Welcome to the Dental Hygiene Program

White coats and name tags will be ordered for each student by the department. White coat sizes should be based on blazers or jackets that you wear over other clothing. The white coat order form for students entering in fall 2022 will be available over the summer.

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

Scrubs and warm up jackets will be available for purchase online and/or through a local vendor, Uniforms for America located in Watertown, MA. Students can purchase approved scrubs (Cherokee Workwear brand ONLY) with designated color from other vendors or suppliers as well as Uniforms for America.

Scrubs (two sets: pant, top, and jacket) must be purchased by the end of the first week of school. Worcester students will purchase black colored scrubs. Further information regarding ordering scrubs will be provided to students before the beginning of the semester. In addition to scrubs, shoes and socks will also need to be purchased. Students are free to choose whatever style they wish as long as they fall within the following parameters.

• Shoes may be any color and should be ALL leather with a full heel/back (slip-ons or shoes with back straps are not acceptable). There should be NO nylon, mesh, cloth, or shoelaces on them.
• Socks must be high enough to cover exposed skin when clinician is seated. The color of socks is optional.

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

The American Heart Association CPR/BLS Life Support Provider Course (formerly called Training for Healthcare Providers) must be completed by all students. Additional details regarding the required training will be provided to the students closer to the start of the semester.

It is strongly recommended 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 contacts, you will need to have a copy of your prescription from your eye doctor when placing your order.

To provide diverse, real-life patient experiences, students will be assigned to various external dental settings to provide patient care. The assignments will be limited to a Monday, Wednesday or Saturday to avoid interfering with other course offerings. Students can expect to travel to distant sites within 1 hour from campus during the patient-care clinic curriculum and are responsible for providing transportation.