Mission Statement
The primary mission of the Idaho State University Department of Dental Hygiene is to:
- facilitate the development of dental hygienists who are able to fulfill the multiple roles of professional dental hygienists;
- award baccalaureate degrees in the discipline with a vision toward granting graduate degrees;
- contribute to the science of dental hygiene and the advancement of related knowledge through applied qualitative and quantitative research;
- promote the health and well being of the public by providing clinical dental hygiene care and community service;
- participate as an integral, active, and contributing entity of the institution through university service.
Pursuant to the broad philosophy and mission statement, the Department of Dental Hygiene seeks to positively impact the education of its students and the delivery of dental hygiene services to the public by fulfilling the following interrelated goals:
Program Goal I. To comprehensively prepare dental hygiene graduates who possess the knowledge, values, ethics, and skills to provide optimal dental hygiene care through demonstrated competence as defined by the "Department of Dental Hygiene Competency Document."
Program Goal II. To offer a baccalaureate dental hygiene program sufficient in scope and depth to prepare graduates with a broad general education and high quality professional education that fosters their ability to adapt to the future, provide leadership in dental hygiene, and enroll in graduate level education.
Program Goal III. To enhance knowledge through faculty research programs that are of sufficient depth to contribute to the art and science of dental hygiene, to dental hygiene practice, and to delivery of improved health care in Idaho and the nation.
Program Goal IV. To foster professional behaviors consistent with legal and ethical expectations essential to the dental hygiene profession and the public through professional activities, continuing education programs, and community service.
Program Goal V. To remain responsive to program expansion according to the needs of Idaho and the western region of the United States, as well as to the future of the dental hygiene profession.
Program Goal VI. To operate and maintain the on-campus clinical facility to provide quality oral health care while fulfilling the program's educational mission.
Competencies for Students
Graduates must demonstrate competency in three major areas, each representing a broad goal for professional activity that occurs in the delivery of dental hygiene care. Within each goal, competencies have been identified, defining the level of special skills, knowledge and attitudes required of new graduates for entry into dental hygiene practice in public or private settings. The three areas of professional activity that serve as the structure for ISU's dental hygiene graduate are:
- Professionalism and Ethics;
- Process of Care;
- Health promotion and Disease Prevention in the Community.