Dental Hygiene

IMPORTANT: IUB students are at a competitive disadvantage for admission to most Indiana dental hygiene (DH) programs, including IUPUI. See a HPPLC advisor for details, and to discuss options.

Description of the Profession

A dental hygienist is trained and licensed to provide preventive dental services. These services include, among other responsibilities, cleaning patients' teeth with a variety of instruments, taking x-rays, examining teeth and gums and recording the presence of diseases or abnormalities, and educating patients to help them develop and maintain good oral health.

Skills and Characteristics Important to this Profession

Patience, attention to detail, interpersonal communication skills, the ability to work with a team of care givers, the ability to cope with repetitive work, and excellent fine motor skills.

Description of Dental Hygiene Programs

IU Bloomington does not offer a (DH) program, but pre-DH students may complete prerequisites at IUB and then apply to Indiana University's competitive ASDH programs. IUB Pre-DH students normally remain in Bloomington for two years (freshman and sophomore) to complete their prerequisites, and then apply to DH programs during their sophomore year. (The ASDH degree requires a minimum of one year of preprofessional courses—i.e., admission prerequisites—and two years of professional study if admitted to an ASDH program; however, it usually takes two years to complete the prerequisite courses at IUB.)

NOTE that IUB students are potentially at somewhat of a competitive disadvantage for admission to some Indiana DH programs, including IUPUI. The main reasons for this situation are:

• IUPUI students have the option to take less intensive, 3 credit versions of anatomy and physiology offered at IUPUI, and hence might earn higher grades; whereas IUB students usually take the more intensive 5 credit versions of A&P.
  • (Note: IUB offers only a 5 credit anatomy. In addition, not every DH program accepts the 3 credit versions of A&P, which means that students who take the pared down A&P courses cannot apply to as many DH programs as those who take the 5 credit classes. Normally, we encourage pre-DH students to apply to as many DH programs as possible due to the generally high level of competitiveness across programs; but each student has to weigh the pros and cons of each scenario, taking into account the student's particular circumstances. HPPLC advisors can help with these decisions.)
• For a number of possible reasons, some students find the IUPUI version of microbiology to be more manageable than the IUB version; hence IUPUI students sometimes earn a higher grade in microbiology compared to students who take micro at IUB.

It is also true that each year some IUB students are offered admission to the 30-seat IUPUI DH program, so IUB students who earn high B's and A's can indeed be competitive for admission.

See a HPPLC advisor to discuss options. To repeat: Each student must weigh the pros and cons of each scenario, taking into account the student's particular circumstances.

Dental hygiene degrees in Indiana (see program web pages for details):

• IUN, IUPUI (IUSD), IUSB, and IPFW offer dental hygiene programs leading to the ASDH degree. IUSD, IUSB, and IPFW also offer BSDH degrees.
• IUSB has two BSDH degrees—a completion degree (which upgrades the ASDH to a BSDH) and an entry-level BSDH. NOTE that it is not possible for IUB students to pursue the entry-level IUSB BSDH degree—interested students must transfer to IUSB.
• Ivy Tech South Bend, Kokomo, and Anderson will each be offering an ASDH degree. (The Anderson and Kokomo programs are under development - links forthcoming.)
• In addition to the ASDH, IUSD also offers a BSDH.
• USI has discontinued their ASDH degree and now offers only an entry-level BSDH.
• All Indiana DH locations have Dental Assistant programs. IPFW has a Dental Lab Technology program.
• It may also be possible to incorporate ASDH requirements into a Bachelor of General Studies degree.

Other Accredited Programs

For lists of accredited dental hygiene programs, see the American Dental Association's listing. Refer also to the American Dental Hygienists' Association listing. You may need to combine information from more than one list of programs to assemble a more complete list of programs.

Additional Notes and Recommendations

Students who intend to only apply to IUSD DH might consider bypassing IUB and enrolling instead at IUPUI for their prerequisites. These students can take anatomy and physiology (A&P) at IUPUI without the labs and potentially be more competitive for admission to IUSD. NOTE that some programs require 5 credit A&P with labs (IUB's A&P does transfer to all Indiana DH programs).

Job Shadowing / Observation

Job shadowing and observation is the best way for you to get a first hand look at a given profession and determine whether or not it is one you wish to look into further. HPPLC advisors strongly encourage you to take advantage of any such opportunities that arise during high school; or, if you are already in college, to arrange shadowing / observation as soon as possible. Refer to the PDF document below for further shadowing / observation information.

Further Information

Refer to the HPPLC Dental Hygiene handout for more detailed information about prerequisite courses, important application and admission information, further suggestions about pursuing dental hygiene training, and for additional resources.

If you are interested in other health professions that are advised through HPPLC, we encourage you to sign up for the HPPLC email list associated with your program(s) of interest. Feel free to sign up for more than one list. Also refer to the HPPLC handout, Health Professions Descriptions.