Dental Hygiene

The group of study fields: Health Sciences
Field of study program: Oral Care
Code of study program: 6531GX025
Type of study program: Undergraduate (college higher education) study programme
Cycle of study program: Professional Bachelor degree

Language of study program: Lithuanian, English (for ERASMUS+ only)
Credits and form of study program: 180 credits, full-time (3 years)

The program is implemented by the Department of Nursing and Dental Care of the Faculty of Medicine.

Qualification to be awarded: Professional Bachelor of Health Sciences, qualification of Dental Hygienist.

Advantage. Study. The study programme focuses on the use of new oral care techniques, safer materials and equipment. The curriculum shall keep up-to-date teaching and assessment methods and introduce evidence-based practice. The programme is organised as a full-time study programme. Practical training is carried out in sub-groups, allowing for a combination of study and work.

Advantage. Real-life experience. The study provides a realistic working environment. At the beginning of the course, students work with phantoms, using simulation training based on a fictitious scenario or a real situation, and from the spring semester of the second year onwards they work with real patients. Workshops are organised with representatives of companies and clinics. During their studies, students carry out professional practices in various dental clinics in Utena, Vilnius, Visaginas, Kaunas, etc. Participation in social projects to assess oral health and to educate the public about good oral care.

Advantage. Experience abroad. Students go to Portugal, Latvia, UK, etc. for study and practice.

Career opportunities

Graduates of the Dental Hygiene programme will be able to work in personal health care establishments with dental or oral care licences and other establishments providing oral health services. Upon successful completion of the Dental Hygiene programme, individuals will have the competences to perform complex work independently and make the right decisions in the following areas of activity: identification of risk factors for dental diseases and implementation of preventive measures to reduce the prevalence and intensity of dental caries and periodontal diseases among patients of different age groups and community groups.

Possibilities for further studies. After completing dental hygiene college study and obtained the Health Sciences professional bachelor's degree, graduates can continue their studies in Lithuanian and foreign higher education institutions.

Employment opportunities. The employment rate according to the acquired qualification reaches ~ 70%.

The aim of the study programme is to prepare dental hygienists that are able to examine and assess patients’ condition of the mouth and teeth, to independently provide patients with personal and professional dental hygiene services, teach and consult patients/clients to healthy lifestyle and dental care, introduce new prevention methods of dental diseases based on research and cooperation with other personal health care specialists.

Expected learning outcomes are:

Knowledge and ability to apply it. A graduate:

1. is aware of the national and international health monitoring policy, normative documents, which regulate the place of work, environment and safety at work and is aware of the limits of professional activity and responsibility;

2. is able to integrate knowledge of biomedical science forming perception of human growth, development and health, and knowledge of dental care practice

Research skills. A graduate:

3. is able to collect, interpret and store the applied research data necessary for oral health and care and to apply the research results to solve the particular oral care problems and makes suggestions to the colleagues;

Special abilities. A graduate:

4. is able to use the dental equipment, tools and materials for their intended purpose, and to apply infection control means and methods;

5. is able to assess the personal and oral health state and risk of diseases by identifying the changes in the oral tissues, and is able to make a plan of application of preventive methods and means;

6. is able to perform the procedures of professional dental hygiene, to select the appropriate preventive methods and means for oral diseases, to do anaesthesia, and to determine whether the consultation of the dental practitioner or specialised dental practitioner is needed;

7. is able to perform and evaluate X-ray of teeth;

8. is able to recognise the cases dangerous to life and dental traumas, to respond to them appropriately, and to provide the necessary medical aid;

9. is able to consult the patients on the issues of nutrition in order to reduce the risk of periodontal diseases, dental decay, erosions and other non-carious dental diseases;

10. is able to develop preventive health programmes intended to train the patient’s, family’s and community’s skills of health care, healthy life style, to organise and implement health teaching, with regard to psychological and cultural factors of health support.

Social skills. A graduate:

11. is able to communicate and cooperate efficiently with health care and other specialists and the patients, creating the full-rate relationships and solving the oral health problems and to create new ideas;

12. is able to express own thoughts in writing and orally, to communicate in the professional environment of oral care specialist in Lithuanian and at least one foreign language;

Personal abilities. A graduate:

13. is able to assess critically own professional practice, is able to solve the problems independently, and to act in particular clinically defined situation using the practical skills;

14. is able to collect and systemise information, to use the advanced technologies and information systems in practical activities, and to handle the confidential information properly.

Study subjects (modules), practical training:

Full-time study

1 year	1 semester		2 semester
	Subject	Credits	Subject	Credits
	Professional Environment	6	Communication & Medical Psychology	6
	Professional Language	6	Oral Health and Health Education of Community	9
	Human Safety	3	Basics of Preclinical Studies	6
	Anatomy, Physiology & Pathology	6	Basics of Biochemistry, Immunology & Genetics	3
	Microbiology & Infection Control in Dentistry	6	Business Economics and Quality Management in Dentistry	6
	Fundamentals of Human Histology and Embryology	3

2 year	3 semester		4 semester
	Subject	Credits	Subject	Credits
	Pharmacology & Phytotherapy	3	Clinical Odontology & Anaesthesia	3
	Preclinical Work with Phantoms	6	Dental Radiology	3
	Basics of Clinical Subjects	9	Professional Dental Hygiene & Clinical Practice	9
	First Medical Aid	3	Applied Research Methodology	3
	Alternative Elective Subject. Foreighn Language: English/ Germany/ Norwegian/Russian	3	Assessment of the Patient’s General Condition Practice	6
	Optional Subject	3	Dental Disease Prevention & Epidemiology Practice	6
	Optional Subject	3

3 year	5 semester		6 semester
	Subject	Credits	Subject	Credits
	Fundamentals of Dental Hygiene Graduate Thesis Preparation	3	Dental Care for Patients with Special Needs	6
	Procedures of Dental Hygienist & Clinical Practice	9	Orthopedic Dentistry & Dental Care	3
	Periodontology and Diseases of the Oral Mucosa	6	Dental Hygienist' Work with a Patients & Supervision Practice	12
	Children's Dentistry & Orthodontic Basic	3	Final Exam	3
	Optional Subject	3	Professional Bachelor Graduate Thesis	6
	Procedures Performed by a Dental Hygienist Practice	6

Freely chosen subjects are selected from the List of Freely Chosen Subjects List and their descriptions.

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