Dental Hygiene, B.S.
Contact
Dianne Smallidge, RDH, EdD
Program Director, Department of Dental Hygiene
dsmallidge@une.edu
Mission
The Dental Hygiene Program endeavors to educate and empower future dental hygiene professionals through academic and clinical excellence, student-centered support, and a commitment to health equity. Rooted in evidence-based practice the program prepares graduates to provide high-quality, compassionate care in diverse settings. We cultivate professional growth, ethical leadership, and lifelong learning through a rigorous curriculum, dedicated faculty, and strong community partnerships. Through innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement, we aim to advance oral health outcomes, reduce disparities, and contribute meaningfully to the profession and society.
Major Description
This dynamic four-year program begins with the students becoming fully engaged during their first four semesters in the building of a foundation of knowledge in the sciences and liberal studies, while simultaneously being introduced to interrelated disciplines within the health professions. The students begin their academic experience on the Biddeford campus, which will provide them with the opportunity to enjoy full participation in clubs, seminars, sports, and intercollegiate activities.
The last four semesters are delivered on the Portland campus where students are immersed in both the study of dental hygiene theory and professional clinical practice. Dental hygiene students will have the opportunity to engage in interprofessional educational experiences with students and faculty in undergraduate and graduate-level health professions programs within the University setting. The Dental Hygiene baccalaureate program is designed to provide the student with expanded professional opportunities, therefore, skill development in the areas of critical thinking, ethical decision-making and leadership are enhanced.
The Dental Hygiene program faculty welcomes the opportunity to educate future hygienists in both the traditional and newly evolving skills required for entry into the profession.
Transfer Credit
See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.
Admissions
See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.
Financial Information
Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more tuition and fee information, please consult this catalog’s Financial Information section.
Curricular Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Nor'easter Core Requirements | ||
| Nor'easter Core Requirements | 40 | |
| Program Required Courses | ||
| BIO 104 & 104L | General Biology and General Biology Lab | 4 |
| BIO 208 & 208L | Intro Anatomy & Physiology I and Intro Anatomy & Phys Lab 1 | 4 |
| BIO 209 & 209L | Intro Anatomy & Physiology II and Intro Anatomy & Phys II Lab | 4 |
| BIO 242 & 242L | Applied Microbiology and Applied Microbiology Lab | 4 |
| BIO 309 | Pathophysiology | 3 |
| CHE 130 & 130L | Principles of Chemistry and Principles of Chemistry Lab | 4 |
| DEN 100 | Introduction to Dental Hygiene | 1 |
| DEN 201 | Histology and Embryology | 2 |
| DEN 303 | Dental Hygiene Theory I | 2 |
| DEN 304 | Dental Hygiene Theory II | 2 |
| DEN 309 | Dental Hygiene Clinic I | 4 |
| DEN 312 | Dental Hygiene Clinic II | 2 |
| DEN 322 & 322L | Radiology and Radiology Lab | 3 |
| DEN 325 & 325L | Preservation/Tooth Structure and Preservation/Tooth Struct Lab | 3 |
| DEN 332 | Community Health I | 2 |
| DEN 334 | Community Health II | 2 |
| DEN 338 | Medical Emergencies | 1 |
| DEN 341 | Oral Anatomy | 2 |
| DEN 342 | Head & Neck Anatomy | 2 |
| DEN 403 | Dental Hygiene Theory III | 1 |
| DEN 404 | Dental Hygiene Theory IV | 1 |
| DEN 410 | Dental Hygiene Clinic III | 4 |
| DEN 411 | Dental Hygiene Clinic IV | 4 |
| DEN 422 | Leadership | 2 |
| DEN 425 | Periodontology I | 3 |
| DEN 435 | Periodontology II | 3 |
| DEN 442 | Pharmacology | 2 |
| DEN 445 | Special Care I | 2 |
| DEN 446 | Special Care II | 2 |
| DEN 452 | Oral Pathology | 3 |
| DEN 456 | Pain Management | 3 |
| IHS 210 | Methods of Scholarly Inquiry | 3 |
| IHS 310 | Ethics for Interprofessional Practice | 3 |
| MAT 120 | Statistics | 3 |
| NUTR 220 | Nutrition | 3 |
| PSY 250 | Lifespan Dev in Context | 3 |
| SOC 150 | Intro to Sociology | 3 |
| SPC 100 | Effective Public Speaking | 3 |
| One Open Elective | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Please note: While some courses can fulfill both core and program requirements, the credits earned do not count twice towards the minimum total required credits for the degree.
A student in the Dental Hygiene major may elect to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree with a major in Health Sciences. This degree is only open to matriculated students at the University of New England. Special permission from the student’s advisor and the Dean of the Westbrook College of Health Professions is required for enrollment in the B.S. with a major in Health Sciences.
Academic and Technical Standards
Progression Guidelines
Dental Hygiene follows the Nor’easter Core Curriculum Academic Progression Guidelines.
Requirements laid out below for the first two years of enrollment apply to any undergraduate program in the Westbrook College of Health Professions. Beginning with the Fall semester of the third year, students will be held to their program-specific progression guidelines.
In keeping with the guidelines of the University of New England, all students must achieve a minimum cumulative semester-end grade point average as follows:
- Failure to maintain the minimum GPA requirements will result in academic probation as described in the Catalog of the University of New England.
- Students must achieve a minimum grade of C in all required math and science including the following courses: MAT 120/150, CHE 130, BIO 104/105, BIO 208, BIO 209, BIO 242, BIO 309, and NUTR 220. Failure to achieve a C will result in program-level probation.
- Students must achieve a minimum grade of a C in all Dental Hygiene prefix courses.
- Failure to achieve the minimum grades will result in program-level probation and the need to retake the course — therefore affecting academic progression.
- Students may enroll in any of the courses referenced above a maximum of two times. Enrollment in a course consists of achieving a letter grade. Receiving a W in a course is not considered officially enrolled and will not result in academic penalty.
- Failure to achieve the above-referenced minimum grade a second time a course is taken or failing two separate science, math or dental hygiene courses in a single semester will result in dismissal from the major.
Learning Outcomes
The Dental Hygiene Program offers students the opportunity to:
- Provide the public with compassionate and competent dental hygiene care founded on evidence-based scientific knowledge, as an essential component of comprehensive interprofessional health care and community-based health care.
- Demonstrate effective decision-making skills through the use of the critical thinking process.
- Explore the complexities of ethical decision-making as it relates to professional expectations and social responsibility for diversity and inclusion.
- Commit to advocacy leadership, scholarship, and life-long learning to respond to an ever-changing healthcare environment and growing profession.
- Utilize oral healthcare technology (Health Informatics) to enhance patient care and communication abilities for the professional and practical arenas.