About the Department of Dental Hygiene

In our Department of Dental Hygiene, you'll combine the study of dental hygiene theory with supervised clinical practice. You'll graduate ready to devote your life to improving the oral health of individuals and communities.

Degree programs

B.S. in Dental Hygiene
B.S. in Dental Hygiene Completion Program
Testimonial Place Holder

I have really enjoyed the close professor-student relationships and the low instructor-to-student ratio at UNE. The Dental Hygiene Department is a very tight-knit community and has made me feel welcome since my first Dental Hygiene.

Ansley O’Bar ’10
Dental Hygiene (4-Year B.S.)

Dental Hygiene by the numbers

5,000

patients served each year at our on-campus dental hygiene clinic

 

20

number of dental chair stations in our clinic, along with five X-ray operatories

 

14

average hours per week third- and fourth-year students spend providing care to patients

MEET OUR FACULTY AND PROFESSIONAL STAFF

The UNE Portland Campus for the Health Sciences

For decades, UNE’s Portland Campus has been home to many of the University’s health professions programs including PA, PT, OT, pharmacy, nursing, dental medicine, and more. In 2025, UNE’s College of Osteopathic Medicine will move from the Biddeford Campus into the new Harold and Bibby Alfond Center for Health Sciences in Portland. By bringing our health professions programs together into one interprofessional learning community, we will establish UNE’s Portland Campus for the Health Sciences as the center of health care education in Northern New England.

Learn more about UNE’s Portland Campus for the Health Sciences

Maine’s Leading University for the Health Professions and Sciences

Beautiful locations

As a student in our Department of Dental Hygiene, you first study on UNE's scenic Biddeford Campus, where the waters of the Saco River flow into the Atlantic Ocean. Recently named the youngest city in Maine, Biddeford and its twin city, Saco, boast an up-and-coming, hip downtown offering delicious eateries, exciting social and cultural events, and more. With the transformation of the old Biddeford/Saco mills into restaurants, breweries, housing, fitness facilities, salons, and retailers, there is something for everyone to explore in downtown. Looking to try a new type of food, grab a coffee, or shop for locally-made clothes? Biddeford/Saco has it all.

Once you enter the clinical phase, you study on our historic Portland Campus. Located in a quiet neighborhood that is a 10-minute drive from downtown Portland, campus is close to major clinical sites, shopping, nightlife, cultural events, restaurants, the beaches, the harbor, walking and biking trails and much more. Named “America’s Most Livable City” by Forbes and “Foodiest Small Town in America” by Bon Appetit, Portland is the city on every list. A rustic port hosts a cool cultural scene — with outdoor adventure all around.

Biddeford Campus

Virtual Tour

Portland Campus

Virtual Tour

U.S. News and World Report

U.S. News and World Report ranked Dental Hygienist the 32nd best profession in its "100 Best Jobs of 2021."