Bachelor of Dental Hygiene

Dental hygienists are health professionals who are educated to prevent dental disease and help people maintain oral health. Here in Dalhousie’s Faculty of Dentistry, you'll benefit from a current, dynamic, scientific, and professional education in a learning environment that is positive and student-centered. Additionally, you'll get to participate in extramural rotations at a variety of sites.

When you study dental hygiene at Dalhousie, you’ll learn about a wide variety of topics in the dental and medical professions. An emphasis is placed on technology, hands-on experience, and the applications you’ll use in your career, such as digital patient health records.

You’ll also learn in state-of-the-art facilities, such as Dalhousie’s dental clinic, that have the most up-to-date equipment available. You’ll leave with the knowledge and skills you need to become a qualified dental hygienist, whether you become part of a team in a private dental office or want to start your own dental hygiene practice.

Applicants to the one-year Bachelor of Dental Hygiene degree completion program must have completed a Diploma in Dental Hygiene from an accredited program in Canada or the United States and must be licensed or eligible for licensure to practise dental hygiene in Nova Scotia.

Applicants must also have completed at least one full year of university-level courses (approximately 10 courses or 30 credit hours) by May 30 of the year of expected entry. All applicants must submit a personal statement as part of their applications.

In compliance with Dalhousie’s academic regulations students must complete at least 45 credit hours at Dalhousie to be granted a degree. The Bachelor of Dental Hygiene equals a total of 30 credit hours. Therefore students who have not completed at least 15 credit hours and/or a Diploma in Dental Hygiene at Dalhousie will be required to complete 15 credit hours of elective classes from Dalhousie University before the Bachelor of Dental Hygiene degree can be awarded.

Recognized tests for undergraduate admissions:

• If the applicant’s first language is not English he/she must complete an English language proficiency test such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 580 computer-based score of 237 or iBT score of 90 (students must achieve 4.0 on the essay or TOEFL writing test); or IELTS score of 6.5; or MELAB score of 81; or CAEL score of 70; or CanTest score of 4.5.

The application deadline for September entry is 1st April.