School of Dentistry
Dental hygienists provide preventive oral care by assessing the state of patients' oral and overall health, diagnosing any abnormalities, creating a treatment plan for them and carrying out that plan, and educating the patients about prevention of disease and maintenance of healthy teeth, gums, and mouths. Dental hygienists clean and polish teeth and perform fluoride or other treatments to prevent cavities, and they sometimes administer X-rays or anesthesia, depending on need.
The bachelor of science degree completion program in public health dental hygiene provides an opportunity for graduate dental hygienists to develop further expertise in public health methods or dental hygiene education and includes application of practical experience. It prepares hygienists for leadership roles in education, public health, commercial ventures, professional associations, and health advocacy. It can enhance career opportunities available to dental hygienists in a variety of areas, including but not limited to state and county health departments, academia, sales and marketing, educational software development, pharmaceuticals, dental education consulting, dental insurance companies, research, and clinical dental hygiene. The bachelor of science degree completion program allows students to develop the leadership skills needed for today’s dental hygiene professional and prepares them for entry into graduate programs.