Dental Hygiene

Working in classrooms, labs, a campus Dental Health Clinic, and in the community, our Dental Health students are prepared for positions of responsibility in a variety of settings, including dental offices, schools and public health agencies.

The programs’ unique curriculum combines advanced dental health courses with general studies classes, so that our students are both well rounded and ready upon graduation to perform clinical services, such as patient assessment, instrumentation, dental radiography, application of fluorides and sealants, and administration of local anesthesia. Students are also trained as oral health educators to teach patients and the community the principles of preventive oral health care.

The centerpiece of the program is the campus Dental Health Clinic which includes the type of equipment our students are likely to find once employed. Most important, our students get to work on actual patients from the community, which makes the transition from college to job almost seamless.

In addition to experiences in the Dental Health Clinic students also gain enrichment experiences through extramural rotation assignments like the Veteran’s Administration Dental Center at Togus and from practicing dentists and dental hygienists throughout the state.

The Dental Hygiene Program is just one of two in the state of Maine, and the only in Eastern Maine. The Dental Assisting Program is the only CODA accredited assisting program in the state. Both programs are accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) of the American Dental Association, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation and by the United States Department of Education.

Skills You'll Acquire

UMA’s Dental Health programs consistently produce caring, competent, knowledgeable professionals who provide a valuable service to their communities. Additional skills and abilities found in UMA Dental Health graduates are listed below:

Careers You Can Seek

The certificate program in Dental Assisting prepares students for the Dental Assisting National Board exam and for entry-level assisting positions. The Associate of Science Degree in Dental Hygiene prepares students for entry-level positions in Dental Hygiene and may have application to other fields. Completion of a Bachelor of Science degree in Dental Hygiene further broadens one’s career opportunities. The selected list which follows indicates a range of career possibilities.

*Baccalaureate or graduate level study is generally required for these occupations.