Dental hygienists examine patients for signs of oral diseases, such as gingivitis, and provide preventive care, including oral hygiene. Working in a private dental office continues to be the primary place of employment for dental hygienists. For today’s dental hygiene professional, there are many other career pathways to explore as well. Employment of dental hygienists is projected to grow 6 percent from 2019 to 2029, faster than the average for all occupations. The demand for dental services will increase as the population ages and as research continues to link oral health to overall health. .

Total Program Credits: 84

Matriculation Requirements:
ENGL 1010 Introduction to Academic Writing or ENGH 1005 Literacies and Composition Across Contexts, CHEM 1110 Elementary Chemistry for the Health Sciences, BIOL 1610 College Biology, ZOOL 2320 Human Anatomy /ZOOL 2325 Human Anatomy Lab and ZOOL 2420 Human Physiology/ZOOL 2425 Human Physiology Lab with a minimum of a "C" grade or higher Complete the HSRT - Health Science Reasoning Test. Complete 20 hours of clinical/dental office observation. Submit two letters of reference by either a current supervisor/employer or academic instructor. Submit a 2 page essay on topic provided by department. Submit the Dental Hygiene Application Fee by February 1. Complete interview process and be formally accepted into program.
General Education Requirements:			27 Credits
	ENGL 1010	Introduction to Academic Writing	3
or	ENGH 1005	Literacies and Composition Across Context (5)
Complete one of the following:			3
	MAT 1030	Quantitative Reasoning (3)
	MAT 1035	Quantitative Reasoning with Integrated Algebra (6)
	MATH 1050	College Algebra (4)
	MATH 1055	College Algebra with Preliminaries (5)
	STAT 1040	Introduction to Statistics (3)
	STAT 1045	Introduction to Statistics with Algebra (5)
	Distribution Courses
	BIOL 1610	College Biology I	4
	CHEM 1110	Elementary Chemistry for the Health Sciences	4
	COMM 1020	Public Speaking	3
	PSY 1010	General Psychology	3
	SOC 1010	Introduction to Sociology	3
	MICR 2060	Microbiology for Health Professions	3
	MICR 2065	Microbiology for Health Professions Laboratory	1
			3
			1
Discipline Core Requirements:			57 Credits
Complete the following:
	ZOOL 2320	Human Anatomy	3
	ZOOL 2325	Human Anatomy Laboratory	1
	DENT 1010	Dental Hygiene I	3
	DENT 1015	Dental Hygiene I Preclinical lab	2
	DENT 1020	Oral Anatomy and Physiology	4
	DENT 1030	Dental Materials	2
	DENT 1040	Dental Hygiene II	3
	DENT 1045	Dental Hygiene II Clinical	3
	DENT 1050	Clinical Dental Radiography	1
	DENT 1055	Clinical Dental Radiography Lab	1
	DENT 1060	General and Oral Pathology	2
	DENT 1070	Medical Emergencies in the Dental Office	2
	DENT 2020	Dental Pharmacology	3
	DENT 206G	Oral Public Health	3
	DENT 3010	Dental Anesthesiology	3
	DENT 3015	Dental Hygiene III Clinical	4
	DENT 3030	Periodontology	3
	DENT 3040	Dental Hygiene IV	2
	DENT 3045	Dental Hygiene IV Clinical	4
	DENT 3050	Dental Hygiene Seminar	1
	NUTR 1020	Foundations of Human Nutrition	3
	ZOOL 2420	Human Physiology	3
	ZOOL 2425	Human Physiology Laboratory	1

Graduation Requirements:

1. Completion of a minimum of 84 semester credits.
2. Overall grade point average of 2.5 or above. All courses must have "C" or higher.
3. Residency hours: minimum of 20 credit hours through course attendance at UVU.
4. Completion of GE and specified departmental requirements.