Complete Your Dental Hygiene Degree in Maine
Do you already hold an associate degree in dental hygiene and want to sharpen your skills? Do you want to explore a broader range of careers in community health, health administration, research, or education while increasing your earning potential? This program opens the door to a wealth of opportunities, providing the kind of collaborative learning across multiple health professions that you can only find in a comprehensive health sciences university. From our state-of-the-art dental simulation lab to our on-campus community clinic, internships, and global opportunities, UNE gives you all the right tools to obtain the profession of your dreams.
Why UNE for your Dental Hygiene Completion Program
As a university that offers a full range of health professions disciplines, UNE gives you an advantage in today’s modern, team-based health care industry. Internationally recognized for our commitment to interprofessional education, we prepare you for the type of collaborative care that patients appreciate and that employers expect.
- On-campus dental hygiene clinic that serves the community
- Interprofessional learning with students from other health professions
- Internships for added on-the-job experiences
- Collaborative practice models with student dentists
- Dental Simulation Lab in Innovation Hall
- Opportunities for global travel
What will you study? Dental Hygiene Degree Curriculum Overview
UNE’s Dental Hygiene B.S. Completion Program is accredited by the American Dental Association.
The following are just some examples of the exciting courses that the Dental Hygiene major offers:
- Ethics for Interprofessional Practice
- Leadership
- Self-Designed Courses
- Professional Elective
- Cross-Cultural Travel Opportunities
Curriculum
| Dental Hygiene Degree Completion | Credits |
|---|---|
| Max Transfer | 85 |
| General Education | Credits |
|---|---|
| MAT 120 – Statistics | 3 |
| BIO 309 – Pathophysiology | 3 |
| Human Traditions I or II | 3 |
| Creative Arts | 3 |
| Social Global Awareness | 3 |
| Advanced Studies | 3 |
| Total | 18 |
| Major Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| IHS 310 – Ethics for Interprofessional Practice | 3 |
| DEN 422 – Leadership | 2 |
| DEN 490 – Internship/Experiential Learning | 3 |
| DEN 406 – Current Concepts in Dental Hygiene | 3 |
| Professional Electives (300 level or higher) | 6 credits* |
|---|
| Minimum Total Required Credit | 120 |
|---|
*Additional elective credit will be required if transfer coursework is less than 85 credits.
MEET OUR FACULTY AND PROFESSIONAL STAFF
Our Dental Hygiene Facilities
- Twenty-chair on-campus clinic, serving 5,000 patients per year
- State-of-the-art steri-center
- Five-chair suite with five X-ray operatories in the on-campus Oral Health Center
- On-campus Interprofessional Simulation and Innovation Center with high-fidelity patient simulators and patient actors
Take a Tour of Our Dental Hygiene Facilities
Career Paths for Dental Hygiene Completion Program Majors
This program prepares you for a broad range of careers in dental hygiene, public health, administration, research, or teaching or for graduate study in fields such as dental medicine and public health. You may work in clinical or administrative roles in corporate, nonprofit, educational, or public health settings, such as:
- Private Dental Practices
- Health Service Corps
- Clinics and Hospitals
- Nursing Homes
- Private Businesses (Sales and Development)
- Schools
- Public Health Agencies
Scope of Practice
Dental hygienists work in a host of different settings and under varying levels of supervision. Each state enacts its own laws determining the services dental hygienists can provide, the settings in which they can practice, and the supervision under which they practice.
Permitted functions and supervision requirements vary widely by state. To verify any of these requirements contact your state’s dental board. The Oral Health Workforce Research Center also offer an interesting overview of the variation in dental hygiene scope of practice by state. View the ADHA’s permitted functions and supervision levels by state (PDF)
Career Advising in the Dental Hygiene Completion Program
Whether you have a specific career goal in mind or a vague idea of the field that interests you, Career Advising is here to help you plan your next step.
Dental Hygiene Careers by the Numbers
expected rate of dental hygienist job growth from 2016 to 2026
New hygienist jobs expected to open in U.S. between 2016 and 2026
Experiential Learning
Hands-on Learning
- Gain knowledge, skills, and confidence
- Practice technique in the Dental Simulation Lab
- Serve a diverse population at the on-campus Coleman Clinic
- Provide a wide range of patient services
- Complete internships in schools, nursing homes, community agencies, or private practices
Interprofessional Education
- Prepare to excel in modern, team-based care in UNE’s Interprofessional Education Collaborative
- Work with students in a wide range of different health professions programs to provide quality, patient-centered care
- Reap the personal and professional benefits of graduating from one of only a handful of private universities with a comprehensive health care mission