Dental Hygiene Practitioner Post Baccalaureate Graduate Certificate

Mission Statement 

To improve the underserved public’s health, the advanced dental hygiene therapist provides access to early interventions, quality preventive oral healthcare and referrals to dentists and other healthcare providers.

Educational Objectives

The Dental Hygiene Therapist is positioned to:

• increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the dental workforce;
• potentially reduce the cost of dental services by providing primary oral healthcare within the scope of advanced dental hygiene practice;
• extend primary dental care to disadvantaged and remote populations outside of the traditional private practice setting;
• expand the capacity of community-based health personnel and facilities to meet the oral care needs; and
• collaborate with dentists and other healthcare providers.

The skill set necessary for the Dental Hygiene Practitioner(DHP) are above and beyond those skills provided in the Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene degree program currently offered.  The education and skills skills necessary to meet the dental needs of our state include diagnosing decay via telehealth avenues, drilling decay out of teeth, and working collaboratively with licensed dentists from a rural health clinic.  The above courses emphasize critical thinking, knowledge acquisition, and competency based skill building in order for the DHP to be soundly equipped to utilize the process of care, diagnose, prepare decayed teeth for fillings, handle emergencies that may occur in the rural dental office, prescribe dental appropriate medications. Once competency is proven in a lab and supervised clinical setting an externship working in a setting similar to the final workplace for this practitioner .

Pre-requisite Courses 

In the event that a student is accepted but fails to prove competency in restorative procedures and/or anesthesia procedures, they are required to attend a summer semester prior to beginning the formal program. If a student simply wants a refresher in these procedures they are also invited to attend the summer prior to beginning the program in the fall.

The required courses are: DNHY 557S, DNHY 559S.

Student Learning Outcomes—students will 

• demonstrate competence in providing primary oral healthcare and case management for diverse populations;
• contribute to health policies that address disparities in oral health and access to care for the underserved;
• use sound scientific methods and accesses evidence-based information when making decisions and providing patient care;
• demonstrate professional behaviors consistent with dental hygiene parameters of care, legal regulations and the ADHA Code of Ethics.