Programs

Overview

The 16-month Postbaccalaureate Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene degree program is designed for students holding a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university who wish to transition to the exciting field of dental hygiene.

Program Highlights 

• 16-month accelerated program
• For students with a previously earned baccalaureate degree
• Fall semester start
• Clinical instruction in state-of-the-art facilities
• Graduating students eligible for national and regional dental hygiene licensure examinations
• Distance-learning auditoriums equipped with sophisticated videoconferencing technology 

Program Details

Combining a science-based academic curriculum with extensive clinical experience, the Postbaccalaureate BS in Dental Hygiene program offers top-flight professional education delivered by highly qualified dental educators. In addition to community-based rotations in a wide variety of settings, students gain hands-on experience with real patients in the school's on-campus dental hygiene clinic.

Real Time Distance Education Technology

All core courses on the Worcester campus, except for laboratory courses, are delivered via real time distance education technology between the Boston and Worcester campuses.

Blood-Borne Pathogens Statement

Students in the Dental Hygiene program may be exposed to blood-borne pathogens and infectious diseases while providing clinical services. Students are provided with instruction on infectious diseases, mechanisms of disease transmission, and infection control procedures to reduce the risk of disease transmission, including those published by national public health agencies, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Policies and Procedures
Sharps Injury and Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Policy (PDF)
Infection Control Procedures (PDF)

Curriculum

Year I-Fall

*if not completed prior to matriculation.

Year I-Spring

Year I-Summer session

Year II-Fall

Total institutional credits to complete degree requirements: 61/63 s.h.

Clinical Component

The clinical component of the program is supported by evidence-based information delivered in lectures, seminars, small group and individual extramural activities. The student learns to provide all aspects of the dental hygiene process of care during clinical courses and extramural clinical rotations. Each student is required to participate in community-based extramural clinical rotations to enhance on-campus learning experiences with populations requiring specialized care. Transportation is not provided to these sites; however, public transportation is available to most extramural sites.

As a requirement for graduation and licensure examinations, the student must demonstrate competence by achieving a specified level of performance for each clinical skill and by completing specific patient and service assignments. The student is ultimately responsible for obtaining the pa¬tients needed to fulfill these requirements. The student must fulfill all course requirements and competencies each semester to advance within the program.

The following are some MCPHS Forsyth Dental Hygiene clinical affiliates:

• Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine
  Boston, Mass.
• Brookside Community Health Center
  Jamaica Plain, Mass.
• Children's Hospital Dental Clinic
  Boston, Mass.
• Dimock Community Health Center
  Roxbury, Mass.
• Franciscan Hospital for Children
  Brighton, Mass.
• Dr. Steve Perlman and Dr. Michael Koidin
  Lynn, Mass.
• Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
  Post-Graduate Peridontology and Post-Graduate Pediatric
  Boston, Mass.
• Tufts University School of Dental Medicine Facility at Fernald State School
  Waltham, Mass.
• Tufts University School of Dental Medicine Facility at Northwoods
  Taunton, Mass.

Notice On Clinical Rotations and Background Screening

For some of MCPHS's programs placements in clinical rotations at health care providers are a required part of the MCPHS curriculum. Some of those health care providers require background screenings and a conviction for a criminal offense might present an issue. It is possible that certain types of criminal convictions, whether prior to being a student at MCPHS or while attending MCPHS, could preclude a student from being able to complete a required clinical rotation. If you have any questions, please contact the MCPHS Chief Compliance Officer.

Facilities

The Forsyth Dental Hygiene Clinic is widely recognized as the most comprehensive oral health care education and services clinic in New England. This modern facility is equipped with:  

• Digital radiologic imaging technology
• Intraoral cameras
• Ergonomic patient and operator chairs
• Digital panoramic technology
• Electronic records
• Dental materials laboratory with mag­nification and flat screen monitors

Technical Standards

Observation

Candidates and students must have sufficient capacity to observe in the lecture hall, laboratory, and diagnostic and treatment areas of outpatient and inpatient settings. Sensory skills to perform the procedures of the health care profession in which students are enrolled are required. In any case where a candidate’s or student’s ability to observe or acquire information through sensory modalities is compromised, the candidate or student must demonstrate alternative means and/or abilities to acquire and demonstrate the essential information conveyed in this fashion.

Communication

Candidates and students must be able to communicate effectively in both academic and health care settings. Candidates and students must show evidence of effective written and oral communication skills. Candidates and students must be able to communicate with patients in order to elicit and impart information.

Motor

The ability to participate in basic diagnostic and therapeutic maneuvers and procedures is required. Candidates and students must have sufficient motor function to execute movements reasonably required to properly care for all patients. Candidates and students must be able to perform motor functions with or without assistive devices.

Intellectual

Candidates and students must be able to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, and synthesize. Problem solving, one of the critical skills demanded of health care professionals, requires all of these intellectual abilities. Candidates and students must be able to read and understand medical literature. In order to complete the specific Health Sciences Program, students must be able to demonstrate mastery of these skills and the ability to use them together in a timely fashion in health care problem-solving and patient care.

Behavioral and Social Attributes

Candidates and students must possess the emotional health and stability required for full utilization of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, and the prompt completion of all academic and patient care responsibilities. The development of mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients and other members of the health care team is essential. The ability to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in clinical practice, flexibility, compassion, integrity, motivation, interpersonal skills, and concern for others are all required.

Accreditation

Forsyth Dental Hygiene Program

The Forsyth Dental Hygiene Program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, American Dental Association, and has been granted the accreditation status of "approval without reporting requirements." The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at 312.440.4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611. The fax number is 312.440.2915 and the website is www.ada.org.

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) is chartered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is authorized to grant undergraduate and graduate degrees in the health sciences and related fields. MCPHS is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), Inc. through its Commission on Institutions of Higher Education.

Admission Requirements

Many of our programs have different admission requirements and deadlines. To see the specific admission requirements for this program, please click on the link below. 

Admission Requirements for Dental Hygiene Postbaccalaureate (BS)