Dental Hygiene Program Mission and Philosophy Statement

The dental hygiene program has a strong philosophical base that reflects a belief that learning is an integral part of life in which education, as a formal process, provides students with cognitive and psychomotor expertise within an overall framework of effective values.

Dental Hygiene Program Goals

  • To accept students into the program who have the potential for achieving the program competencies and therefore being successful in the educational setting and beyond.
  • To provide didactic and clinical instruction that prepares the graduate for comprehensive dental hygiene patient care.
  • To prepare each dental hygiene graduate in accordance with the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) Code of Ethics and within the context of the state dental practice act.
  • To instill the importance of providing service to the community in each dental hygiene graduate.
  • To promote the advancement of the practice of dental hygiene through affiliation with professional organizations.
  • To instill in each dental hygiene graduate the importance of and a commitment to lifelong learning.

Dental Hygiene Program Competencies

Upon completion of the Regis College Dental Hygiene Program, graduates will be able to:

  • PC1 (All DH courses) integrate the knowledge of basic, dental, and behavioral sciences into the practice of dental hygiene.
  • PC2 (Clinical skills) apply the appropriate clinical skills to effectively treat a diverse population of patients in the dental hygiene process of care.
  • PC3 (ADPIED) employ the principles of assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, evaluation and documentation (ADPIED) to the process of dental hygiene care in a variety of settings.
  • PC4 (Communication) demonstrate professional and effective communication skills in all aspects of patient care to patients with various medical, physical, psychosocial and/or cultural needs.
  • PC5 (Technology, information literacy, evidence-based assertions) utilize technology to acquire evidence based information in decision-making and patient assessment.
  • PC6 (Professional Affiliation, life-long learning) uphold the values of professional growth and development, and the importance of life-long learning through active involvement in professional organizations.
  • PC7 (Community engagement, interprofessional collaboration) promote interprofessional collaboration and active community engagement to promote oral and overall health of the public.
  • PC8 (Ethical, Regulatory, Legal Regulations) manage the ethical, legal and regulatory issues related to the practice of dental hygiene.