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Dental Hygiene Programs

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Program Description
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 Hygiene. 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 Program is to partner with students to achieve academic excellence, promote scholarly activity and research, participate in community service, and offer comprehensive client care, utilizing critical thinking and evidence-based decision-making skills. 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 the following Web site: www.nyu.edu/dental/pathogens.html.

Coler/Goldwater Memorial Hospital
As a part of the dental hygiene curriculum, NYUCD Dental Hygiene Program teams up with the Coler/Goldwater Memorial Hospital to offer an off-campus enrichment experience. Under the supervision of dental hygiene faculty, clinical care is provided to patients and residents at the hospital and long term care facility.

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

Director
Cheryl M. Westphal, R.D.H., M.S., Assistant Dean for Allied Health Programs; Clinical Associate Professor of Dental Hygiene

Admissions
Please click on the Admissions tab for more information or contact the Dental Hygiene Program at (212) 998-9393.

Didactic Program: Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) Degree Program in Dental Hygiene
The program in dental hygiene (HEGIS code no. 5203.00) is the only university-based, within a dental college program of its kind on New York State. The program 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. Upon completion of the prescribed course, 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.

Didactic Program: Bachelor of Science Degree Program in Dental Hygiene
The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Dental Hygiene Program (Track A or Track B, HEGIS code 1213), which comprises 128 credits, provides advanced education for dental health care providers who may wish to prepare for a career in education, research, health care management, and public health or to broaden their background by completing their college education.