NOTE: The Advanced Dental Therapy (ADT) program has been suspended beginning spring 2024 until further notice.
The Department of Dental Hygiene's mission is to prepare licensed dental hygienists for advanced practice and enhance the oral health of underserved and diverse populations. Programs are built on academic excellence and support the value that advanced education is essential to the delivery of quality, safe, accessible, cost-effective oral healthcare. Metro State’s Minnesota-based Dental Hygiene programs are committed to collaborative community involvement, emphasizing ethics and social responsibility.
- We prepare graduates who will be competent to provide quality comprehensive care that responds to the increasing oral health care needs of individuals, families, and communities.
- We ensure admission of a qualified and diverse student population leading to an oral health care workforce that reflects the communities served.
- We participate in collaborative community health promotion with education and industry partners to foster expanded practice and research opportunities.
- We engage students in professional activities and lifelong learning to advance the profession and the discipline of dental hygiene.
- We provide outcomes that reflect relevant and current dental hygiene practice.
The Master of Science in Advanced Dental Therapy program is the first program of its kind in the nation, preparing baccalaureate educated and licensed dental hygienists for the new dental provider role of advanced dental therapy. This nationally groundbreaking post baccalaureate dental hygiene program expands the capacity and competency of the dental team and focuses on improving access to essential oral health care services.
The Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene program is designed for associate degree dental hygienists with the professional goal of completing a baccalaureate degree. This program prepares students for new opportunities and dental hygiene career options in either traditional or non-traditional practice settings such as public health programs, school-based programs, research, marketing, or sales roles.