Prospective Students
Prospective Students
Dental Hygiene Baccalaureate Program
- About the Program
- Information Packet
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Take a visual tour of our facilities
The University offers a baccalaureate degree program, which consists of at least two years (≥ 60 hours) of prerequisite work and two years in the dental hygiene curriculum. Prerequisite courses may be taken at the University of Oklahoma or other accredited universities or colleges. The College of Dentistry offers the program on the Oklahoma Health Sciences Center campus in Oklahoma City and by distance at the following three sites:
- Tri County Technology Center in Bartlesville, OK
- Southern Oklahoma Technology Center in Ardmore, OK
- Western Technology Center in Weatherford, OK
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates from all sites receive a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene degree and are eligible to take examinations for licensure to practice as registered dental hygienists (R.D.H.) The North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, and the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association accredit the program.
Back to topAbout the Program
Mission
The mission of the Department of Dental Hygiene (DDH) is to improve the health of Oklahomans and shape the future of dentistry by developing highly qualified dental hygienists through excellence in education, patient care, research, community service, faculty, and facilities.
Goals
The following departmental goals are integral to accomplishment of the mission of the University of Oklahoma as they relate to the Department of Dental Hygiene:
DDH Goal # 1 – Education
Prepare students, through appropriate academic and clinical education, to be qualified dental hygienists.
DDH Goal # 2 - Patient Care
Provide appropriately supervised dental hygiene treatment of the highest quality.
DDH Goal # 3 - Creative & Research and Scholarly Activity
Create a positive and rewarding academic environment that facilitates research and scholarly activity by both students and faculty.
DDH Goal # 4 - Community Service
Foster opportunities for involvement in service activities that are consistent with the dental hygienist's responsibility to promote oral health care as an integral component of the overall health and welfare of the community.
DDH Goal # 5 - Faculty
Provide students with highly qualified faculty and provide faculty with an environment that facilitates personal and professional growth.
DDH Goal # 6 - Facilities
Provide a state-of-the-art educational environment.
The goals are a living document sensitive to the changing needs of the profession. Goals are reviewed, evaluated, and revised annually by the faculty and by the Dental Hygiene Advisory Committee.
This section is an abridged version of the Dental Hygiene Missions and Goals transcript. If you would like the full copy of this transcript then please follow this link:
Dental Hygiene Missions & Goals 
Information Packet
Information packets are no longer mailed from the Department of Dental Hygiene. Downloadable electronic versions of ALL DOCUMENTS included in the information packet are listed below. Some documents are in Portable Document Format (PDF) and some are links to web sites. PDF documents require Adobe Reader or some equivalent program to view them. If PDF documents will not open, you may click the Get Adobe Reader picture below to download Adobe Reader free of charge.
- General Information
- Application Process
- Dental Hygiene Admission Statistics
- Dental Hygiene Curriculum
- Estimated Student Expenses
- Financial Aid
- Improve Your Application
- Policy on Background Checks
- Policy on Infectious Diseases
- Policy on Residency
- Pre-Requisite Courses
- OUHSC Crime Analysis
- OUHSC Map
- Substance Abuse Policy
Will my pre-requisite courses transfer? Check the equivalency tables.
OU Health Science Center Equal Opportunity Statements
Frequently Asked Questions
This is a list of the most frequently asked questions by applicants to the University of Oklahoma Dental Hygiene Program.
What is a dental hygienist and where are they employed?
Dental hygienist is a licensed healthcare professional, oral health educator and clinician who, as a co-therapist with the dentist, provides preventive, educational, and therapeutic services supporting total health for the control of oral diseases and the promotion of oral health.
Most dental hygienists are employed in a dental office; however, dental hygienists can be found in numerous other settings such as long-term care facilities, hospitals, corporate health facilities, school systems, research centers, state and federal agencies and public health clinics. There is considerable freedom for hygienists to select work days and hours.
What are employment statistics for dental hygienists?
The most recent (2004) U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics projected that employment prospects in dental hygiene are expected to remain excellent. The national median hourly wage was $28.58 and in Oklahoma the median hourly wage was $28.48. Annual salaries for part-time practitioners vary.
What is the deadline for admission?
The deadline for the application, letters of recommendation, career statement, dental hygienist observation documentation, and transcripts for coursework completed to date is January 15 of the year in which the applicant wishes to begin the program. The online application must be used to apply.
Why should I select the University of Oklahoma for my education in dental hygiene?
Graduates are awarded a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene and a well-rounded academic background. The baccalaureate degree allows entry into positions in teaching, administration, public health, and corporate positions that other types of dental hygiene education do not. The University of Oklahoma offers dental hygiene distance education that allows students to remain near their home for those unable to relocate.
Opportunities for professional growth within a college of dentistry exist that no other form of dental hygiene education can provide. The program has a strong clinical program, but also excels in the areas of community health and research. There is a strong emphasis on developing critical thinking skills and the ability to self-assess - hallmarks of a professional.
Dental hygiene and dental faculty members who are nationally and internationally recognized as experts in their disciplines teach all courses. Exit interviews and alumni surveys consistently rate the dental hygiene faculty as the greatest strength of the program.
How long does the dental hygiene program take?
A baccalaureate degree requires a minimum of 130 semester hours of work, including specific prerequisites. The sixty semester hours of prerequisite coursework can be completed in two academic years. Once in the program, students have an additional two years in the dental hygiene curriculum.
What college should a prospective student attend?
In state or out-of-state applicants are afforded equal opportunity for admission. No preference is given to which accredited institution an applicant attended. However, there is an adjustment given during the selection process for foundational coursework taken at specific universities. The adjustment is necessary because some university courses are typically more academically rigorous than other courses. A grade of A from a major research university may be more difficult to achieve.
Can I take my general education courses online?
Yes. If you would like to take these courses online, please refer to: OU Independent Study
Can you tell me more about the distance education sites?
The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center College of Dentistry (OUCOD) and Tri County Technology Center (TCTC) in Bartlesville; Southern Oklahoma Technology Center (SOTC) in Ardmore; and Western Technology Center (WTC) in Weatherford, have established agreements to provide clinical sites for students to acquire a Bachelor's Degree in Dental Hygiene via distance education through an interactive distance learning format.
The distance sites are under the same American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation standards as the OUCOD program. Students at the distance sites are required to meet the same admission requirements as applicants to OUCOD and will have the same curriculum and clinical activities as the OUCOD program in every way possible. Graduates receive a B.S.D.H. degree from OU and are eligible to take the national board and clinical licensure examinations and apply for licensure in Oklahoma or any other states.
What if I'm interested in receiving my education at one of the distance sites?
Applicants to all sites go through the exact same procedures for admission. The application form has a place for you to prioritize where you would like to attend. You may prioritize from all four sites, from two or three sites, or select only one - it's your choice. You should know though that students from rural areas have preference for the distance sites while at the OUCOD students from all areas are considered equally.
Beyond required courses, are there any other courses that will improve my chances of getting into the program?
Beyond the necessary prerequisite courses, no other coursework in a particular area is given preference. Areas for additional study should include courses that are of interest to the applicant. Some suggestions for courses that may improve one's knowledge for any health related career might include medical terminology, immunology or other biologic science courses, education or behavioral science courses, research, or any number of other courses that relate to a higher degree of knowledge.
Are dental assistants given preference as applicants?
No. Applicants may be able to gain valuable information about the desirability of a career in dental hygiene as well as a better overall understanding of dentistry by working as a dental assistant. However dental hygiene requires different knowledge and skill sets from those of dental assisting.
What if I will still need prerequisite courses when I apply?
Acceptance is based upon completion of foundational coursework by the end of the spring semester prior to admission. Ideally applicants should have completed the FOUNDATIONAL coursework before the January 15 application deadline.
ALL pre-requisite courses, excluding foundational, must be completed by the time the fall semester begins. If you receive an offer of acceptance, it is contingent upon meeting the required "C" in all remaining pre-requisite coursework and a cumulative GPA of 2.5.
When will I know if I will be invited for an interview?
The interview process will occur in the spring. You will be notified by letter of your assigned time.
What is the most important factor in deciding whether an applicant is admitted?
One of the best predictors of future academic success is past academic performance. For that reason, the academic record of applicants is weighted rather heavily in the initial placement of applicants. A Foundational Grade Point Average (FGPA) is used to compare applicants’ academic qualifications.
What is an FGPA?
A GPA computed to evaluate all applicants using the same prerequisite foundational courses that are critical for the dental hygiene program - especially those courses whose content is heavily used throughout the dental hygiene curriculum. The FGPA uses the averaged grade for the following seven required courses:
- English II
- Human Physiology
- Human Anatomy
- Microbiology
- Statistics
- Psychology
- Nutrition
- General Chemistry I
Why an FGPA?
We compute a Foundational Grade Point Average (FGPA) in order to be fair to all applicants regardless of previous college experience. The reasons for FGPA are twofold: to allow a fair comparison of all applicants regardless of how many semester hours completed and provide a means for an individual to improve academic performance in key courses that can be reflected significantly in the applicant's credentials.
When will I know if I have been accepted?
The Committee aims for its decisions to be completed by the second week in April. The candidates are notified of their status as soon as possible after the class is selected.
Why wasn't I selected for this year's class?
The top reasons applicants aren't selected are as follow:
- Incomplete Application
- Foundational GPA not competitive
- Incomplete foundational coursework
- Missing too many courses to be able to complete in time for fall admission
- Inappropriate dental hygiene shadowing experience. Observation of a dentist does NOT qualify nor does working in a dental office qualify in all cases.
If I am not selected, how can I improve my prospects for the next class?
Applicants not selected should determine how to best improve foundational knowledge and increase possibility of admission. Ask yourself these questions:
- Did I have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5? That's the GPA that "opens the door" so you can even be considered.
- Was my FGPA competitive? For the past five years the average FGPA of entering students was 3.5 or better.
- Did you have enough hours completed (especially in foundational courses) to give the Committee a good picture of your academic capability and to be competitive? We could not accept you if you could not have had all of your prerequisite coursework completed by the time the dental hygiene program starts in the fall. It is counterproductive for you to apply too early.
You should consider doing the following:
- Retaking foundational courses in which you did not do well, or which you took some time ago. Remember that we weight the FGPA heavily for admissions decisions and that GPA can be improved.
- Doing whatever you can to improve study and test-taking skills. This will help you in learning better and improving your GPA.
- Examining your knowledge of dental hygiene including shadowing a dental hygienist. You really do need to know what you're getting into. Dental hygiene is well worth the effort if it is truly what you want to do.
- Reevaluating your personal motivation.
- Reevaluating your commitment to becoming a dental hygienist.
- Reevaluating your qualifications as a competitive applicant.
- Deciding whether or not you're willing to do what it takes to be competitive. Many applicants who wern't successful the first time have gone on to be some of our best students...and graduates; so dont't give up!!
Is it possible to work part-time while enrolled in the dental hygiene program?
No. There are very heavy demands made on students' time. Attendance is mandatory and classes, labs and clinics are often scheduled from approximately 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. In addition, there is a significant amount of required study and at times projects that are very time consuming.
