Dental hygienists are important partners in the delivery of dental health care. These licensed health professionals work directly with patients to promote optimum oral health. The dental hygiene profession is primarily educational and preventative in nature and offers opportunities to work in a variety of health care settings, including general and specialty dental practices, community health agencies, and public schools.
Graduates with an associate's degree in dental hygiene can expect a high level of professional demand from employers in the private dental practice setting.
In addition, graduates may wish to pursue a bachelor's degree, which will provide opportunities to work in alternative settings such as public health, education, research, and dental sales.
All dental hygiene professional courses must be taken in the prescribed four semester sequence. The curriculum is time intensive and the required courses are rigorous. Complete dedication to coursework is required for successful completion of the program.
Students may apply as freshman candidates, however, due to the rigor of the program, many dental hygiene students enroll in some non-professional courses prior to initiating the program. Suggested courses include college level chemistry, anatomy and physiology, nutrition, English, and psychology.
Upon completion of the required credits in the Dental Hygiene program, graduates are awarded an Associate of Science degree in Dental Hygiene. Graduates are then eligible to apply to take the National Board in Dental Hygiene Examination and a regional clinical board examination, such as the Northeast Regional Board.
For licensure in Vermont, in addition to the Dental Hygiene National Board Examination and the Northeast Regional Board Examination, graduates will also be required to take a jurisprudence examination offered by the Vermont States Board of Dental Examiners. Applicants for Vermont licensure are also required to present information regarding past history of substance abuse, prior felony convictions, and failure to pay child support and/or taxes. Other states may ask similar questions. The Board is responsible for determining eligibility for dental hygiene licensure.
The program is accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation. All students completing the program will be eligible to apply to participate in licensing examinations.
The minimum number of credits for the associate's degree is 72.
Curriculum: