Welcome to the Department of Dental Hygiene

Thank you for your interest in the Missouri Southern State University Dental Hygiene Program. We are proud of our outstanding dental hygiene program that has provided over 30 years of excellence in education and public service.

If you care about helping others and enjoy science, a career in dental hygiene may be for you. Please review the information on this website to explore the possibility of attending the MSSU dental hygiene program.

The Mission
Missouri Southern State University Dental Hygiene program empowers students to become life-long learners and facilitate the development of ethical and competent oral healthcare professionals, who provide patient care to a diverse population utilizing innovative technologies.

GOALS

1: Provide quality education that reflects best practices in dental hygiene in order to become an ethical licensed, oral healthcare professional.

2: Provide comprehensive dental hygiene services to the communities served by Missouri Southern State University.

3: Promote the significance of dental hygiene professional development and commitment to lifelong learning.

History of the Dental Hygiene Program
In the early 1970s, several local dentists were having a recurring problem finding available dental hygienists to employ. In order to fulfill this need, the Dental Hygiene Program was initiated at MSSU in the fall of 1975. The first class of dental hygienists graduated in May 1977.

Today, the demand for dental hygienist in the state is still as strong as it was in 1977. Through the years, the Dental Hygiene Program has remained a very strong asset to MSSU. The graduates have achieved outstanding academic levels, as well as clinical skills, and the program strives to continually graduate excellent dental hygienists. The program also provides a valuable public service in the Dental Hygiene Clinic.

The fall of 2005 was the thirtieth anniversary of the starting class of dental hygienists from Missouri Southern State University. The majority of this original class is still actively practicing their profession.