Dental Hygiene

The preprofessional dental hygiene program is offered in cooperation with the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT). Students complete the requirements for the BS degree by spending two years at SOU and, if accepted, two years at the OIT dental school. If they meet the requirements for each school, students also have the option of transferring into associate’s degree programs offered by community colleges, as well as the Oregon Institute of Technology. In the associate’s degree program, students take their first year or two of classes at SOU.

Dental hygienists are licensed health professionals who work with individuals and groups to help them prevent and control oral disease. They also assess the health of individuals or groups, plan oral hygiene treatment and education, help people attain better health, review medical and dental histories, take blood pressure and other vital signs, and evaluate the success of oral health promotion and treatment methods. Hygienists examine the neck and mouth for signs of diseases such as cancer of the head or neck, tooth decay, and periodontal (gum) disease. They take x-rays to determine the health of the teeth, gums, and supporting bone. Assessing the oral health of groups may involve individual examinations, but it frequently requires collecting information on the group’s health practices and diagnosing the pattern of dental disease within the group. After assessing the individual’s or the group’s oral health, hygienists decide on preventive practices.

The following are among the many excellent job opportunities in the field of dental hygiene: private dental offices, independent contracting, public and private schools, programs for the disabled, nursing homes, home health agencies, hospitals, industrial settings, and the United States armed forces.

Depending on their goals, dental hygienists spend two to four years in training. Below are the available options as they relate to SOU:

1. Students wishing to spend only two years in school should not attend SOU; instead, they should apply directly to a community or junior college accepting students from high school (e.g., Portland Community College, Lane Community College in Eugene, and Mount Hood Community College in Gresham). After two years of coursework, students are eligible to take state and national examinations for certification. Upon satisfactory completion of these exams, students receive a license in dental hygiene granting them the right to practice this profession.
   
2. Students planning to spend three years in school should attend SOU for one year and then apply to a two-year dental hygiene program or the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) in Klamath Falls. OIT offers a three-year program, with the first year devoted to a general academic background, including human anatomy and physiology, and the next two years dedicated to the dental hygiene curriculum.
   
3. Students planning to spend four years in school to receive a bachelor’s degree should attend SOU for two years and earn a baccalaureate degree at OIT after completing their dental hygiene curriculum. Students are awarded a bachelor of science degree in dental hygiene upon completion of this program. Students may take an additional year of study after completing the dental hygiene curriculum at OIT to earn a bachelor of science degree in allied health (dental hygiene).
   Completion of one or more years at SOU does not guarantee acceptance onto another program. Students should become familiar with admission requirements at their preferred college early enough to fulfill them.
   The following first year program should be taken by associate’s degree candidates and those considering a bachelor of science degree. Students should obtain additional details on both programs from the Department of Biology before beginning the first term.
   


First Year

Survey of Chemistry (Ch 104, 105, 106)	12
Mathematics (Mth 95 or 111)	4
Human Anatomy and Physiology (Bi 231, 232, 233)	12
General Psychology (Psy 201, 202)	8
The Sociological Imagination (Soc 204)	4
Elementary Microbiology (Bi 214)	4
University Colloquium (Core 101, 102, 103)	12
Nutrition (HE 325)	3
Computer science elective (CS 115)	4
Total credits	63