Dental Hygiene

• Mission Statement

  The mission of the Department of Dental Hygiene is to provide an inclusive education environment in preparing a diverse workforce of oral health care providers that can meet the needs and improve the oral health and general well-being of our local, national and global communities.

• Student Learning Outcomes
  • Certificate (Not Applicable)

     

  • Associate Degree

    Students completing the Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene will demonstrate:

    • Knowledge for comprehensive dental hygiene practice, including patient assessment, education, infection control, legal, professional and ethical responsibilities
    • Technical skills including instrumentation, computerized & contemporary technology to practice dental hygiene, including radiological techniques, protection/safety, and diagnostics
    • Reasoning and judgement skills/problem-solving behavior
    • Research, communication skills for dental hygiene and interprofessional practice
    • Have leadership and initiative to assume rules of responsibility in profession and society
    • Moral habitude, professional ethics for practice within global society 
  • Bachelor Degree

    Students completing the Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene will demonstrate:

    • Knowledge for comprehensive dental hygiene practice, including patient assessment, education, infection control, legal, professional and ethical responsibilities
    • Technical skills including instrumentation, computerized & contemporary technology to practice dental hygiene, including radiological techniques, protection/safety, and diagnostics
    • Reasoning and judgement skills/problem-solving behavior
    • Research, communication skills for dental hygiene and interprofessional practice
    • Have leadership and initiative to assume rules of responsibility in profession and society
    • Moral habitude, professional ethics for practice within global society
    • Demonstrate evidence-based research skills in the practice of dental hygiene, patient treatment, patient treatment decision making and patient outcomes assessments. 
    • Application of evidence-based research skills in the practice of dental hygiene, outcomes assessments, professional writing assessment and presentation/dissemination of research.
    • Advanced Community Work Experience, interprofessional practice
    • Dental Hygiene Education/Clinical Teaching skills development through practicing clinical supervision of junior students
    • Dental Hygiene Education/Teaching assistant skill development; faculty supervision with junior students

   

• Curriculum Grid

• Program and Contact Information

  Dental Hygiene Program at Weber State University is three years in length:

  • The first year consists of pre-requisite courses which may be completed at any accredited college or university that are acceptable transfer courses recognized by Weber State University.  The next two years (4 semesters) must be taken on a full-time basis and includes professional dental hygiene courses offered on the WSU campus.  A fourth year, leading to a Bachelor's Degree in Dental Hygiene, is optional.  Enrollment in the WSU Dental Hygiene Program is limited to 30 students each fall semester.  After acceptance into the program, students spend 35 to 40 hours each week in lecture and clinical dental hygiene courses.  
  • After completing the dental hygiene program and graduating from the university with an associate or baccalaureate degree in dental hygiene, a dental hygienist must become licensed to practice dental hygiene.  Licensure is dependent upon successfully completing a written National Board Examination, a clinical dental hygiene examination, and specific state licensure requirements (i.e., written test on state laws, CPR certification) and evidence of graduation from an accredited dental hygiene program.
  • A dental hygienist provides direct patient care to all individuals according to the principle that all people should have access to health care.  Therefore, the dental hygienist will treat individuals with potential blood borne diseases in their education program and in their professional practice.  The dental hygiene student will have the knowledge and skills to safely treat patients regardless of their health status and to respect the confidentiality of all patient information.
     

   

  Contact Information:
  Frances McConaughy - Interim Department Chair
  Weber State University
  3891 Stadium Way
  Ogden, UT 84408-3920
  Marriott Allied Health, Rm 475G
  (801) 626-6829

  Dental Hygiene Department Website

• Assessment Plan

  We have both course outcome achievement and have added outcome-based assessments (formal competencies). We have implemented the outcome-based assessments or what we refer to as competencies in the four major clinical courses and are working to including this type of assessment in all didactic courses. Faculty have considered the competencies in relation to the educational content and the learning experiences they plan for students. All competencies have a minimum requirement to be considered 'passing or acceptable'. We just transitioned to an annual review of our curriculum and assessment plan (as required by our Accreditation agency) and will meet at the end of Fall and Spring Semesters to complete the annual review. We also plan to survey students to obtain 1) feedback on their perceptions of the curriculum (ie., redundancy, "what's missing?" etc.), 2) where they perceive they need additional learning support as well as 3) their perception of the competencies being used in the Department.
   

• Assessment Report Submissions
  2023-24
  2021-22
  2019-20
  2017 - Conducted Program Review
  2016
  2015

• Program Review

  2017-18
   

This information is part of the cyclical program review process. Details such as mission statements, learning outcomes, etc., are updated as part of the biennial assessment reporting process, an integral component of program review.