Strengths and Weaknesses of the Current Dental Hygiene Educational System

The state of the dental hygiene educational system in the United States is evolving. The numbers of programs, extent of curricula, and diversity of students, faculty, and practice settings vary significantly across the country. New trends in workforce utilization and delivery models are challenging current educational foundations and mandating an interprofessional approach to both the education and practice of dental hygienists. This article presents an overview of the current state of dental hygiene education to create a baseline for discussion of desired educational models for 2040. The strengths and weaknesses are defined to motivate change. Limitations of the current two-year associate degree are emphasized, along with the need to add expanded content and development of new skills. The developing non-traditional practice settings bring both a challenge to dental hygiene education and a promise of increasing potential in primary care interprofessional settings for the 21^st century. This article was written as part of the project "Advancing Dental Education in the 21^st Century."