2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
5150 Dental Hygiene
|
|
 Return to: Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions Departments and Programs
Department of Dental Hygiene
816 Urban Life Building
404-413-1502
Michelle Boyce, Program Director
https://lewis.gsu.edu/dental-hygiene/
Mission
The mission of the Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions is to prepare the next generation of clinicians and scholars who collectively enhance individual and community health in a culturally diverse society. The primary mission of this B.S. in Dental Hygiene degree will be to prepare practicing dental hygienists for successful career opportunities outside the dental office, such as in industry, consulting, and research. A secondary mission is to prepare students for positions in DH education.
Dental Hygiene is evolving as the health care environment is influencing how dental hygienists practice and the settings in which they practice. It is also influencing performance expectations for new graduates. Dental Hygienists are expected to demonstrate ethical principles of healthcare, exhibit an appropriate communication aptitude, and practice critical thinking skills while delivering consistent, safe clinical treatment to patients, families, groups, and communities in a variety of interdisciplinary healthcare settings. While the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) requires the associate’s degree as the minimum degree for Dental Hygiene practice, disciplinary trends are requiring a bachelor’s degree for a career in teaching at technical colleges and clinical practice in schools or public health programs. Furthermore, in the more traditional sense, a bachelor’s degree is needed for those interested in furthering their education to the graduate level. This program allows licensed dental hygienists to continue their education through a career completion pathway.
Program Objective
PSLO 1. Dental Hygiene Foundational Knowledge. Students will be able to discuss the current and emerging trends in dental hygiene practice, particularly as it relates to the welfare of patients, the advanced role of the dental hygienist, and models of practice that meet workforce development needs.
PSLO 2. Integration of Dental Hygiene Science and Therapy - Students will participate in interdisciplinary teams and successfully contribute using critical thinking skills for the integration of dental science and therapy.
PSLO 3. Dental Hygiene Evidence-Based Practice - Students will integrate evidenced-based practice to produce positive patient outcomes.
PSLO 4. Competency in Advocacy, Leadership, and Vulnerable Populations - Students will have an understanding of ethical and legal principles and their application through advocacy, leadership, and cultural competency in the dental sciences industry.
Courses
Return to: Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions Departments and Programs
|
