As licensed professional oral health clinicians and educators, dental hygienists practice as members of the dental team, using knowledge of biomedical, dental, clinical, and social sciences to assist individuals and groups in achieving and maintaining optimum oral health. The hygienist provides preventive services, preliminary examinations, radiographs, sealants, non-surgical periodontal therapy, fluoride treatments, local anesthesia, and patient education. As a specialist, the dental hygienist is an integral co-therapist in helping consumers prevent oral disease, arrest existing periodontal (gum) disease, and maintain oral health.
The curriculum of the Fones School of Dental Hygiene provides a broad educational preparation program with a combination of general education and Dental Hygiene courses. In addition to basic and dental science theory, the program provides education in prevention servic, dental health education, and instruction in advanced procedures to broaden capabilities for clinical practice. Students enter the two-year clinical program following prerequisites completed through a pre-dental hygiene year or as transfer students into the University.
Dental Hygiene clinic instruments and supplies are issued through the Fones School. These items are distributed throughout the clinical phase of the curriculum, the costs of which are included within the Dental Hygiene special fees.
During the second clinical year, the students receive skills-based education, not only at the Fones Dental Hygiene Clinic on campus, but also through assignments at clinical and educational facilities of school dental health programs, hospitals, and community agencies. These assignments are directly supervised by Fones faculty. Students are responsible for providing their own transportation to community agencies.
Enrollment in the second year is contingent on completing all first year requirements and achieving a cumulative QPR of 2.7.
Learning outcomes
Through completion of the entry-level Dental Hygiene curriculum students will achieve the following outcomes:
- Characterize professionalism and responsibility in all health promotion and disease prevention activities;
- Apply a professional code of ethics while adhering to appropriate legal and regulatory measures when providing oral health services;
- Utilize critical thinking, problem solving, and evidence-based decision making in the dental hygiene process of care;
- Provide the dental hygiene process of care (assessment, dental hygiene diagnosis, planning, implementation, evaluation, documentation) for patients/clients in all settings;
- Communicate effectively with and deliver culturally competent, inter-professional healthcare to individuals and groups from diverse populations;
- Demonstrate the knowledge necessary to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate community-based oral health programs;
- Continually perform self-assessment to maintain professional standards and encourage life-long learning;
- Value the need for personal and professional growth through participation in professional activities and associations;
- Understand and master the competencies of Dental Hygiene Professional Practice.
Students will demonstrate professionalism, ethical behavior, evidenced-based decision making, competent client care, health promotion, and disease prevention. A set of competencies has been developed to verify ability to perform total client care and develop professionally. Students must demonstrate successful completion of these competencies in order to graduate. Completion of competencies confirm that the student has the ability to safely provide dental hygiene care at an entry level, or what is minimally expected in performance as a new graduate. As a licensed professional who continues in his/her career, experience and continued learning leads one in becoming proficient, or eventually, even an expert in the delivery of care. The Fones School of Dental Hygiene Competencies are posted on the University website.
Students learn the skills and knowledge necessary to function effectively as an integral member of the dental health team. The program utilizes the facilities of the University of Bridgeport Fones School of Dental Hygiene Clinic, area hospitals, and community health clinics. Specialized coursework must be taken in the outlined sequence. DHYG designated courses are open to admitted Dental Hygiene students only.
Upon completion of the Dental Hygiene curriculum, graduates are eligible to take the Dental Hygiene National Board Examination and licensure exams in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, and abroad.
Admission requirements
Dental Hygiene clinical courses begin in the fall term and the associate degree curriculum is open only to full-time Dental Hygiene students. Clinical students are required to submit a physical, dental, visual acuity report and current cardiopulmonary resuscitation/recognition certification on an annual basis. Student must also submit evidence of Hepatitis B vaccine series seroconversion and PPD tuberculin test. All admitted students are subject to a background check and drug screening. This procedure will be conducted by the outside agency ViewPoint Screening. All information is maintained confidentially.
See Admissions for additional information.
Graduation requirements
All courses listed in the Dental Hygiene curriculum program for the Associate and/or Bachelor of Science degree are required for graduation. The Dental Hygiene student must earn a grade of “C” in all major courses. A student that earns a grade of “C-” or below in a course in the major field, must obtain a written statement from the school director specifying the procedure necessary to remedy the deficiency and remain in the major.
Program prerequisites
