Department Information
Department of Allied Health Sciences
PO Box 70690
Phone: (423) 439-4497
Fax: (423) 439-4030
Web address: https://www.etsu.edu/chs/allied-health/dhyg/
Accredited by: CODA - Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association
The Department of Allied Health Sciences offers a BS degree in dental hygiene. One class per year is admitted in the fall. Students are required to attend designated consecutive semesters to complete the program. Successful completion of the program enables students to take the National Board Exam for Dental Hygiene and clinical board exams as required for licensure leading to the credentials of Registered Dental Hygienist. The dental hygienist works with the dental team in the prevention and control of dental disease and has the opportunity to work in diverse settings. In addition to the private dental office, dental hygienists may work in such practice settings as: federal, state, and local health departments, hospitals, nursing homes, school systems, educational programs for dental hygiene and dental assisting students, private business/industry, correctional facilities, private and public centers for pediatric, geriatric, and other individuals/groups with special needs, and health maintenance organizations. The dental hygienist, a recognized member of the dental team, is devoted to helping patients prevent dental disease and maintain good oral health. The responsibilities of a licensed dental hygienist in Tennessee include scaling and polishing teeth, applying topical fluoride agents, placing pit and fissure sealants, providing nutritional counseling, exposing and processing dental radiographs, and educating the patient in the proper care of their teeth and supporting structures.
Expenses: In addition to the usual registration and tuition, students are required to purchase such personal items as uniforms, dental instruments, specialized textbooks, laboratory materials, and specialized equipment. Expenditures for these items, which are the personal property of the student, are approximately $5,000. Most of this additional expense occurs during the first year of study.
Admission
Students must be admitted to the university as a Health Professions (Dental Hygiene Interest) major. Admission to the university does not guarantee admission to the dental hygiene program.
Health Professions Interest Path: Prior to admission to the Dental Hygiene program, students with less than 60 earned credit hours should declare a Health Professions Dental Hygiene Interest major as they complete prerequisite courses and Compass Core requirements. Students with more than 60 earned credit hours may not stay in this major code. Because of the competitive nature of the Dental Hygiene program, students who have below a 2.5 overall GPA after 30 attempted credit hours are advised to transition out of the Health Professions Dental Hygiene Interest major.
Students must be admitted both to the university and to the program, requiring separate application processes. Admission to the university does not ensure admission to the program.
The dental hygiene program at East Tennessee State University is participating in the American Dental Education Association Dental Hygiene Centralized Application Service (ADEA DHCAS). Applicants applying to the entry level Bachelor of Science program will apply online using the ADEA DHCAS application. To learn more about ADEA DHCAS, please visit www.adea.org/dhcas. All application materials must be received by March 1. Applications that are not verified by ADEA DHCAS by March 1 will not be considered.
Pre-Requisite Courses:
All prerequisites for the Dental Hygiene program are to be completed by the end of the spring semester a student plans to apply in addition to the completion of general education/compass core courses.
Repeat Policy: Applicants must earn a “C” or better in all prerequisite courses. Prerequisites with a grade of “C-” or below may be repeated only once to earn a “C” or better. If repeated, the most recent letter grade will be averaged with the original earned grade for the prerequisite GPA calculation.
Retention - Progression Policy:
In order to progress in the dental hygiene major, a student must maintain a grade of “C” or better in each required course in the major.
Progression status will be evaluated at the close of each semester. Students receiving less than a C in any of the classes in the dental hygiene curriculum will not be permitted to progress in the dental hygiene major.
Students who are dismissed from the dental hygiene program will be evaluated by the dental hygiene faculty to determine feasibility of readmission. Students who wish to seek readmission must reapply to the Dental Hygiene Program during the next admission cycle. Students who are dismissed from the dental hygiene program are only eligible for readmission once. No student can be readmitted if dismissed for academic misconduct or behavioral issues.
Reentry: Students who withdraw from the dental hygiene program in good standing must submit a letter to the Dental Hygiene Program Director outlining their plan requesting reentry to the dental hygiene program. This letter will be reviewed by the Dental Hygiene Program Admissions Committee. Students who are approved for reentry are required to work with the Dental Hygiene Program Director to develop an individualized reentry plan to identify gaps in knowledge and demonstrate competency prior to enrolling in the requested semester. Failure to comply with or complete the individualized reentry plan will result in permanent dismissal from the dental hygiene program.
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