Dental Hygiene Program records

First organized as the School for Dental Nurses in 1919, it was renamed the School for Dental Hygienists in 1920. The two year program was open to women between 18 and 34 years of age; the first male student was accepted to the program in 1968. In the 1940s, the course changed from preparing graduates for work in dental offices to teaching dental hygiene in health departments and schools, and hygienists were expected to practice under the supervision of a licensed dentist or doctor of a public health program. The title of the program changed several times between 1920 and 1988.

In 1975, a bachelor degree program for dental hygiene educators and dental hygienist with a public health background was established within the dental hygiene program; it had previously resided in University College. The program was eliminated in 1983 due to retrenchment within the School of Dentistry.

In 1979, the School of Dentistry adopted a constitution creating a department of dental auxiliaries that included programs in dental hygiene and dental assisting. The program in dental assisting was phased out in 1982.

A residency program was added in 1983 to provide students with clinical experience. In 1986, a proposal by the department of dental hygiene for a baccalaureate degree program was approved by the Board of Regents. The dental hygienist program at the University of Minnesota is currently the only one in Minnesota that awards a bachelor's degree and is affiliated with an accredited dental school.

Director's of the Dental Hygiene Program: