5150 Dental Hygiene

Mission
Program Objective

Department of Dental Hygiene
816 Urban Life Building
404-413-1100

Christy Smith, Interim 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

Upon completion, graduates will have obtained or meet the following standards for knowledge, skills, and attitudes in Dental Hygiene.

Foundational Knowledge

Understand and value the underpinnings of DH that protect the welfare of patients and improves patient outcomes.
Describe and examine models of practice associated with the science and research of DH.
Appreciate the role of DH in health promotion and wellbeing and the prevention of disease through DH practice.

Integrating Science and Therapy

Apply knowledge to practice that supports and enhances participation in daily oral and dental care.
Assess factors within the environment that influence oral and dental care.
Employ culturally relevant oral and dental care to support the intervention goals that are meaningful to the patient.
Understand and interpret basic descriptive, correlation, and inferential statistics.
Understand and comment on research studies.
Understand the importance of scholarly activities that contribute to the development of a body of knowledge relevant to the DH profession.
Utilize effective interpersonal communication and demonstrate effective and culturally sensitive group communication.

Advocacy, Leadership, and Cultural Competency

Be able to appropriately refer patients to specialists for consultation.
Be able to skillfully supervise and collaborate with dental assistants and other professionals.
Articulate the importance of research for best practice and continued development of the DH profession.
Use professional literature to make informed practice decisions.
Understand the values of the DH profession.
Understand the varied roles of the dental hygienist as a practitioner, educator, researcher, and entrepreneur.
Demonstrate knowledge about legal and ethical issues related to DH education.
Accept responsibility for one’s professional growth and life-long learning

Programs

Bachelor’s

Dental Hygiene, B.S.

Courses

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