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Program
in Dental Hygiene
General Information
Thinking About a
Career in Dental
Hygiene?
- Are you interested in
helping people remain
healthy?
- Would you enjoy direct
patient care?
- Would you like the
security of a
specialized career?
- Would you like
flexible working hours?
- Would you like the
potential to earn a good
salary?
- Would you like the
opportunity to practice
nationwide and abroad?
- Are you interested in
an academic career in
the health sciences?
- Are you interested in
public health?
The
responsibilities of a
Dental Hygienist include
the following:
- Work with dentists and
other healthcare
professionals to meet
the oral health needs of
the patients
- Perform oral cancer
screenings, review
medical histories, take
blood pressure readings,
and chart the teeth
- Remove deposits from
the teeth
- Educate patients about
proper oral hygiene
- Take x-rays of the
teeth
- Administer local
anesthesia
- Administer nitrous
oxide/oxygen
- Apply fluoride and
sealants to the teeth
- Counsel patients on
proper nutrition,
tobacco cessation,
dental treatment options
The LSUHSC School of
Dentistry (LSUSD) offers a
bachelor of science
degree.
Specific Goals of
the Program in Dental
Hygiene
- Maintain admissions
policies to ensure
qualified candidates.
- Utilize current
educational
methodologies and
technology to ensure an
educationally sound
curriculum.
- Review the curriculum
to ensure it is relevant
and current.
- Prepare students to be
competent as defined by
the program document,
"Competency Statements
for the Program in
Dental Hygiene, LSU
School of Dentistry."
- Educate students to
successfully complete
all National, regional
and clinical Board
examinations.
- Educate students to
work in inter and intra
professional settings.
- Design experiences for
students to provide
dental hygiene services
to diverse populations
within the community.
- Support an environment
conducive to continued
student and faculty
development.
The dental hygiene
program is an integral
part of the dental school
treating patients assigned
to groups of both dental
and dental hygiene
students. Hygiene services
and dental treatment are
discussed and developed
together under watch of a
dental hygiene and dental
faculty. Dental hygiene
and dental students also
take courses together such
as pain control and
infection control and
periodontology. They
collaborate on
interprofessional teams
with health profession
students from the other
health science center
programs to understand
their roles in a shared
patient's health. Through
this they learn to respect
the contributions of all
health professionals.
The dental hygiene
program is integrated into
all aspects of the dental
school. It shares access
to state-of-the-art
educational technology and
participates with outcomes
assessment. Hygiene
students work with dental
students in extramural
rotations, and with
faculty in faculty
development activities and
committees. These are just
a few examples of how the
institution continues to
gather input from students
to keep the curricula
current.
What are the
Prerequisites for
consideration to the LSU
Dental Hygiene Program?
College Requirements (See prerequisites by college here)
You must complete a
minimum of 60 hours of
college work to be
considered for admissions.
You must have successfully
completed:
| Academic Electives
- 5 hours |
Fine Arts - 3
hours |
Psychology - 3
hours |
| Biology - 13 hours |
Gen. Chem. - 6
hours |
Sociology - 3
hours |
| English - 9 hours |
Humanities - 9
hours |
Speech - 3 hours |
| Math - 6 hours |
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Students may apply for
the Dental Hygiene program
before completing all
classes. However, all
required courses must be
successfully completed by
the end of May
for the Dental Hygiene
class starting in August.
All prerequisites must be completed within 10
years of application. Because of their foundational significance, all science courses must be taken within 5 years of application and through an in-person and not on-line format. (Due to COVID 19, IN PERSON FORMAT is waived from Spring 2020-Fall 2021).
American College Test
The ACT is REQUIRED
and administered at
various sites throughout
the year. An applicant must
have a composite score of
a 20 or greater on the ACT
standardized test to be
considered for the Dental
Hygiene program. While the
science ACT score is taken
into consideration there
is no specific minimum at
this time. You should plan
to have completed this
test and have the score
received by the Office of
Admissions from ACT by
December 15th of the year
of admission.
Skilled Testing
The Admissions Test for Dental Hygiene, (ATDH) IS REQUIRED and this score must be submitted for admissions as of the Fall of 2021. ATDH information is available here https://www.ada.org/ATDH. These scores must be sent to both LSUSD and ADEA DHCAS as part of the application process.
Dental Experience
A minimum of 80 hours of
job shadowing, work or
volunteering with a dental
professional is required for admission.*
*This REQUIRMENT is in full effect again for applicants as of the fall of 2022 and moving forward unless otherwise notified
Want More
Information?
Contact:
Jane Walsh, RDH, JD,
Program Director of Dental
Hygiene
Telephone:
504-941-8156
Fax: 504-941-8156
E-mail: jwals2@lsuhsc.edu
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