Demystifying Dental Hygiene Autonomy

Course Description:

This course examines the historical, political, economic, and professional forces that continue to shape dental hygiene autonomy in the United States. Participants will investigate how entrenched paradigms, systemic sexism, economic control, educational gaps, regulatory loopholes, and legislative opportunities intersect to restrict or expand professional practice. Using case studies, policy precedents, and advocacy strategies, the course challenges learners to reconsider traditional hierarchies in dentistry and to envision models of modernization that prioritize prevention, public health, and professional self-governance. By engaging with evidence-based research and real-world examples, participants will gain the knowledge necessary to influence policy, strengthen the profession's role in health systems, and advance reforms that improve access to safe, affordable, and preventive oral health care.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Analyze the historical and political factors that have shaped dental hygiene’s restricted scope of practice.

• Critique economic and regulatory structures that perpetuate dependency on dental supervision.

• Evaluate evidence from comparative professions and state models that demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of autonomy.

• Define policy strategies and advocacy frameworks that support modernization and self-governance in dental hygiene.

• Apply key arguments and precedents to legislative or organizational contexts to advance preventive-focused reform.