Welcome & Overview

Mission Statement

The mission of the Dental Hygiene Program at Indiana University—Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) is to educate students for future roles as oral healthcare professionals. The program is committed to excellence in the theory and practice of dental hygiene and in the development of competent, socially sensitive, and ethically responsible professionals.

Vision Statement

IPFW Dental Hygiene Program will be a nationally recognized dental hygiene program, committed to achieving academic excellence, state-of-the-art educational environments, positive contributions to the oral health of northeast Indiana's diverse population, and outstanding creative endeavors from faculty and students.

Goals and Objectives

1. Students will apply principles from basic sciences, clinical, and social sciences to the delivery of dental hygiene services.
2. Students will develop competence is assessing, planning, treating, and evaluating oral conditions and diseases.
3. Students will develop effective communication skills.
4. Students will promote good health practices to others.
5. Students will design, implement, and evaluate community dental health programs.
6. Students will develop skills in critical thinking, reasoning, questioning, and decision making.
7. Students will interpret and evaluate current research findings.
8. Students will promote the dental hygiene profession through service learning activities, affiliations with professional organizations, and partnerships with the community.

Program Description

The Dental Hygiene Program at Indiana University—Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) was established in 1964. This three year program leads to an associate degree in dental hygiene.

IPFW's Dental Hygiene Program prepares students for the challenging and rapidly expanding profession of dental hygiene. Demand for dental hygienists is expected to continue in response to an increasing awareness of dental health. The limited class size of 30 students per year offers an opportunity for individualized instruction.

Dental hygienists are licensed professionals who serve as the prevention specialists of the dental team. They use a variety of interpersonal and clinical skills to meet oral health needs of many different patients each day. They enjoy flexible job scheduling, including full- and part-time employment. Opportunities exist in dental offices, public health agencies, research, industry, hospital dentistry, and dental education.

Dental Hygiene Faculty and Staff

The Dental Hygiene Program consists of five full-time faculty and twenty-eight limited term lecturers, associate and adjunct faculty.  All full-time faculty hold masters degrees in education and bring many years of practice and experience to the classroom.  Limited-term lecturers, associate faculty, and adjunct faculty include practicing dental hygienists, dentists, and specialists from the community.  The Dental Hygiene Program also shares the secretary of Dental Education and the Dental Clinic Manager with other Dental Education Programs.

Full-time Dental Hygiene Faculty

Associate Faculty for Dental Hygiene

Full-time Dental Education Staff Members

Community Advisory Council

2012 - 2013 Dental Hygiene Advisory Board Members

DDS Members

• Thomas Blake, DDS
• Geoffrey Glogas, DDS
• Gary Scheumann, DDS
• Ben Yoder, DDS

Dental Hygiene Members

• Suzy Beard, LDH, BS
  
• Jennifer Bryant, LDH, BGS
  
• Angela Davis, LDH
• Angela Fisher, LDH
• Kathy Nahrwold, LDH

Exofficio Members

• Mary D. Cooper, MSEd, LDH
  Full-time faculty
• Connie Kracher, PhD, MSD
  Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Dental Education
• Marlaina Lantzy, MS, RDH
  Full-time faculty
• Nancy K. Mann, MSEd, LDH
  Full-time faculty
• Martha McComas, MS, LDH
  Full-time faculty
• Brenda M. Valliere, DDS, RDH
  Director of Dental Hygiene

Degrees ASDH & BSDH

Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene

The Dental Hygiene Program at Indiana University—Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) is a three year program that leads to an associate degree in dental hygiene. Associate degree credits transfer to various bachelors and masters degree programs; such as dental public health, allied health education, and general studies.

Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene

A Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene degree is currently under development. The IU Board of Trustees approved the Associate of Science in Dental Assisting and the Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene on October 11, 2012. The vote was unanimous, with no questions. The final step is the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE). We hope to gain their approval in the coming months. IU Northwest's Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene proposal has been approved by ICHE.
 
IPFW Registrar, Patrick McLaughlin said graduates will be eligible for the ASDA and BDSH degrees, even though they have completed degrees in other disciplines. He said we can grant the new degrees, as long as graduates meet the residency and other requirements.
 
Watch this website for updates coming soon.