Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene

Become a licensed dental hygienist

Prepare for a rewarding career in a fast-growing, high-demand field by earning a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene (B.S.D.H.) degree at the Indiana University School of Dentistry. Upon graduation, you will be eligible to take the national and state licensing exams required to become a licensed dental hygienist—a valued member of the oral health care team who cares for and educates patients in a variety of settings, including private dental practices, hospitals, public health agencies, and community health organizations.

Find out what it’s like to be a student here

Competencies

When you graduate from the School of Dentistry’s dental hygiene program, you will be prepared to:

  • Apply a professional code of ethics in all endeavors
  • Adhere to state and federal laws, recommendations, regulations, and safety practices in the provision of dental hygiene care
  • Provide dental hygiene care to promote patient/client health and wellness using critical thinking and problem solving in the provision of evidenced-based practice
  • Assume responsibility for dental hygiene actions and care based on accepted scientific theories and research as well as the accepted standard of care
  • Continuously perform self-assessment for lifelong learning and professional growth
  • Advance the profession through service activities and affiliations with professional organizations
  • Provide quality assurance mechanisms for health services
  • Communicate effectively with individuals and groups from diverse populations both orally and in writing
  • Provide accurate, consistent, and complete documentation for assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation of dental hygiene services
  • Provide care to all clients using an individualized approach that is humane, empathetic, and caring
  • Provide planned educational services using appropriate interpersonal communication skills and educational strategies to promote optimal oral health
  • Initiate and assume responsibility for health promotion, health education, and disease prevention activities for diverse populations
  • Systematically collect, analyze, and record data on the general, oral, and psychosocial health status of a variety of patients/clients using methods consistent with medico-legal principles
  • Use critical decision-making skills to reach conclusions about the patients’/clients’ dental hygiene needs based on all available assessment data
  • Collaborate with the patient/client and/or other health professionals to formulate a comprehensive dental hygiene care plan that is patient/client centered and based on current scientific evidence
  • Provide specialized treatment that includes preventive and therapeutic services designed to achieve and maintain oral health
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented clinical, preventive, and educational services and modify as needed

How to apply

You must be admitted to IUPUI before you can apply to the B.S.D.H. program. If you are not a current IUPUI student, you will apply for admission to IUPUI through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

After you have been admitted to IUPUI, you will apply to the B.S.D.H. program through the American Dental Education Association’s Dental Hygiene Centralized Application Service (DHCAS).

Learn more about the application process

Financial aid

As a dental hygiene student, you have a number of financial aid options, including scholarships, grants, loans, and Federal Work-Study awards.

Learn more about financial aid