Dental Hygiene Program | Health Sciences

What is a dental hygienist?

The American Dental Hygienists’ Association describes a dental hygienist as “the member of the oral health care team focused on preventing oral disease and identifying and treating oral disease while it is still manageable.” Find out more here.

The Dental Hygienist plays an important role in the field of healthcare. As specialists in oral health, dental hygienists help patients in the maintenance of good health and educate patients to prevent disease. Dental hygienists perform services under the supervision of licensed dentists and are the only other members of the dental team licensed to perform direct patient care. The demand for dental services will increase as the population ages and as research continues to link oral health to overall health.

Dental hygiene is a prevention-oriented profession offering a variety of career options. A dental hygienist can pursue numerous career options which are defined by the American Dental Hygienists’ Association as clinician, oral health promoter, clinical educator, researcher, practice administrator, clinical director, consultant, and consumer advocate.

Program Overview and Scope of Practice

The Utah Tech University Dental Hygiene Program offers a progressive education that prepares graduates to provide comprehensive dental hygiene care. The program produces dental hygienists of the highest ethical and professional standards by providing exceptional academic and experiential learning opportunities. The program prepares the student for professional licensure and scope of practice in the state they choose.

We enroll 24 students each academic year, so our small classes have great instructor-to-student ratios. Students start in fall semester (usually mid-August) and complete 5 consecutive semesters:

Program 1st Year Fall & Spring
Summer Online
Program 2nd Year Fall & Spring

At the successful conclusion of the Dental Hygiene Program, students are able to perform the essential career functions of a dental hygiene professional and enter the workforce subsequent to passing national and regional/state licensing examination(s).

CURRICULUM

Our curriculum surpasses other entry-level Bachelor’s programs in many ways.

We are fully accredited by CODA.
Our student-to-instructor ratio ensures successful learning.
We boast a 100% pass rate on written licensing exams (NBDHE) for almost 20 years running!
Our graduates are prepared for expanded functions like anesthesia and limited restorative procedures.
Besides standard classrooms, our building is equipped with a dental hygiene wet/dry lab, a 24-chair dental hygiene clinic with a 3D panoramic x-ray machine, and instrument cleaning and sterilization room.
We are the only publicly funded university in Utah to utilize a mobile clinic for community outreach projects.