> Academic Programs > Dental Hygiene Programs > AAS in Dental Hygiene

AAS in Dental Hygiene

Apply now for Spring 2011!

The Office of Allied Health Programs houses two academic programs of study: the Associate in Applied Science Degree Program in Dental Hygiene and the Bachelor of Science in Dental Health Education Program. Both programs prepare students for careers in dental hygiene. The office is responsible for dental hygiene continuing education and dental hygiene alumni events.

The mission of the New York University Dental Hygiene Programs is to partner with students to achieve academic excellence; promote scholarly activity, health promotion, disease prevention and research; to participate in community service; and to offer comprehensive client care, utilizing critical thinking and evidence-based decision making. As goals, the program will prepare a competent dental hygienist, maintain a contemporary dental hygiene program that reflects relevant and current dental hygiene practice, and provide an interdisciplinary integrated curriculum.

The College of Dentistry policy on blood- borne pathogens can be accessed on page 79 and on the following Web site: www.nyu.edu/dental/pathogens.html.

Accreditation Status
The Dental Hygiene Program is fully accredited by the American Dental Associaton Commission on Dental Accreditation for Dental Hygiene Education Programs.

Director
Cheryl M. Westphal Theile, RDH EdD, Assistant Dean for Allied Health Programs; Clinical Associate Professor of Dental Hygiene

Didactic Program: Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) Degree Program in Dental Hygiene
The program in dental hygiene consists of a flexible 78-credit curriculum of clinical and dental sciences and liberal arts courses leading to the Associate in Applied Science degree. Study options include a two- or three-year day format and an evening curriculum format. On completion of the prescribed courses, the student is qualified to take the clinical board examinations and the Dental Hygiene National Boards, which are requirements for state licensure.

Dental hygiene students are educated for a challenging career in a growth profession dedicated to the prevention and detection of most diseases of the mouth and related to the body. Most graduates of the Associate in Applied Science Degree Program find careers in dental offices, clinics, and hospitals.