The UAA dental hygiene entry-level program prepares graduates for licensure and employment as dental hygienists.
The UAA dental hygiene program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).
Licensure and/or Certification
Graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene (BSDH) are eligible to sit for the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination from the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations and for regional clinical examinations required for state licensure. Graduation from a CODA-accredited dental hygiene program and successful completion of licensure examinations are required to obtain a State of Alaska Dental Hygiene License.
Graduates of the BSDH are eligible to sit for clinical exams given by the Dental Competency Assessment/Western Regional Examining Board (CDCA/WREB) required for licensure.
This program is designed to meet the educational requirements for professional licensure or certification in the State of Alaska. However, the program might not meet the educational requirements for professional licensure or certification in other states. Please see UAA's Licensure and Certification website for more information.
Admission Requirements
- Complete the Admission Requirements for Baccalaureate Programs.
- Complete the following Admission Requirements for the BS in Dental Hygiene:
- All students will initially be admitted to a pre-major status. Admission to the pre-major status does not guarantee subsequent admission to the major. Admission to the entry-level program is competitive due to limited capacity. As a pre-major, students work with an advisor to assist them in completing pre-major requirements and preparing to apply to the full major. Admission to the BSDH for graduates of an associate degree dental hygiene program for the purpose of bachelor degree completion does not require a competitive admission process.
- Complete the following courses with a minimum grade of C:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL A111 & A111L | Human Anatomy and Physiology I and Human Anatomy and Physiology I Lab | 4 |
| BIOL A112 & A112L | Human Anatomy and Physiology II and Human Anatomy and Physiology II Lab | 4 |
| BIOL A240 & A240L | Introductory Microbiology for Health Sciences and Introductory Microbiology for Health Sciences Laboratory | 4 |
| COMM GER course | 3 | |
| CHEM A103 & A103L | Introduction to General Chemistry and Introduction to General Chemistry Laboratory | 4 |
| or CHEM A105 & A105L | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory | |
| CHEM A104 & A104L | Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry and Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry Laboratory | 4 |
| PSY A111 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| or PSY A150 | Lifespan Development | |
| SOC A101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| or SOC A201 | Social Problems and Solutions | |
| WRTG GER course | 3 | |
- For entry-level admission to the BSDH, submit an application according to criteria and deadlines on the program website. Completion of the program admission requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the dental hygiene program as a full major.
- Applicants with an associate degree in dental hygiene should meet with an advisor to determine eligibility to petition selected coursework for the major.
Special Considerations
- Prior to beginning pre-clinical and clinical courses, students must provide documentation of the following:
- Current health insurance
- Vaccinations as listed in the program handbook
- Current Basic Life Support certification for healthcare professionals
- State of Alaska background checks
- Students in the entry-level Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene will be selected in August and will start dental hygiene classes in January. Once enrolled in the BSDH, the student can anticipate a five-semester, 40-hour-per-week schedule that includes course activities outside of normal class times. Evening classes and clinics may be scheduled.
Graduation Requirements
- Complete the General University Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
- Complete the General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees.
- For Written Communication Skills GER, WRTG A212 is recommended.
- Courses required for program admission may satisfy Oral Communication Skills, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences GERs.
- The statistics major requirement may satisfy the Quantitative Skills GER.
- Complete the following major requirements with a minimum grade of C:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL A111 & A111L | Human Anatomy and Physiology I and Human Anatomy and Physiology I Lab | 4 |
| BIOL A112 & A112L | Human Anatomy and Physiology II and Human Anatomy and Physiology II Lab | 4 |
| BIOL A240 & A240L | Introductory Microbiology for Health Sciences and Introductory Microbiology for Health Sciences Laboratory | 4 |
| CHEM A103 & A103L | Introduction to General Chemistry and Introduction to General Chemistry Laboratory | 4 |
| or CHEM A105 & A105L | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory | |
| CHEM A104 & A104L | Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry and Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry Laboratory | 4 |
| DH A110 | Dental Radiography | 4 |
| DH A160 | Applied Dental Materials | 3 |
| DH A200 | Basic Instrumentation for Dental Hygienists | 2 |
| DH A201 | Oral Histology and Embryology | 2 |
| DH A203 | Assessment Procedures in Dental Hygiene | 3 |
| DH A204 | Anatomy of the Orofacial Structures | 2 |
| DH A220 | Introduction to Preventive Dentistry | 2 |
| DH A222 | Adjunctive Techniques for Dental Hygienists | 3 |
| DH A292D | Clinical Seminar I | 1 |
| DH A292E | Preclinical Seminar | 1 |
| DH A295D | Clinical Practicum I | 4 |
| DH A302 | Advanced Instrumentation for Dental Hygienists | 1 |
| DH A310 | Oral Pain Control | 3 |
| DH A311 | Periodontics | 2 |
| DH A314 | Pathology of Oral Tissues | 2 |
| DH A316 | Professional Dental Hygiene Practice | 1 |
| DH A321 | Current Periodontal Therapies | 2 |
| DH A324 | Community Dental Health I | 2 |
| DH A365 | Pharmacology for Dental Hygienists | 2 |
| DH A392C | Clinical Seminar II | 1 |
| DH A392D | Clinical Seminar III | 1 |
| DH A395C | Clinical Practicum II | 5 |
| DH A395D | Clinical Practicum III | 6 |
| DN A203 | Nutrition for Health Sciences | 3 |
| PSY A111 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| or PSY A150 | Lifespan Development | |
| SOC A101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| or SOC A201 | Social Problems and Solutions | |
| STAT A200 | Elementary Statistics | 3-4 |
| or STAT A253 | Applied Statistics for the Sciences | |
| Complete a minimum of 11 credits from the following: | 11 | |
| Restorative Techniques for Dental Auxiliaries | ||
| Selected Topics in Dental Hygiene 1 | ||
| Community Practicum in Dental Hygiene 2 | ||
| Instructional Practicum in Dental Hygiene | ||
| Rural Practicum in Dental Hygiene 2 | ||
| Food & Nutrition in Modern Alaska | ||
| Weight Management and Eating Disorders | ||
| Preventive and Therapeutic Nutrition | ||
| Technical Writing and Design | ||
or ENGL A313 | Professional Writing | |
or ENGL A414 | Research Writing | |
| Social and Cultural Determinants of Health | ||
| Biomedical Ethics | ||
Other courses approved by a Dental Hygiene advisor | ||
| Integrative Capstone | ||
| DH A424 | Community Dental Health II | 3 |
| Total | 101-102 | |
A minimum of 120 credits is required for the degree, of which 39 credits must be upper-division.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene will be able to:
- Provide and document dental hygiene care in a legal and ethical manner.
- Exhibit professional behavior, including time management, risk management, and respect of patients and co-workers.
- Critically evaluate scientific literature and research relevant to dental hygiene.
- Collect, analyze, and record data on the general and oral health status of patients.
- Use critical decision-making skills to develop a dental hygiene diagnosis, which will provide a basis for interventions that are within the scope of dental hygiene practice and determine the need for referral to appropriate health professions as needed.
- Formulate a dental hygiene care plan, including a planned sequence of educational, preventive, and therapeutic services based on the dental hygiene diagnosis in collaboration with the patient and other health care providers.
- Deliver preventive and therapeutic care to achieve and maintain oral health utilizing established infection control procedures, pain control measures, and ergonomic practices.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented services, and modify as needed.
- Promote the profession of dental hygiene through service and affiliations with professional organizations.
- Assess, plan, implement, and evaluate complex community oral health projects to diverse populations