UNMC Dental Hygiene Program in Lincoln Celebrates
35th Anniversary
The University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistrys dental
hygiene program will celebrate its 35th anniversary Saturday, Feb. 26.
The program is the only dental hygiene program in Nebraska that offers
a bachelors degree in dental hygiene.
Faculty, staff, students and alumni will celebrate with a day of activities
from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the UNL Student Union, followed by a gala celebration
in the evening at the Wick Alumni Center in Lincoln. The featured guest
speaker, Dr. Esther Wilkins, will talk about the changes and advances in
dental hygiene practice.
Dr. Wilkins is well-known nationally and internationally in the dental
hygiene community as an icon of the dental hygiene profession. She wrote
the textbook that is considered the foundation for dental hygiene and is
used by most every student in dental hygiene. There were very few textbooks
for dental hygienists when she started teaching in 1959, said to Caren
Barnes, professor of surgical specialties, UNMC College of Dentistry.
The UNMC College of Dentistry dental hygiene program was established
in 1964 and located in the basement of the student health clinic on the
main campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The dental hygiene and
dentistry program relocated in 1968 when a new dentistry facility was built
at 40th and Holdrege streets.
Hygienists are licensed professionals who work as a team with dentists,
dental assistants and dental office staff. There are about 722 dental hygienists
with active Nebraska licenses, according to the Nebraska Bureau of Examining
Board.
An integral part of the dental team, dental hygienists perform oral
exams, apply sealants, fluoride, clean and polish teeth, expose X-rays,
assess a patients dental hygiene care needs and tailor a plan to meet
those needs.
Its a real bonus for the citizens of Nebraska to have a cutting-edge
education for dental hygienists in this highly recognized dental college,
said Gwen Hlava, director of the UNMC dental hygiene program since 1985.
Our graduates are prepared to provide the finest care to their patients
and to assist in community activities to promote oral health.
Like other health professionals, dental hygienists have seen many changes
over the years.
The emphasis in dental hygiene is on prevention preventing tooth
decay and periodontal disease and educating patients on how to care for
their teeth. We call ourselves the preventive dental professionals, Hlava
said.
If we think back as children to our grandparentswe probably watched
them take out their teeth at night. People are living longer and want to
keep their teeth. Also, most communities have flouride in their water which
drastically decreases the incidence of tooth decay.
What has changed over the years is the emphasis on prevention rather
than treatment, patient education and the emphasis on the effects of dental
disease on total body health, Hlava said. Hygienists have available technologically
advanced instruments such as air polishing and ultrasonic scalers that
make procedures easier for the hygienist and more comfortable for the patient.
Faculty have seen changes in the students over the years. Where once
the dental hygiene profession was made up of predominately young, single,
first-career women, it now includes men, students with families and those
who have worked in various careers.
We have some extremely bright and talented students who are drawn to
the profession for a variety of reasons. The job opportunities are excellent,
the profession is flexible. You can work full time, part time, or take
time out to raise a family and get a job anywhere you go, Hlava said.
Students get a high-quality education at UNMC. With a total of 40 dental
hygiene students in the program, they get one-on-one training. Since the
programs beginning, the graduates have had a 99 percent passing rate on
national board exams.
The hygiene programs first director was Elizabeth Warner Waggener,
a Holland, Mich., native who retired and currently lives in Lincoln. The
first class of students arrived in September 1964. The professions first
formal dental hygiene program was established at Fones School of Dental
Hygiene in 1913 by Alfred C. Fones of Bridgeport, Conn.
The UNMC College of Dentistry serves Nebraskans and states that have
no dental schools, including Kansas, South Dakota, North Dakota and Wyoming.
For five of the last six years, the colleges freshman dentistry class
has ranked first among the 55 U.S. dental schools for incoming grade-point
average. The college offers programs in doctor of dental surgery (D.D.S.),
bachelors degree in dental hygiene, a general practice residency program
and post-graduate specialty programs in endodontics, orthodontics, periodontics,
pediatric dentistry and prosthodontics.
UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the state.
Through its commitment to research, education, outreach and patient care,
UNMC has established itself as one of the country’s leading centers for
cancer research and treatment and solid organ transplantation. During the
past year, nearly $31 million in research grants and contracts were awarded
to UNMC scientists, and UNMCs funding from the National Institutes of
Health increased by 28 percent, going from $16.2 million to $20.7 million.
UNMCs educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals
practicing in Nebraska than any other institution.