Dental Hygiene

The School of Dental Hygiene will order white coats and name tags for all incoming dental hygiene students. To ensure accurate ordering, students must complete the online form, providing white coat size and name tag information.

The online form will be available beginning Wednesday, July 1, 2026. All submissions must be completed by Friday, July 31, 2026.

The Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene has stringent clinical attire criteria which will be reviewed when you arrive for your first day of pre-clinical lab. In the meantime, here is some preliminary information regarding uniforms, scrub caps, shoes, and socks that you will need to purchase:

Scrubs must be purchased in advance from any vendor. Students should only purchase approved uniforms (see below) of the designated color and brand/style to be worn at Forsyth clinic.

Scrubs sets (two sets: pants and top) must be worn in all laboratory and clinical courses. They must be obtained as soon as possible but no later than Monday, September 14, 2026. Worcester students should purchase Cherokee Workwear Revolution black colored scrubs.

Optional (in addition to scrubs):

• Warm-up jackets may be worn over the scrubs. If purchased, must be the color and brand/style of the scrub set.
• Long-sleeve t-shirts may be worn under the scrubs. If purchased, must be solid color with no designs.

Shoes should be fluid-resistant and wipeable with a full heel/back (slip-ons or shoes with back straps are not acceptable). There should be NO shoelaces, nylon, mesh, or cloth on them. Exemption: Fluid-resistant Clove shoes with wipeable shoelaces may be worn. Shoes can be any color but should have minimal logos and/or additional colors

Socks must be high enough to cover exposed skin when clinician is seated. The color of socks is optional, but the design must remain professional

Scrub cap - any color/professional design acceptable as long as it covers all hair (a disposable bouffant cap will be provided if you decide not to purchase your own).

Uniform compliance is due no later than Monday, September 14, 2026. Lack of compliance after this date will result in dismissal from the lab.

Students have access to on-site lockers assigned to them for the entire duration of their clinical experiences at Forsyth. The lockers will be assigned during the first pre-clinical session. Please purchase and bring with you a CODE (no key) lock.

Please ensure that your computer and other devices are compliant with the MCPHS technology requirements.

Instrument kits/equipment will be distributed to students during the first pre-clinic session.

The American Heart Association CPR/BLS Life Support Provider Course is required by all students in order to participate in labs and clinics and must be completed no later than Wednesday, September 30, 2026. BLS/CPR training is NOT accepted without a hands-on training component to meet the FSDH program requirements. Find qualifying AHA courses near you in the AHA CPR Courses Search.

The American Red Cross (ARC) BLS Training for Healthcare & Public Safety course is also acceptable. It must be the ARC Basic Life Support-BL r.21 course. You can find qualifying ARC courses at the ARC CPR Course Search.

It is strongly recommended that all students have a current eye exam prior to beginning the dental hygiene program. This will be helpful as students are fitted for dental loupes (magnification lenses). If you wear prescription glasses or contact lenses, you will need to have a copy of your prescription from your eye doctor when placing your order. More information about getting measured for dental loupes will be provided to you once the classes start.

Students will be assigned to external sites outside the Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene clinic to broaden their exposure to diverse community members in various settings, such as pediatric and public health environments. Mandatory external and enrichment rotations may take place outside the regular clinic hours (Monday to Saturday) to accommodate these sites and provide valuable opportunities for students.

Having a textbook (owning or renting) is essential for your success in the program. This list is subject to change. Verify the textbooks you need to obtain for individual courses on the Student Self-Service portal, via the MCPHS online bookstore website, or by contacting the course faculty directly.

HY 209/209L Process of Care I (all texts are required)

• Boyd, L. D. & Mallonee, L. F. Wilkins' Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist, (14th Edition), Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2023. ISBN: 9781284255997 (paperback OR electronic copy is acceptable)
• Gehrig, J.S. Patient Assessment Tutorials, (4th Edition), Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2018. ISBN: 9781496335005 (paperback OR electronic copy is acceptable)
• Gehrig, J.S. Fundamentals of Periodontal Instrumentation & Advanced Root Instrumentation, (9th Edition), Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2026. ISBN:9781284019339 (paperback OR electronic copy is acceptable)

DHY 231/231L Dental Materials (both texts are required)

• Eakle,S. & Bastin, K. Dental Materials Clinical Application for Dental Assistants and Dental Hygienists. (5th Edition) Elsevier, 2026. PRINT ISBN: 9780443114496 (paperback OR electronic copy is acceptable)
• Companion lab manual (will receive additional information at a later time)

DHY 230/230L Radiology (text is required)

• Iannucci, J. & Howerton, L. Dental Radiography Principles and Techniques (6th Edition) Elsevier, 2021.PRINT ISBN: 978-0-323-69550-3 or ISBN (eBook): 9780323695527

DHY 204 Anatomical Science of Head & Neck

• Fehrenbach and Herring, Illustrated Anatomy of the Head & Neck (6th Edition) SAUDERS; 2021. PRINT ISBN: 978-0323613019 / 0323613012 (text is required)
• Fehrenbach, Dental Anatomy Coloring book (3rd Edition) SAUDER; 2018. PRINT ISBN: 978-0323473453 / 9780323473453 (text is optional)

DHY202: Oral Embryology, Oral Histology and Dental Anatomy (text is required)

• Fehrenbach and Popowics: Illustrated Dental Embryology, Histology, & Anatomy (6th Edition) SAUDERS; 2021. PRINT ISBN: 9780443105364

DHY232: Nutrition (text is required)

• Palmer. C.A. and Boyd L.D. Diet and Nutrition in Oral Health (3rd Edition). New York, NY: Pearson; 2017. Print ISBN: 9780134296722; eText ISBN: 9780134285931

**Subject to change if a newer edition becomes available before the start of the semester term.

All incoming students must be in compliance with the MCPHS Immunization Policy. The deadline to upload records of your required immunizations is August 1, 2026.

For more detailed information, please visit the Student Immunization Compliance website. If you have any questions about this process, please email immunization@mcphs.edu.

Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene Requirements:

• Hepatitis B Surface Antibody Titer – Positive HepB surface antibody (SA) titer is required to demonstrate immunity. If the titer is inconclusive or negative, HepB vaccination series must be repeated, and the repeat titer must be obtained after repeat series are completed.
• TB screening – Can be either the skin test, T-SPOT.TB, or a QuantiFERON-TB GOLD blood test. MUST be within a year of the professional phase of the program start date. If you have a history of a positive TB test, you will need a chest x-ray or proof that you have had a negative chest x-ray and letter from your primary care provider stating you had the chest x-ray, the date of the x-ray, you are healthy, and not showing any signs of disease.
  
  The letter needs to be updated annually. Due to stringent external site requirements, additional TB testing may be required shortly before your external rotations begin. More information is to follow.
• Seasonal (2026-2027) Influenza vaccination or the declination form completed according to the University’s Immunizations Office guidelines – Additional information is to follow.

When requesting/updating your immunizations, please advise your primary care provider that you are beginning a dental hygiene program and you will be treating patients from at-risk populations. All immunizations are mandatory.

By September 2, 2026

• Purchase or rent textbooks
• Update your eye exam (recommended)
• Ensure that your computer and other technology meet the MCPHS Technology Requirements
• Purchase a lock to bring to the first pre-clinical lab session

By September 14, 2026

• Purchase and receive uniforms

By September 30, 2026

• Submit your immunization records and ensure they are approved by CastleBranch
• Obtain Healthcare Provider CPR certification

Start building connections before you arrive by joining the Dental Hygiene Fall 2026 Worcester cohort group chat. To access the group, first download the Group Me App on your phone, then use the invitation link to join the conversation. You can also connect with the broader Worcester community through additional social media channels.