Our Division

The Division of Dental Hygiene is committed to excellence in dental hygiene education, practice, management, and research.

Dental Hygiene students

Advancements in research, technology, and the challenge of serving a diverse patient population demand dental hygiene students who are prepared intellectually, technically and ethically to meet the oral healthcare challenges of the 21st century.

In response to this demand, we provide an educational environment that blends a solid dental hygiene clinical education with the biological, behavioral and social sciences, as well as liberal arts. We emphasize a commitment to community service, intellectual development, and critical thinking.

 

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Our goals

We're preparing the next generation of dental hygienists to assume roles in many different environments, including general and specialty practices, public schools, community health clinics, insurance companies, educational programs, extended care facilities, and the health products industry.

We do this by providing a competency-based educational program and evidence-based dental hygiene care. In addition, we provide continuing education experiences for alumni; research opportunities that contribute to the field; and opportunities for academic service learning and oral health promotion in the community.

Our philosophy

The philosophy of the dental hygiene program is to empower students to become lifelong learners who are competent in providing patient care to a diverse population in traditional and non-traditional settings.

With a liberal arts foundation, our aim is to inspire students to become critical thinkers who utilize evidence-based decision-making within the scope of dental hygiene practice.