81st Dental Squadron technician selected for hygienist training program

Published April 21, 2011
By Master Sgt. James Bunce
81st Dental Squadron

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Staff Sgt. Rebecca Escajeda, 81st Dental Squadron, is one of eight Air Force dental technicians accepted to attend a two-year registered dental hygienist course as part of the Air Force Dental Hygiene Training Scholarship Program.

In 2003 the Air Force entered into joint educational agreements with two institutions, Trident Technical College in Charleston S.C., and St. Petersburg College in St. Petersburg, Fla., to train active-duty dental technicians as registered dental hygienists. The programs are accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation.

Sergeant Escajeda departs Keesler this summer to attend Trident's associate's degree program in dental hygiene. The curriculum includes both general education and professional dental hygiene courses. Upon graduation, Sergeant Escajeda is eligible to sit for the dental hygiene national board exam as well as the regional and/or individual state board examinations for her license. Then she'll provide preventive, educational and therapeutic services in an Air Force dental clinic.

The El Paso, Texas, native has been a member of the Air Force since February 2006 and assigned to Keesler since June 2006. While at Keesler, she's earned an associate of arts degree from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.