What types of courses are included in a dental hygienist program?
Below are some of the typical programs included in a dental hygiene degree. Many programs have additional courses: • Dental Anatomy: Learning about various muscles, bones, formation, and characteristics of each tooth. • Radiology: Learning how to take x-rays. • Community: Learning how to interact with patients with special needs including children, the elderly, and those who are handicapped. • Foundations of Dental Hygiene: Learning the proper way to set up a room, the importance of sanitization and sterilization, OSHA, and blood borne pathogens (such as AIDS, Hepatitis etc.) • Pharmacology: Learning about various medications and their interactions with teeth. • Clinicals: Involves working hands-on with patients. Typically there is 3 hours worth of clinicals per day. • Dental Materials: Learning about the different dental materials such as toothpastes, toothbrushes, and whitening products. • Pathology: Learning about different diseases of the teeth and mouth.
