Highlights of UCDH

The Utah College of Dental Hygiene implemented their accelerated and innovative Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene (BSDH) degree program in 2008.  The UCDH accelerated baccalaureate degree in dental hygiene allows students to earn their bachelor's degree in dental hygiene in only 20 months on campus. The program is structured differently than the traditional four year format to earn a bachelor's degree that is commonly found in other college and university settings.

The UCDH program is based upon one full-time year (12 months, 33 credit hours) of pre-requisite and general education coursework that is completed prior to beginning at UCDH, and less than two years (20 calendar months, 89 credit hours) in the UCDH dental hygiene program. The program has been desinged to graduate students as soon as possible so that you can begin your career as a dental hygienist much faster than has been traditiaonally expected.  
*Please note that UCDH does not offer Associate Degrees.  UCDH is a Bachelor's Degree in Dental Hygiene (BSDH) only program. 
 

At a glance highlights:

- Graduates with a Bachelor Degree can entertain the possibility of becoming instructors & teaching dental hygiene students in other dental hygiene programs.

- There are generally more career options and job opportunities for hygienists who have earned a Bachelor Degree.

- All of the classes offered within the UCDH curriculum tie directly into the science and/or practice of dental hygiene and other related dental sciences.  This is done so that your education can be more relevant, and can assist you in your day to day practices.  All UCDH full-time dental hygiene peogram instructors are either licensed dentists or dental hygienists.      

An Accredited Program With a Legacy of Success

Accreditation
The program in dental hygiene is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and has been granted the accreditation status of "approval without reporting requirements". The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education.  The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at (312) 440-4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611.

Personalized Financial Aid/Assistance
Getting a valuable college education should be within everyone's grasp. Our dedicated financial services staff can assist you in applying for various types of grants, loans, and scholarships. Financial Aid/Assistance, Title IV federal loans, and grants are available for those who qualify. All scholarships are offered by third party organizations not associated with the Utah College of Dental Hygiene at Careers Unlimited. Please contact the Financial Aid office (financialservices@ucdh.edu) for details. We are dedicated to helping you reach your career goals.

A Growing Career (11% faster than average)
Attending an accredited dental hygiene program, such as UCDH, allows graduates to apply for licensure throughout the United States and in many other countries around the world.  (Note: UCDH is unable to make a determination that its curriculum will meet every state's education requirements for licensure or certification. The United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics link below lists the occupational median salary for Dental Hygienists at $77,090 per year or $37.06 per hour (Source: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-hygienists.htm). Current as of 03/01/2022.

UCDH is the first, and largest, private dental hygiene college in the state of Utah. 
Each class of 60students benefits from a campus that covers over 22,000 square feet devoted completely to dental hygiene education. 
The campus is equipped with the following:

- Dental hygiene clinic(s) with more than 70 dental chairs/operatories, each outfitted with a desktop computer and monitor
- 12 portable laptops for the student dental hygiene clinics
- Over 18 X-Ray bays & 3 x-ray processors
- Student computer lab with over 20 stations
- Fully equipped dental materials lab with up to 20 stations, three sinks and six model trimmers
- On-site Learning Resource Center (library)
- Two large classrooms with dual color projectors in each room
- Break room/lunch room with vending machines, refrigerators, microwave ovens, a sink, and storage for additional items. 
- 4 large waiting room areas for patients visitng the campus with seating room for over 80 patients

The college also utilizes advanced technology that is incorporated into the clincial curriculum such as:
- Digital radiology/radiography
- Intra-oral laser cavity detection equipment
- Blue-spectrum LED light technology that aids in the detection/location of pre-cancerous and cancerous oral lesions.

The college has an on-site librarian to assist students with class research projects and writing assignments.  Currently the college and the attached dental clinic together employ multiple clinical instructors that are either dentists (DDS or DMD) or Registered Dental Hygienists (RDH).  The students at UCDH have a wide educational opportunity to interact with different dentists, multiple professors, and College Administration Officials (the College Founders, the Program Director, the Dean of Education and the College President(s)) that have a combined experience of over 75 years in the dental, dental hygiene and dental education fields.  The college also employs multiple staff members in the Student Services department to assist students with other tasks (such as scheduling patients and other college activities).  

Even with a large student population, clinical and educational faculty the college currently maintains a 5:1 student to faculty/instructor clinical ratio (as of 2/13/2023).  All of the above advancements and benefits we believe reflect the commitment that UCDH has to provide a fast paced relevant education for students attending UCDH.