Many schools offer dental hygiene as one of their programs. It is in this program that students learn how to be primary dental care professionals who can assist dentists or work in a dental hygienist office. Dental hygienists are primarily responsible for taking X-rays, providing cleanings and educating patients on what they need to do to maintain good oral health. Required courses for dental hygienist degrees include general core classes, natural science, dental sciences, dental hygiene sciences and clinics where students get hands-on experience performing hygienist tasks. Dental hygiene schools include Ohio State University College of Dentistry and the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry at the University of Southern California. Dental hygienist degrees are Bachelor of Science degrees and typically take four years to complete.
Most dental schools offer courses in oral and maxillofacial surgery. These schools include the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and Creighton University School of Dentistry. Through the oral and maxillofacial surgery program, students learn how to prepare for and do oral surgery procedures, as well as diagnose and manage oral diseases and disorders. The oral and maxillofacial surgery program can be taken as a pre- or post-doctoral program. Possible career opportunities with completion of this program include being an oral trauma surgeon. Required courses for the pre-doctoral program at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey include clinical medicine, fundamentals, pharmacology and local anesthesia. The post-doctoral curriculum includes a six-year residency and courses such as emergency medicine, internal medicine and surgical specialties.
Dental schools that offer orthodontics include the University of Florida College of Dentistry and the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry. Through the orthodontics specialty program, students learn basic dentistry along with how to apply braces, create retainers and improve the overall health and beauty of a person's smile. Required courses for orthodontics at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry include craniofacial form, orthodontic diagnosis and technique, as well as biomechanics and orthodontic clinics.
Periodontics is focused primarily on research for and providing oral regeneration and implants. Schools that offer a dental program in periodontics include the University of Alabama School of Dentistry and Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. Introductory clinical workshops, two periodontal lecture series and surgical workshops are required to complete the periodontal program at Tufts. At this university, periodontics can be taken as a bachelor's or master's program.