专业描述

University of the Pacific has created a distinctive accelerated Bachelor of Science Degree in Dental Hygiene for highly qualified students. In addition to clinical practice, the baccalaureate hygiene degree allows entry into many positions in teaching, research, administration, public health, private industry and other areas of hygiene practice, as well as application for entry into advanced degree programs. Students learn to provide preventive clinical care for patients with emphasis on recognition, treatment and prevention of oral diseases. In addition to performing a variety of preventive and therapeutic functions, the dental hygienist also has a major role in counseling and educating patients, community groups and other health professionals. The curriculum helps students build the educational, communication, and clinical skills necessary to work in co-therapy with the dental team. The dental hygiene program's mission is to educate individuals who, upon completion of the program, will be professionally competent to provide quality dental hygiene care in an evolving profession. Our program also provides opportunities for community-based, experiential learning. Update about Program Relocation to San Francisco Effective January 2017, the clinical portion of the dental hygiene program will relocate to University of the Pacific's San Francisco campus, home to other dental programs offered at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. The program's move will allow for increased connection to the school's San Francisco-based dental clinics and programs; enhanced intraprofessional opportunities in the field of oral healthcare; opportunities for dental hygiene students to learn alongside dental students in the DDS, IDS and residency programs; and a large base of patients who utilize the school's clinics. The San Francisco campus is a state-of-the-art facility located in the South of Market (SoMa) district and is highly accessible by all major forms of public transportation, including BART/Muni. Current dental hygiene students will continue to complete classes and provide clinical care on the Stockton campus through May 2017. The program is currently based in the Chan Family Health Sciences Learning Center, a facility shared with Physical Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology programs.