Dental hygienists are preventive specialists who provide oral health services rooted in scientific knowledge and a client-centered model of care. It takes a specialized set of dynamic technical and interpersonal skills to clean teeth, take x-rays and promote oral health. If you’re looking for a rewarding career that makes a difference to people’s health and wellness, the Dental Hygiene program will give you reason to smile.Your Learning Experience: Dental Hygiene will be temporarily delivered with both online and lab-based classes; Students in the Dental Hygiene program will study anatomy, microbiology, histology, oral pathology, pharmacology and health promotion, while learning hands-on instrument skills and proper ergonomics by practicing on fully functional, modern dental manikins in simulation labs, modelled after a typical dental office. The lab also comes complete with a sterilization centre where you’ll safely learn decontamination and sterilization processes.
As students progress, they’ll get hands-on clinical experience in our newly renovated and fully-functional public dental clinic. The new space features a dental radiography suite that includes the latest in digital radiography.
Through it all, students work alongside professors in a supportive mentoring environment designed to help them succeed. The program also includes community placements and oral health promotion activities at daycare, public schools, hospitals and healthcare settings; Upon graduation, students will be ready to complete the National Dental Hygiene Certification Board (NDHCB) examination. The Fanshawe Dental Hygiene program is a top performer nationally, routinely achieving a 100 per cent graduate pass rate on the NDHCB exam.
This program prepares students to practice as primary oral health care providers in a variety of practice environments, including clinical, education, health promotion and research. The program focuses on preparing students to function within their scope of practice, in a collaborative manner, with the client, the community and other health care providers.
Seminars, case study presentations, community health practicums and the clinical setting contribute towards developing a professional committed to the principles of quality assurance and continued competency. Graduates of this program must successfully complete the National Dental Hygiene Certification Examination to be eligible for registration by the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario. This program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada.Diploma to Degree: Fanshawe's Honours Bachelor Degrees have pathways from related diplomas or advanced diplomas, allowing you to graduate with a degree sooner. We have also developed pathways from our Bachelor's degrees to related graduate programs.