The Department of Dental Hygiene provides students with enriching experiences in and beyond the classroom as they prepare for careers in oral health and oral disease prevention.
There is a strong connection between oral health and overall health. Through direct patient care, prevention efforts and outreach, dental hygienists help individuals and communities experience healing and achieve wellness.
At USD, our faculty bring expertise in research and practice to the classroom, providing our students with an exceptional educational experience rooted in hands-on learning. Our students gain hands-on experience in a variety of settings – including dental clinics, schools, nursing homes, tribal hospitals and penitentiaries – and work alongside students from a variety of health sciences disciplines. These experiences prepare our students to be collaborators and leaders on their future patients' care teams. They graduate as confident and capable professionals ready to deliver high quality care to their patients and promote oral health in whatever setting they enter.
The University of South Dakota School of Health Sciences is one of six locations nationwide that will host a summit with the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) to bring together health industry and academic partners to identify emerging interprofessional trends and create alliances.
Building upon last year’s success, the University of South Dakota again reported record-breaking enrollment in several key areas including first-time, full-time students from South Dakota and Nebraska, international students and students enrolled in high-demand health sciences graduate programs.
The University of South Dakota Department of Dental Hygiene’s adjunct faculty member Tasha Wendel has received a $5,000 grant to supplement funds for USD’s Preventive Dental Program (PDP) from the Mars Wrigley Foundation’s Healthier Smiles Grant Program.
The Delta Dental Oral Health Center is a new community dental hygiene clinic at USD, named in honor of a $1 million gift from the Delta Dental of South Dakota Foundation. Services are open to the public.
Our dental hygiene clinic in Sioux Falls is open to the public. Students learn under the close supervision of licensed dentists and licensed hygienists. Our services are offered at reduced rates; however, appointments generally take more time than traditional dental offices.
Our department offers several in-person and at-home courses throughout the year for dental professionals.
View our current continuing education courses, which includes registration instructions and more information.
In the Department of Dental Hygiene, our faculty, staff and students work closely together to help students identify their career paths and achieve their goals. Our class sizes are small, allowing students and faculty members the opportunity to pursue mentorship connections and work together on research projects.
USD is home to the only comprehensive health sciences school and medical school in the state. This advantage offers our students the unique opportunity to learn and train alongside peers in a variety of disciplines, equipping them with the collaborative experiences they need to be effective members of their future patients' care teams.
We are also proud to have strong relationships with the region's leading health care providers. These partnerships offer our students invaluable opportunities for developing professional connections, getting hands-on experiences and serving their communities early in their education.
I became aware of the value of community involvement through my service as a student in community clinics. I also benefitted through my work in those clinics because I learned to serve a variety of patients, and that helps me now as a practicing professional.
Hannah Poppens
B.S. Dental Hygiene '19
Dental Hygienist
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