Dental hygienists are licensed health care professionals who provide direct patient care and education to improve the oral health of individuals and groups. Graduates are eligible to take the Dental Hygiene National Board Examination and the various state and/or regional board examinations. The dental hygiene profession offers a variety of avenues for employment and educational advancement, as well as being an integral member of the dental health team. After graduation the dental hygienist may decide to specialize in areas such as education, research, administration, sales or public health.

Important Application Note! Hospitals and clinical facilities, as well as professional certification exam agencies, require health care providers to undergo and pass drug screens and/or criminal background checks. As a result, beginning with the Class of 2012, when a student is accepted into an allied health program, the offer of the program seat will be contingent upon the completion and review of criminal background and drug screens, as well as related Adult abuse and Child abuse screens. This testing must be completed within the timeline provided to students offered a program seat, and all costs associated with the testing are the responsibility of the student.  Failure to complete the testing, and satisfy department and clinical site guidelines during the review process, will result in forfeiture of the offered seat. NO testing is to be completed now! Specific testing instructions will be provided to students accepted into a program.

Licensing/Certification Exams Delaware Practical Examination in Dental Hygiene (required to practice in Delaware) Northeast Regional Boards (required to practice in surrounding states) National Dental Hygiene Board Examination (required by all states in order to practice)

If you would like to learn more about the profession, below are some links that might interest you.