New Dental Hygiene Program Aims to Bridge Workforce Gaps in Southern California
A proposed dental hygiene program at California Baptist University could help fill critical gaps in oral health care across the Inland Empire. With a 24-month curriculum and a mission to serve underserved communities, the program is set to graduate job-ready dental hygienists in a region where they are urgently needed.
California Baptist University (CBU) is preparing to launch a new Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene program aimed at addressing California’s worsening shortage of registered dental hygienists. Designed as a 24-month, four-semester program, the initiative would begin by September 2028 and graduate an estimated 24 students per year. It’s a strategic step toward strengthening the dental workforce in Riverside, San Bernardino, Ontario, and other underserved areas of the Inland Empire.
The demand for dental hygienists continues to rise across the state, fueled by high patient volume, population growth, and wage challenges linked to California’s cost of living. Data indicate there are currently more than twice as many dentists as dental hygienists in California, and that gap is expected to widen as new dental schools graduate additional dentists in the coming years. By contrast, dental hygiene programs have not expanded at a similar pace.
CBU’s program, housed within its College of Health Sciences, will prepare graduates not only with clinical training and community outreach experience but also with a strong foundation in evidence-based care and leadership. The curriculum is tailored to meet the oral health needs of vulnerable populations while supporting the broader goals of public health in the region. The Dental Hygiene Board of California is currently reviewing the application. Click here to read more.
