Welcome to the Department of Dental Hygiene
The Department of Dental Hygiene offers a unique program in Idaho which provides quality educational experiences for undergraduate dental hygiene students. The first class of eight students was accepted in the fall of 1961. Since that time, the program has expanded to accept 26-30 students in each of the two professional classes.
A graduate program resulting in a Master of Science in Dental Hygiene began in 2005. It is a unique Web-based curriculum and is one of only ten graduate programs in the United States. For more information about the Graduate Program, click here.
The instructional complex includes six modern x-ray areas, a 33-chair dental clinic, two laboratories, and two classrooms for student utilization. A computerized multi-media station, videotape capabilities, programmed self-instructional equipment, and some Internet components are utilized as supplements to enhance instruction and promote student learning.
The undergraduate program is designed to foster student growth, promote development of critical and ethical judgment, and encourage life-long learning. The curriculum includes didactic, laboratory and clinical instruction sufficient to graduate competent clinicians who are capable of practicing contemporary dental hygiene procedures. Students are educated to clinical competency in both traditional and advanced procedures, with emphasis placed on preventive and therapeutic services essential for providing total patient care to the public. As a result, graduates possess an increased understanding of dentistry and dental hygiene, expanded capabilities as members of the oral health team, and greater career mobility. Graduates of the ISU dental hygiene program are also prepared to pursue graduate studies in dental hygiene or related disciplines.
The fundamental philosophy of Idaho State University Department of Dental Hygiene is threefold. First, its members are committed to excellence in all academic endeavors. Second, the program is progressive in instituting ongoing changes to prepare for the future of dental hygiene. Third, as a component of the university's primary emphasis area, the program serves statewide and regional needs by providing access to quality education in the discipline as well as meeting the employment demands and oral health needs of the public.