Back to School
Earning a bachelor’s degree can lead to many career opportunities outside of clinical dental hygiene practice.
Are you suffering from work-related stress injuries and considering a career change? Do you dream of working for an oral health product manufacturer or a public health agency? Do sales, marketing, or academics spark your interest? If so, enrolling in a baccalaureate degree completion program may be the right step for you.
Many dental hygienists consider jobs outside of clinical hygiene practice during their professional careers. Dental hygienists with an associate’s degree may think about getting a bachelor’s degree but, historically, the number of baccalaureate degree dental hygiene programs in the United States has been very limited. The good news is that earning a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene is more attainable than ever before in the history of dental hygiene.
What Options Are Available With a Bachelor’s Degree?
The number of expanded roles available in dental hygiene continues to grow. See Table 1 for the American Dental Hygienists’ Association’s (ADHA) list of expanded roles for dental hygienists.2 Opportunities are also available in marketing and sales, publishing, consulting, and in small business. A career in the majority of these requires a bachelor’s degree.
Clinical dental hygiene is a very profitable, rewarding, and flexible career. However, the infamous burn out and work-related stress injuries, eg, carpal tunnel syndrome, make it very demanding on a daily basis. A bachelor’s degree can open up further opportunities for dental hygienists who wish to remain in the field but do not want to practice clinical dental hygiene any longer. Waring1 reported that the top five reasons students were pursuing an advanced degree were: personal satisfaction, increased knowledge and skill, career advancement, to improve patient care, and the status of an advanced degree.
Are there positions available in these expanded roles? Definitely. The dental hygiene education system is in crisis now because replacements do not exist for retiring dental educators. New associate degree programs are continually opening. With the relatively small number of available baccalaureate and master degree programs, there are not enough educators to meet the need generated by these new programs. The statistics for this educator crisis are alarming. In 2000, the American Dental Education Association President’s Task Force on Future Dental School Faculty concluded that dental education is now in crisis.3 The faculty shortage will hurt students as well the furthering of scientific advancements for the improvement of oral health. The task force found that only 0.5% of dental students graduating in 1999 planned to pursue education as a career. At the time of the study in 2000, the task force found that almost 400 faculty positions in American dental schools were unfilled.
Similar faculty shortages in dental hygiene education exist. The American Dental Education Association Task Force on Allied Dental Faculty surveyed existing dental hygiene programs and found: 61% of the programs preferred a bachelor’s degree for faculty; 47% preferred a master’s degree; 17% of the programs who responded had a full-time position unfilled; 20% of the programs currently had a part-time position unfilled; and 68% of the programs anticipated the need for replacement of a full-time faculty member in the next 5 years.4
Selecting a Program
Although there are currently about 60 bachelor degree completion programs in the United States, data on how students fare in these programs are limited. The existing degree completion programs vary from those held on-site, to a hybrid of on-site requirements mixed with distance education, or totally distance education. Distance education is when education occurs with the student and teacher in different locations, thus communicating either via televideo or over the Internet. There are a variety of education offerings including full-time, part-time, and/or programs that allow you to customize your education. Following are key factors to consider when choosing the best program for you.
1. Time and cost considerations. In 1991, Waring found that the most likely participant in a degree completion program averaged 34 years of age, was a married woman with children still living at home, and was able to study on a part-time basis only.1 Among the concerns noted by those surveyed were cost, time commitment, and family obligations.
When determining what type of program to pursue, the financial aspects are important. Are you prepared to reduce your clinical practice in order to attend classes during the day or to attend full time? Is the program affordable for you, even with reduced clinical practice time?
While considering costs, find out if the program requires residency. Does the program charge more for tuition if you live in another state and are taking the program at a distance? Does the college offer a waiver for out-of-state students?
2. Study skills and stress management. Workload and stress management should be considered when returning to school. Some returning college students find the transition somewhat challenging after being accustomed to having evenings and weekends free from study.5 Ask the program administrators if study skill courses or stress management programs are available. Also, you need to discuss your educational plans and goals with your family and identify support systems. Additionally, find out if the program offers any flexibility in the curriculum should some personal emergency arise.
| Table 1. Expanded Roles for Dental Hygienists
Educator • Teaches in dental hygiene and dental school programs. • Provides continuing education seminars. • Writes/edits educational materials. • Acts as educational consultant to dental companies. Administrator/Manager • Acts as dental professional consultant with dental product companies. • Holds administrative positions in education, public health, hospitals, or professional associations. • Works as a sales associate. • Owns a dental personnel placement/temporary service. • Processes dental insurance claims. • Evaluates and modifies health education or health care programs. • Identifies and manages resources. • Is an independent contractor. Researcher • Writes grant proposals. • Collects and analyzes data. • Develops research methodology. • Conducts research surveys. • Conducts clinical research. • Writes scientific papers for publication. Consumer Advocate • Assists consumer groups in obtaining access to care. • Develops networking systems to bring existing health care needs and available resources together. • Advises consumers on various insurance policies, commercial products, political issues affecting oral health, and criteria for evaluating professional services. Change Agent • Influences business and government agencies to support health care efforts. • Acts as a lobbyist. • Advocates dental health programs for individuals, families, or communities. • Is a legal consultant (malpractice review, expert witness). |
3. Type of program. Multiple studies have documented that students taking a course or program at a distance need to be self-directed, motivated, self-paced, and not procrastinators.6-10 If you are not this type of student, you may want to consider a program that requires class attendance and has courses in lecture or discussion format.
Internet-related courses tend to have a slightly higher attrition rate,11,12 which may be related to computer literacy problems. One of the largest hurdles for students in degree completion programs is computer competency. Most programs require students to do word processing, use email, and research on the Web. Another reason for the higher rate may be the lack of personal motivation to log-on and keep up with the course, as opposed to attending a class in person.
However, programs offered via the Internet or televideo have definite advantages. Research shows that on-line classes typically involve much more student interaction, both with faculty and other classmates, than the traditional classroom.13,14 Students taking on-line classes tend to feel they are one-on-one with the instructor.15 On-line learners report better understanding of the materials due to the collaboration with peers.16
Recent surveys done at Purdue University found no statistically significant difference in grades between telecourses and conventional instruction.17 Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign comparing online course and conventional instruction found no statistically significant differences in grades and satisfaction between the two modes of instruction.18
Students must make choices about how they prefer to learn based on a combination of life circumstances, comfort with technology, convenience, self-motivation, and time available to take courses.20
| Table 2. Bachelor Degree Completion Programs |
| ARIZONA Northern Arizona University, College of Health Professions, FlagstaffMarge Reveal, RDH, MS, MBA Phone: (928) 523-0520 Fax: (928) 523-6195 Website: www.nau.edu/hp/dept/dh Degree Completion: BSDH CALIFORNIA Diane Melrose, RDH, BS Phone: (213) 740-1089 Fax: (213) 740-1094 Website: www.usc.edu/hsc/dental Degree Completion: BSDH CONNECTICUT Meg Zayan, RDH, BS, MPH Phone: (203) 576-4138 Fax: (203) 576-4220 Website: www.bridgeport.edu/dentalhygiene Degree Completion: BSDH University of New Haven College of Arts & Sciences, West Haven Sandra D’Amato Palumbo, RDH, MS Phone: (203) 931-6029 Fax: (203) 931-6083 Website: www.newhaven.edu/dental/degrees.html Degree Completion: BSDH GEORGIA Barbara G. Tanenbaum, RDH, EdD Phone: (912) 921-7432 Fax: (912) 921-7466 Website: www.dentalhygiene.armstrong.edu Degree Completion: BSDH Clayton College & State University Susan I. Duley, RDH, EdD, LPC Phone: (770) 961-3596 Fax: (770) 961-3639 Website: www.clayton.edu Degree Completion: BASDH/BSDH Medical College of Georgia School of Allied Health Sciences, Augusta Marie A. Collins, RDH, MS Phone: (706) 721-2938 Fax: (706) 721-8857 Website: www.mcg.edu/careers/dhyg iene.htm Degree Completion: BSDH Valdosta Technical College, Valdosta Renee C. Graham, RDH, BSEd Phone: (229) 245-3716 Fax: (229) 259-5567 Website: www.valdostatech.org/dental Degree Completion: BSED ILLINOIS Dwayne Summers, DMD Phone: (618) 453-7260 Fax: (618) 453-7020 Website: http://shrp.umc.edu/programs/dh.htm www.siuc.edu/~hcp/DH/home.htm Degree Completion: BSDH INDIANA Juanita Robinson, CDA, EFDA, LDH, MSEd Phone: (219) 980-6734 Fax: (219) 981-4249 Website: www.iun.edu/~dental/hygiene.htm Degree Completion: BS Indiana University School of Dentistry, Nancy Young, RDH, MEd Phone: (317) 274-7801 Fax: (317) 274-2419 Website: www.indiana.edu Degree Completion: BSDH Indiana University, South Bend Phone: (574) 237-4154 Fax: (574) 237-4854 Website: www.iusb.edu/~dental Degree Completion: BSGS, BS University of Southern Indiana School of Deborah L. Carl, RDH, MEd Phone: (812) 464-1707 Fax: (812) 465-7092 Website: http://health.usi.edu/acadprog/de thygn/denthygn.htm Degree Completion: BS IOWA Janet L. Hillis, RDH Phone: (712) 325-3738 Fax: (712) 325-3736 Website: www.iwcc.edu/academic_pr Degree Completion: BSDH KANSAS Wichita State University College of Health Professions Denise Maseman, RDH, MS Phone: (316) 978-3614 Fax: (316) 978-5459 Website: http://webs.wichita.edu/dt/beta.asp?u=c p_dh&p=index Degree Completion: BSDH KENTUCKY University of Louisville School of Dentistry Susan Crim, RDH Phone: (502) 852-1229 Fax: (502) 852-1317 Website: dents/hygiene_program.htm Degree Completion: BSDH Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green Douglas W. Schutte, DDS Phone: (270) 745-2427 Fax: (270) 745-6869 Website: Hhome.htm Degree Completion: BSDH LOUISIANA Beverly B. Jarrell, RDH, BS, MEd Phone: (318) 342-1621 Fax: (318) 342-1687 Website: www.ulm.edu/dentalhygiene Degree Completion: BSDH MAINE Ann E. Curtis, RD, RDH, MS, CAS Phone: (207) 262-7870 Fax: (207) 262-7871 Website: www.uma.maine.edu/Catalog/2000 2002/bsdh.html Degree Completion: BSDH University of New England College of Bernice Mills, RDH, MS Phone: (207) 797-7261, ext 4314 Fax: (207) 878-4889 Website: www.une.edu/chp/dental/index.html Degree Completion: BSDH MARYLAND Jacquelyn Fried, RDH, MS Phone: (410) 706-7773 Fax: (410) 706-0349 Website: www.dental.umaryland.edu Degree Completion: BSDH MASSACHUSETTS Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences Forsyth Dental Hygiene Program, Boston Christine A. Dominick, RDH, BS, MEd Phone: (617) 262-5200, ext 229 Fax: (617) 456-0787 Website: www.mcp.edu/ap/hs.shtml Degree Completion: BSDH Mount Ida College, Newton Centre Robin Matloff, RDH, JD Phone: (617) 928-7346 Fax: (617) 928-7370 Website: Degree Completion: BLS/BS MICHIGAN Baker College, Port Huron Phone: (810) 985-7000, ext 105 Fax: (810) 985-7066 Website: www.baker.edu Degree Completion: BA University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit Judi Luxmore, RDH, MS Phone: (313) 494-6628 Fax: (313) 494-6666 Website: www.udmercy.edu/dentalhygiene Degree Completion: BSDH University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor Susan Pritzel, RDH, MA Phone: (734) 763-3373 Fax: (734) 763-5503 Website: www.dent.umich.edu Degree Completion: BSDH MINNESOTA Kathleen J. Newell, RDH, PhD Phone: (612) 625-9121 Fax: (612) 626-6096 Website: www.dentistry.umn.edu Degree Completion: BS MISSISSIPPI Phone: (601) 984-6310 Fax: (601) 815-1717 Website: http://shrp.umc.edu/programs/dh.html Degree Completion: BSDH |
MISSOURI University of Missouri-Kansas City School of DentistryKimberly Bray, RDH, MS Director Graduate/Degree Completion Phone: (816) 235-2056 Fax: (816) 235-2157 Website: www.umkc.edu/dentistry Degree Completion: BSDH NEBRASKA Gwen L. Hlava, RDH, MS Phone: (402) 472-1433 Fax: (402) 472-6681 Website: www.unmc.edu/dentistry Degree Completion: BSDH NEW JERSEY Carolyn Breen, EdD Phone: (908) 889-2419 Fax: (908) 889-2710 Website: http://shrp.umdnj.edu Degree Completion: BS, BA NEW MEXICO Phone: (505) 272-4513 Fax: (505) 272-5584 Website: http://hsc.unm.edu/som/dentahy/ Degree Completion: BSDH NEW YORK Laura Mueller-Joseph, RDH, MS, EdD Phone: (631) 420-2388 Fax: (631) 420-2582 Website: www.farmingdale.edu/ifs_acdemic_programs.html Degree Completion: BSDH New York University College of Dentistry, Cheryl M. Westphal, RDH, MS Phone: (212) 998-9390 Fax: (212) 995-4593 Website: www.nyu.edu/dental Degree Completion: BSDH NORTH CAROLINA Mary C. George, BS, MEd Phone: (919) 966-2800 Fax: (919) 966-6761 Website: www.dent.unc.edu Degree Completion: BSDH OHIO Phone: (614) 292-2228 Fax: (614) 292-8013 Website: www.dent.ohio-state.edu/dhy Degree Completion: BSDH Youngstown State University, Youngstown Dr. Madeline Haggerty Phone: (330) 941-1766 Fax: (330) 742-2921 Website: http://bchhs.ysu.edu/dhp/dhp400.html Degree Completion: BS OKLAHOMA Patricia J. Nunn, RDH, MS Phone: (405) 271-4435 Fax: (405) 271-4785 Website: http://dentistry.ouhsc.edu/ Degree Completion: BSDH OREGON Klamath Falls Jill Torres, RDH, MEd Associate Professor Phone: (541) 885-1366 Fax: (541) 885-1849 Website: www.oit.edu/dehy Degree Completion: BSDH PENNSYLVANIA Kathleen E. Morr, RDH, MS Phone: (570) 326-3761, ext 8007 Fax: (570) 320-2401 Website: www.pct.edu/schools/hs/degree.htm Degree Completion: BS University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine Angelina E. Riccelli, RDH, MS Phone: (412) 648-8432 Fax: (412) 383-8737 Website: www.dental.pitt.edu Degree Completion: BSDH TENNESSEE Rebecca Nunley, RDH, DDS Phone: (423) 439-4501 Fax: (423) 439-5238 Website: www.etsu.edu/cpah/dental/ Degree Completion: BSDH Tennessee State University, Meharry Medical College, School of Allied Health Professions, Nashville Marian Williams Patton, RDH, EdD Phone: (615) 963-5801 Fax: (615) 963-5836 Website: www.tnstate.edu/alhp/dental/ Degree Completion: BSDH University of Tennessee, College of Allied Health Sciences, Memphis Elaine Freiden, RDH, BS Phone: (901) 448-3038 Fax: (901) 448-7545 Website: www.utmem.edu/denthyg Degree Completion: BS TEXAS Texas Woman’s University, College of Health Sciences, Denton Carolyn Ray, RDH, MEd Phone: (940) 898-2870 Fax: (940) 898-2869 Website: www.twu.edu/hs/dh Degree Completion: BSDH University of Texas Health Science Center, School of Allied Health Sciences, San Antonio Juanita S. Wallace, RDH, PhD Phone: (210) 567-8820, ext 8826 Fax: (210) 567-8843 Website: www.uthscsa.edu/sah/dh/index.html Degree Completion: BSDH UTAH Stephanie Bossenberger James, RDH, MS Phone: (801) 626-6451 Fax: (801) 626-7304 Website: www.weber.edu/dentalhyg Degree Completion: BSDH VIRGINIA Deanne Shuman, BSDH, MS, PhD Phone: (757) 683-3338 Fax: (757) 683-5239 Website: www.odu.edu/dental Degree Completion: BSDH WASHINGTON Brenda Knutson, RDH, MSEd Phone: (360) 992-2528 Fax: (360) 992-2880 Website: Degree Completion: BSDH Eastern Washington University at Pierce College, College of Science, Math and Technology, Lakewood Monica Hospenthal, RDH, MEd Phone: (253) 912-3642 Fax: (253) 964-6313 Website: www.pierce.ctc.edu/Denthyg/ ewu-bachelor/index.html Degree Completion: BSDH Shoreline Community College/Eastern Washington University, College of Science, Mathematics and Technology, Seattle Karen Barter, RDH, BS Phone: (206) 546-4711 Fax: (206) 546-5830 Website: www.ewu.edu Degree Completion: BSDH University of Washington School of Dentistry, Seattle Norma Wells, BS, RDH, MPH Phone: (206) 543-5820, ext 20 Fax: (206) 685-4258 Website: www.dental.washington.edu.ob Degree Completion: BSDH WEST VIRGINIA Margaret J. Six, RDH, MS Phone: (304) 336-8117 Fax: (304) 336-8905 Website: www.wlsc.edu/academic.htm Degree Completion: BSDH West Virginia University School of Dentistry, Morgantown Christina B. DeBiase, BSDH, MA, EdD Phone: (304) 293-3417 Fax: (304) 293-4882 Website: www.hsc.wvu.edu/sod/ Degree Completion: BSDH *Adapted from the American Dental Hygienists’ Association. Available at: education.htm. |
3. Program requirements. The majority of dental hygiene courses taught in colleges and technical schools are similar since all programs must meet the same accreditation standards established by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation. However, the most common difference between associate degrees and baccalaureate degrees is the upper division requirements. These typically range from 45 to 80 credits. You need to investigate how those upper division credits are obtained. Some programs simply have students find filler courses, while others use these credits to allow students to select a specific education track such as teaching, administration, research, and/or grant writing.
| Table 3. Master of Science In Dental Hygiene Degree Programs |
| MARYLAND University of Maryland Dental School, College of Dental Surgery, BaltimoreM. Elaine Parker, RDH, PhD Phone: (410) 706-7773 Fax: (410) 706-0349 Website: www.dental.umaryland.edu MICHIGAN Wendy Kerschbaum, RDH, MA, MPH Phone: (734) 763-3392 Fax: (734) 763-5503 Website: www.dent.umich.edu M I S S O U R I Kimberly Bray, RDH, MS Phone: (816) 235-2056 Fax: (816) 235-2157 Website: www.umkc.edu/dentistry NORTH CAROLINA Rebecca Wilder, RDH, MS Phone: (919) 966-2800 Fax: (919) 966-6761 Website: www.dent.unc.edu TEXAS Marylou E. Gutmann, RDH, MA Phone: (214) 828-8406 Fax: (214) 828-8196 Website: www.tambcd.edu |
University of Texas Health Science Center, School of Allied Health Sciences, San Antonio
Juanita S. Wallace, RDH, PhD MS Program Director, Department Chair Phone: (210) 567-8820, ext 8826 Fax: (210) 567-8843 Website: www.uthscsa.edu/sah/dh/index.html VIRGINIA Michele Darby, RDH, BSDH, MS Phone: (757) 683-5232 Fax: (757) 683-5239 Website: www.odu.edu/dental WEST VIRGINIA Christina B. DeBiase, BSDH, MA, EdD Phone: (304) 293-3417 Fax: (304) 293-4882 Website: www.hsc.wvu.edu/sod/ *Adapted from the American Dental Hygienists’ Association. Available at: www.adha.org/careerinfo/masters.htm. |
Often universities require graduates to have completed at least two levels of English composition as well as college level mathematics. Many community college dental hygiene graduates may have only taken one English composition course and only intermediate algebra for a mathematics requirement. There is a trend for community colleges to include these additional requirements in their curriculum to prepare graduates for easy entry into bachelor’s degree completion programs.
Some universities also have special course requirements in cultural diversity and international studies. Find out how these credits are earned. Are they part of the degree completion curriculum or are they additional courses?
Finally, you need to know if the program maximizes the transfer of credits you have already earned in your dental hygiene associate degree or certificate program.
How to Get Started
Consider programs offered in your state of residence to avoid out-of-state tuition. If there is not a program located near your home, consider a totally on-line program. Don’t be afraid to dive in and begin.
There may never be a better or more convenient time to begin your bachelor’s degree.
References
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From Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. January 2004;2(1):28-30.
