September 2016 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
September 2016 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene (BSDH)


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(Please see the Undergraduate Program Offerings by Campus  chart in the catalog or on the Herzing Website at www.herzing.edu/career-programs/downloads for a list of Herzing campuses offering this program.)

Program Description

The goal of the dental hygiene program is to prepare students with the knowledge and skills required to provide direct patient care under the supervision of a licensed dentist. This includes training in scaling and root planing, polishing teeth, application of sealants, patient assessment, pain management, and oral health education. The ultimate goal is to prepare students to gain employment as a dental hygienist.

Program Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, the student should be able to:

  1. Articulate the code of ethics including adherence to regulatory structure within Dental Hygiene.
  2. Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively and convey aspects of culturally competent, inter-professional health care to individuals and groups from diverse populations.
  3. Demonstrate the ability to define and articulate organizational, operational, ethical, legal, and managerial issues impacting the field of dental hygiene.
  4. Investigate the on-going evolution of the dental hygiene profession.
  5. Demonstrate the ability to perform self-assessment for life-long learning and professional growth.
  6. Generate all required documentation for assessment, planning, implementation and evaluating of dental hygiene care.
  7. Develop acceptable individualized patient care plans using ADPIE model.
  8. Select appropriate patient education strategies using a variety of resources, based on individualized oral health needs in a variety of community settings.
  9. Evaluate treatment options using evidence-based decision making to identify risks and develop strategies for positive health and wellness while respecting patient’s values and goals.

Special Admission Requirements

Acceptance into the dental hygiene program is on a selective basis. Students who meet the minimum criteria for admission to the University will be further evaluated on a competitive basis through entrance test scores and prior academic performance as well as other criteria determined by the University. In addition, all students must have all immunizations current.

Potential Occupational Titles

Potential occupational titles for this program include, but are not limited to, dental hygienist.

Program Content

A minimum of 120.00 semester credit hours is required for graduation.

Required Courses in Dental Hygiene


All courses, 71.00 semester credit hours, are required.

Elective Courses in Dental Hygiene


4.00 semester credit hours are required.

General Education Prerequisites


The accreditation requirements of the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association stipulate unique general education requirements for dental hygiene programs that are satisfied with the requirements shown here.

The following general education prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of “C” (70%) for a student to continue in the dental hygiene program.

  • Anatomy and Physiology With Lab
  • Microbiology
  • College Algebra and Statistics
  • Chemistry

All other general education courses must be passed with a grade of “D” or better to continue in the dental hygiene program.

A student who is dropped from the dental hygiene program for failing to achieve the minimum grade specified in the general education courses but who otherwise meets the academic standards of the University may transfer to another Herzing degree program and/or may reapply to the dental hygiene program in a future cycle.

Required Courses in General Education


Students enrolled in this bachelor’s degree must complete a minimum of 43.00 semester credit hours in general education distributed among the following disciplines. A minimum of 9.00 semester credit hours must be upper level (300- to 400-level courses). Refer to the General Education  section of the catalog for Herzing University courses that would satisfy these requirements. *

6.00 Semester Credit Hours in Anatomy and Physiology
3.00 Semester Credit Hours in Chemistry With Lab
6.00 Semester Credit Hours in English Composition or Literature
6.00 Semester Credit Hours in Humanities (3.00 Hours Must Have a Critical Thinking Focus **)
1.00 Semester Credit Hour in Information Literacy
7.00 Semester Credit Hours in Mathematics (College Algebra or Above)
3.00 Semester Credit Hours in Microbiology With Lab
2.00 Semester Credit Hours in Nutrition
6.00 Semester Credit Hours in Social or Behavioral Science
3.00 Semester Credit Hours in Speech

* Transfer students may transfer courses that are within 1.00 semester credit hour of the courses listed above to meet these discipline requirements. Any resulting deficiency in the total of 43.00 semester credit hours required in general education may be made up with general education electives from any of the listed disciplines.

** A course with a critical thinking focus would be a course that addresses the theories and application of critical analysis with an emphasis on developing sequential reasoning skills. Examples may be courses in critical thinking, philosophy, logic, or science.

▲ To fulfill this requirement, 3.00 semester credit hours must be at the 300- or 400-level.

Personal and Professional Development Courses


2.00 semester credit hours are required.

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