Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Dental Hygiene

Dental hygienists are viewed as playing a key role in bridging the gap between oral and general health care. The public and community sectors include a focus on oral health services in such settings as hospitals, community centers, residential care facilities, rehabilitation facilities, assisted living environments, and services for the homebound. Dental hygienists have an important role in the participation of the assessment and diagnosis of caries, periodontal disease, oral cancer, and many other oral conditions. They are also involved in the treatment planning, implementation of preventive and therapeutic services, and the evaluation of such conditions.

This three-year Bachelor of Science program focuses on dental hygiene care for all people and communities. It is offered in six terms over three years and will utilize times outside of regular work hours for lectures, labs and clinics to allow students to carry on their regular activities during the day and attend school in the evenings. The program uses cutting-edge technology with haptic dental simulators, pre-clinical and clinical areas.

Term 1 is directed to the introduction of health, oral health, and behavioural sciences taking into consideration that these sciences are augmented during several terms to support a gradual depth of knowledge in these areas. This term has a preventive focus given its importance to oral health.

Term 2 includes more opportunities to explore the general health, oral health and behavioural sciences while continuing the focusing on prevention, minimally invasive restorative approaches, radiographic techniques, and basic periodontal debridement. Integration seminars start in this term for one hour per week in the DH Theory & Science courses. These weekly seminars assist learners to incorporate their newly gained knowledge across the curriculum with a particular emphasis on evidence-informed decision-making.

Term 3 provides students the opportunity to start working in the community 3 hours a week. This work often focuses on sharing oral health knowledge with others and other health promotion activities. Such activities take place within the community environment, not necessarily a clinical environment. Learners continue to provide care in the College of Dentistry clinic and the degree of difficulty of the therapy they provide starts to increase. They learn pain management techniques with a focus on local anesthesia.

Term 4 provides the learners with a more comprehensive understanding of dental specialties to support their referrals for conditions the learners are not able to address. It is anticipated that their ability to use research finding for their practice decisions continues to increase.

Terms 5 and 6: These terms include opportunities to continue to develop preventive, health promotion, and therapeutic services within the scope of dental hygiene practice. The students will also continue with their weekly work in the community to provide continuity of services for community members. These terms have been shaped to provide learning opportunities for future degree completion courses.