Ann Arbor, MI - December 6, 2007 - A new program leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in dental hygiene will be offered for the first time by the University of Michigan School of Dentistry beginning in January.

What's new about this program is that it will be offered online. Currently, about 15 dental hygiene degree completion programs in the U.S. are offered exclusively online. The School of Dentistry's would be
the first online program offered by U-M that leads to
a bachelor's degree.

Dental hygiene students from around the country who have earned an associate's degree or certificate will be able to take the online courses, formally called "Degree Completion E-Learning Program Online," at home or elsewhere and at their convenience.

Filling a Critical Need

According to Prof. Wendy Kerschbaum, director of the School's dental hygiene curriculum who advocated the online initiative, there is a critical need for the program.

"There are 285 dental hygiene programs now being offered around the country, mostly at community colleges," she said. "Approximately 6,000 graduate from these programs, but only 12 percent confer a bachelor's degree."

Yet, Kerschbaum said, studies show that more than 70 percent of those receiving an associate's degree or certificate are interested in pursuing coursework that leads to a bachelor's degree.

But there are significant barriers these interested students face, geographical and financial.

Bachelor's Degree Vital

There is a growing need for dental hygienists with a bachelor's degree.

"The bachelor's degree is a cornerstone requirement for dental hygienists who may also want to become educators," Kerschbaum said. "But the degree also gives dental hygienists career options other than the traditional private practice, such as providing care to the underserved."

The School of Dentistry's online dental hygiene education program begins with a two-day orientation this month. "Those who wish to participate will have to come here to learn more about the program, meet our dental hygiene faculty members who will be teaching the eleven courses, and also meet their colleagues," Kerschbaum said. "Meeting their online colleagues will be an important part of developing that sense of community with their peers and our faculty," she added.

Students will also be required to purchase a laptop computer. The cost of the laptop, approximately $2,000, is included in the student's fees. Instate tuition will be approximately $3,000 per term, or approximately $17,000 for the entire program. Out-of-state residents will pay approximately $8,000 per term or about $44,000 for the entire program.

Kerschbaum advised interested students that should plan on spending at least 18 hours per week on coursework.

Applications for the fall 2008 session are being accepted. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2008.

At the most recent meeting of the American Dental Hygienists' Association, several presentations on the subject of Web-based education leading to an undergraduate degree were presented, Kerschbaum said.

She said that a program launched by the University of Florida in 2004 has graduated 70 students, with 150 currently enrolled. Two other programs, established the following year by two other universities, enrolled 18 and 40 students in their respective first-year classes. Kerschbaum hopes that perhaps 10 students will enroll in U-M's first online dental hygiene program that begins in January.

More information is at: www.dent.umich.edu/depts/pom/hygiene/dconline.html. Or you can send an e-mail to: hygiene.info@umich.edu, or call (734) 763-3392.

The University of Michigan School of Dentistry is one of the nation's leading dental schools engaged in oral health care education, research, patient care, and community service. General dental care clinics and specialty clinics providing advanced treatment enable the School to offer dental services and programs to patients throughout Michigan. Classroom and clinic instruction prepare future dentists, dental specialists, and dental hygienists for practice in private offices, hospitals, academia, and public agencies. Research seeks to discover and apply new knowledge that can help patients worldwide. For more information about the School of Dentistry, visit the Web at: www.dent.umich.edu.

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