program at its San Antonio campus, expanding educational opportunities for students while helping address a growing need for oral healthcare professionals across Texas.
The associate degree program is designed to prepare students for careers focused on preventive oral healthcare, including dental cleanings, patient education, and early detection of oral health issues. In addition to classroom and laboratory instruction, students will gain hands-on clinical experience through our on-site dental hygiene clinic.
Opening this fall to patients, the educational clinic will serve the local community by providing preventive dental hygiene services delivered by students under the supervision of licensed dental professionals. These services will focus on preventive care, including cleanings, screenings, and patient education.
“Dental hygienists play a critical role in preventive healthcare and patient education,” said Kimberly Peacher, Pima Medical Institute’s Dean of Academic Innovation-Dental Hygiene. “By launching this program and building our dental hygiene clinic, we’re creating a pathway for students to enter an in-demand profession while also expanding access to preventive oral healthcare services for residents in the San Antonio area.”
In addition to San Antonio, Pima Medical Institute currently offers Dental Hygiene programs at its Albuquerque, Houston and Seattle campuses, each featuring on-site dental hygiene clinics that provide supervised, real-world, preventive care. Additional dental hygiene programs and clinics are planned to open in other locations in the coming years.
The San Antonio program launch comes at a time when demand for dental hygienists continues to outpace supply. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services Health Professions Resource Center, Texas had a projected shortage of approximately 2,600 dental hygienists in 2022, with the deficit projected to grow to more than 2,700 by 2036 if workforce trends continue.*
Access to oral healthcare remains a significant challenge across the state. Texas has more than 260 federally designated Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas affecting millions of residents who have limited access to routine dental care.
“Healthcare workforce shortages are being felt across the country, including in oral healthcare,” said Andy Andress, Chief Executive Officer at Pima Medical Institute. “By expanding our Dental Hygiene programs and building dental hygiene clinics like we have in San Antonio and several other markets, we’re helping prepare the next generation of dental professionals while also delivering valuable preventive care services to the communities we serve.”
Healthcare providers nationwide are also experiencing workforce challenges in oral healthcare. Industry data shows that more than 90 percent of dental practices report difficulty recruiting dental hygienists, contributing to longer wait times for preventive care appointments in many communities.**
The new Dental Hygiene program is an 18-month associate degree program, designed to help strengthen the regional healthcare workforce while creating opportunities for students to pursue careers in dental hygiene close to home.
The San Antonio campus offers several other healthcare educational training programs, including Dental Assistant, Medical Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, Radiography, Diagnostic Medical Sonography and Veterinary Technician, among others. These programs support the college’s mission of preparing students for careers that serve community health needs.
