BS in Dental Hygiene – Predental in Boston, MA

The Best Training for a Career in Dentistry

Study on our Boston campus in the renowned Longwood Medical Area and build experience in our on-campus clinic and external sites in the Boston area. You’ll spend the first part of this 37-month program completing your core curriculum and dental school prerequisites before moving into the professional phase, where you’ll work with and learn from experts. When you graduate, you’ll be eligible to sit for licensing exams and can work as a dental hygienist to gain practical experience before starting dental school.

Begin Your Path to a Successful Dental Career

At MCPHS, you’ll build expertise in the field at the top-ranked school for predental studies.

#1

In the U.S.

MCPHS is the best school for predental studies in the nation, according to College Factual (2025).

#7

Best Healthcare Jobs

Based on job satisfaction and salary, dental hygienists rank highly on the 2025 list of best healthcare jobs, according to U.S. News and World Report.

$179,210

Median Salary

For dentists, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024).

The Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene at MCPHS

Learn more about the longest continually running dental hygiene program in the country.

MCPHS Dental Hygiene students in the Forsyth Dental Hygiene Clinic.

Moving the Profession Forward

In our dental hygiene program, you won’t just gain technical clinical skills—learning from a curriculum that focuses on professionalism, you’ll grow into a leader and advocate with experience working in interprofessional healthcare teams.

Explore the Curriculum

Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene students.

Dental Hygiene Students Provide Free Dental Care to Hundreds

At the Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene, community service is embedded in the curriculum and helps students reach their goals. “I met many passionate and knowledgeable individuals and learned techniques and tips that I can carry forward into my own practice,” said Gary Luo, BS ’25.

Jaymi-Lyn Adams, DHSc, MS, RDH

| Associate Professor

"Working at community events let students see real-world impacts of social determinants of health and provides opportunities to apply health promotion and disease prevention in the community."

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Mission

The Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene commits to excellence through engagement of students in a diverse learning environment, fostering innovation and collaboration with community partners, and the advancement of knowledge through practice, scholarship, and lifelong learning. Program Goals

Goal 1. Educate oral health professionals through the lens of diversity, equity and inclusion, dedicated to meeting the oral health needs of diverse populations, functioning with autonomy as prevention specialists, providing evidence-based patient-centered care and exhibiting high levels of ethical decision making.

Goal 2. Engage and collaborate with community partners to increase oral health awareness, advocacy and policy development.

Goal 3. Conduct evidence-based scholarship to foster faculty development, and to establish best teaching and clinical practices for dental hygiene education and the profession.

Goal 4. Contribute to the knowledge base and growth of the profession through interprofessional collaboration to improve overall health outcomes.

Goal 5. Create experiences offering innovative pathways promoting student success to meet emerging real-world opportunities.

Accreditation

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.

Technical Standards

View the Technical Standards for the Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene.

Exposure Control Plan

View the Exposure Control Plan [PDF] for the Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene.

News & Features

Keep up with the latest news from the Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene at MCPHS.

Other Pathways to a Career in Dental Hygiene

Download a Program Fact Sheet

Download a program fact sheet for a snapshot of the Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene—Predental Track.

Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene (BS)—Predental Track

The Best Training for a Career in Dentistry

Begin Your Path to a Successful Dental Career

#1

#7

$179,210