Please read all of the following information as there are deadlines for various steps that need to be taken in order to be ready for school in the Fall.
Return the Verification of Intent to Enroll Form by email, hand deliver or postmarked no later 2 weeks after receiving acceptance to the program, or by the date indicated in the acceptance letter. If the Verification of Intent to Enroll form is not returned by the specified date, students will lose their offer of admission and their seat in the program and their place will be offered to another applicant.
Meet with Advisor After accepting an offer of admission, and sometime before the beginning of registration, students will need to have an academic meeting with Shalece Nuttall, the Dental Hygiene advisor. Please visit Shalece’s professional profile to schedule an appointment. She will guide students to the classes needed to sign up for in the Fall. Students will not be able to register for classes until they meet with her
UVU offers many scholarships to qualified students who apply. The application deadline for scholarships is March 1 so students should apply as early as possible, even if they are not yet admitted to the program. Please visit the scholarship page for more information.
The results of these tests/checks need to be completed and submitted by the date indicated in the acceptance letter, usually 4-6 weeks after admission to the program. In preparation for their work in the community and with dental hygiene patients in the clinic, the program is requiring a comprehensive background check and drug testing.
Students must provide satisfactory results of both a federal background check and drug screen by the deadline set by the Dental Hygiene Program. The background check must include a record of employment and all non-juvenile arrests and convictions, including sex offenses. UVU has sole discretion to deny entrance based upon the information contained in either of these two reports.
Medical Cannabis Notification
In accordance with UVU policy 548 applicants to clinical programs at UVU must pass a drug test. Students will be tested upon acceptance to a clinical program. The responsibility for passing the drug test resides with the student regardless of possession of a medical cannabis card that is legal in any state. Clinical programs reserve the right to repeat drug tests at any time during the clinical program.
Immunization and TB testing compliance is required of all Dental Hygiene students. Hygienists are at risk for exposure to, and possible transmission of, diseases due to their contact with patients or with infective material of patients. Student compliance with immunizations and testing is required in order to participate in clinical experiences.
Students are required to submit copies of official proof of the required immunizations/tests to the UVU Dental Hygiene Program. If unable to find childhood immunization records, students may get a blood test (titer). We suggest beginning the immunization verification process early in order to meet the program deadlines.
Test Name |
Parameters |
|
Measles/Mumps/Rubella |
2 Options: |
| Hepatitis B (HBV) | Documentation of proof of immunity through one blood test (Titer) with reactive results.
The HBV vaccination series can take 7 months or longer to complete and MUST be started as soon as possible to assure completion prior to the program start date in August. NOTE: Even though students may have already had this series, occasionally students do not acquire immunity and require a repeat of vaccination. To be clear, if a student has already received the HBV 3-dose vaccination series, the student still needs to get a blood test to verify their immunity. If students have to start with the initial series, students also need to get a blood test to see if student is immune a few weeks after their last injection of the series. |
| TB Test |
3 Options: - 2 negative results within the last 6 months |
CPR with Basic Life Support (BLS) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) certification is required prior to beginning the UVU Dental Hygiene Program and must be maintained throughout the curriculum. CPR certification must be obtained through the American Heart Association. CPR certification must remain in effect throughout the duration of student’s participation in the program. Students will be required to present evidence of this at the beginning of each semester. This course may not be taken online.
Proof of all of the above vaccinations and CPR must be sent to the Dental Hygiene Program by date specified in acceptance letter, usually 2 weeks prior to the beginning of fall courses. If they have not been received, or if anything is missing, students will not be able to start the program.
Students will be required to participate in several off-campus activities. It is the
student’s responsibility to provide their own transportation to and from those activities.
Copies of current auto and health insurance should be sent to the Dental Hygiene Program.
Health insurance should include but is not limited to, payment for treatment and follow-up
procedures, including exposure to blood-borne pathogens as well as other potentially
infectious materials. Auto/Health insurance must remain in effect throughout the duration of the student's
participation in the program.
Self-insurance, non-traditional group health plans and medical costsharing programs
are NOT acceptable under this procedure and will not be accepted as proof of coverage. Self-insurance is the insurance of oneself or one's interest by maintaining
a fund to cover possible losses rather than by purchasing an insurance policy.
Students are responsible for the cost of textbooks, most instruments and payment of laboratory fees, as well as the special fee every semester. All required items are subject to program standards. Students are also required to be a member of their professional organization while in school, where association dues are collected.
Each Dental Hygiene student is required to fully participate in the program. These
activities include, but are not limited to the following:
• Attend all classes and clinics daily. Vacations, weddings, etc., should be planned
around the break times in the academic calendar, and classes should not be missed.
View the academic calendar here.
• Participate as a lab partner in the learning of clinical dental hygiene skills,
including local anesthesia and nitrous oxide sedation techniques in laboratory sessions.
• Participate in course-related off-campus assignments, for example: Give Kids a Smile
program; Dental Clinic rotations; table clinic presentations at state dental hygiene
and state dental meetings; and other community projects and requirements. These will
happen a few Fridays and a few Saturdays throughout the program.
• Join and actively take part in the UVU Student Chapter of the American Dental Hygienists'
Association (SADHA); National Dental Health Month activities; Lobby Day at the State
Capitol; Volunteer for SADHA community service projects (examples: dental educational
programs in local public schools and agencies); Attend state-wide meetings of the
Utah Dental Hygienists' Association (UDHA) and Utah Dental Association. These will
also possibly happen a few Fridays and a few Saturdays throughout the program.
To be able to be successful in this program and as a practicing hygienist, students
will be required and should be able to do the following:
• Motor Skills: Move freely and safely within a dental operatory and laboratory setting
and reach counters and shelves using proper ergonomic principles. Position patients.
Lift, carry, push and pull. Perform CPR.
• Perform moderately strenuous and continuous physical work requiring prolonged sitting
for several hours.
• Maneuver dental, radiology, and nitrous oxide portable equipment.
• Control dental and dental hygiene instruments using precision fine motor skills
while providing dental hygiene therapy.
• Use a computer/keyboard to calculate, record, and transmit clinical information.
• Read and comprehend technical and professional materials.
• Follow verbal and written instructions to correctly and independently perform a
selfassessment of laboratory activities and clinical procedures on patients.
• Converse with patients in a confidential, sensitive, and effective manner regarding
their medical and oral conditions.
• Communicate effectively with faculty, staff, peers, and other healthcare professionals
verbally and in written/typed format.
• Utilize effective time management to complete professional and technical tasks within
realistic constraints.
• Prepare papers and reports, clinical notes, and take written, computer, and clinical
practical examinations.
• Possess the emotional wellness necessary to effectively employ intellectual and
appropriate judgment and mindfulness in potentially stressful situations.
• Provide professional and technical patient services within the constraints in the
various educational settings.
• Be flexible and creative to adapt to professional and technological changes.
• Recognize potential hazardous materials, equipment, and situations to minimize risk
of injury to self, patients and other individuals.
• Possess and exhibit all senses (vision, hearing, tactile sensitivity) to perform
tasks necessary in the education and profession of a dental hygienist.
Students should give careful consideration to the mental and physical demands of the
program prior to accepting. The pressure involved in undertaking the responsibilities
of direct patient care should be considered. Although we have regular clinic patients,
there will be many times students will need to find their own patients. Students should
also understand that many procedures performed by a dental hygienist expose them to
blood-borne pathogens requiring strict adherence to infection control protocols. Our
bloodborne pathogen statement will be available on request.
Professionalism is a critical aspect of any health care professional’s actions. From the time students are accepted into the UVU Dental Hygiene Prgram until the
time they graduate, they will be evaluated on their professional behavior. Any serious
lapse or problem in professional behavior may mean dismissal from the program.
