O’Hehir University
OHU offers a Bachelor’s Degree in Oral Health Promotion, specifically for the dental hygiene clinician. Our degree completion program is designed specifically for diploma, certificate and associate degree dental hygienists who want to complete their bachelor’s degree. The mission of OHU is to provide a learning environment for RDHs to reflect on the state of oral health today and develop preventive strategies and employment opportunities to bring optimal oral health to all consumers, not just those who visit a dental practice.
Dental Hygiene education is unique. It is considered a “two-year” program when in fact, RDHs complete nearly 150 contact credit hours, more than the 120 needed for a bachelor’s degree, yet only receive an associate’s degree, certificate or diploma. This is educational malpractice. The OHU remedy to this situation is to accept 120 credits from dental hygiene education and provide students with reflective and inquiry skills that will allow them to think differently to achieve different results, in the area of preventing dental disease.
While other health professions (physical therapy, audiology and speech pathology) have moved their entry-level from Bachelor’s to Master’s and now to Doctorate, dental hygiene remains at an Associate Degree entry-level, no matter what is added to the curriculum. This is due to the education of dental hygienists being controlled by the American Dental Association, not the American Dental Hygienists’ Association or another association representing the dental hygiene profession. Sad but true, and this explains why hygienists graduate with more than enough credit hours for a Bachelor’s Degree, but only receive an Associate’s Degree.
The vision of OHU is to end dental disease. If you are passionate about prevention and have not yet completed your bachelor’s degree, become an OHU student and discover the next generation of you.
For more information, please visit www.ohehiruniversity.org. You can find out class dates and student perspectives on the OHU Blog. https://www.ohehiruniversity.org/index.php/ohu-blog.