Bachelor of Dental Hygiene
Program code
1613
Available at
Nathan
Gold Coast
Mount Gravatt
Logan
South Bank
Online
Offshore
Other
Duration
3 years full-time
Credit points
240
Indicative fee
$11,500.00* per year (more)
* 2024 indicative annual CSP
fee
Commencing in
Trimester 1
Prerequisites
- NIL
Assumed knowledge
- English, English as an Additional Language, Literature or English and Literature Extension (Units 3 and 4, C)
- One of Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematical Methods (Units 3 and 4, C)
About this program
This degree program is designed for someone who is looking for a clinical qualification with the ability to recognize dental diseases or abnormalities of the teeth, mouth and associated structures that require management and patient-centred oral health care that includes a range of activities that include oral health assessment, diagnosis, treatment, management and education for the prevention of oral diseases in patients of all ages.
Dental hygienists are educated in all aspects of dental hygiene practice through coursework and supervised clinical practice in an inter-professional dental clinic. Dental hygiene students will be learning and working alongside, dentists, dental technologists, dental prosthetists and dental specialists developing skills in communication and collaboration for patient management. Students will be provided with specific education and skills in public health and health promotion to provide appropriate preventive oral health education to individuals and communities.
The key advantage of dental hygiene education at Griffith University is the opportunity for hands-on skills training in specialty clinics in the disciplines Periodontology, Implantology and Orthodontics. Students will learn from dental specialists in the fields of:
- Periodontology
- Radiology and Radiography
- Orthodontics
- Special Needs
- Oral Pathology
- Pharmacology
- Public Health and Health Promotion
Dental hygiene students will work alongside a team of dental health practitioners with emphasis on the significant role and responsibilities of the dental hygienist in dental practice.
Attendance information
The Bachelor of Dental Hygiene is three-year full-time program that will be offered on-campus at the Gold Coast campus.
The School of Medicine and Dentistry delivers electronic assessment via ExamSoft's Examplify application. Students enrolled in this program are required to have access to a portable computer device (laptop or tablet) that can be taken on campus to complete examination and assessment activities. This device must meet the minimum system requirements for Examplify.
The School has a small number of loan devices that may be available to students who do not have access to a personal device. Students must apply for access to loan devices in the lead up to an examination or assessment. Please note the School cannot guarantee a loan device will be available for every applicant.
Managing study interruptions
Leave of absence
Students will require approval from the Dean, Dentistry or nominee to take a leave of absence. The period of leave will normally be one year.
Readmission
A student who has discontinued enrolment in a Dentistry program and who is not on an approved leave of absence is required to seek approval for readmission to the program from the Dean, Dentistry or nominee.
Readmission to a Dentistry program is not guaranteed and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the School of Medicine and Dentistry for further details.
Students who are returning to the program after an approved leave of absence or are being readmitted to the program or are required to repeat a non-clinical DOH-coded course will also be required to successfully complete Clinical Skills Competency requirements before continuing with their program.
Students who do not successfully complete these requirements will not be eligible to continue their program. Successful completion of these requirements will ensure students remain competent in their practical skills and are well prepared to continue with the program. Please refer to the Griffith University Inability to Complete Required Components of Professional Qualification Policy for further information.
Student Income Support
To be classed as a full-time student, you are required to enrol in a minimum number of credit points each standard study period. The minimum credit points for full-time enrolment in this program is 30 credit points.
Trimester 1 and Trimester 2 are deemed standard study periods. As Trimester 3 is a non-standard study period, continuing students moving from one year to the next will not be required to study during this trimester to be eligible for student income support.
Domestic students who commence in Trimester 3 may be eligible for student income support from the onset of study provided they are enrolled full-time in this study period.
Please refer to the Australian Government website for more details.
Work-integrated learning
The dental hygiene students will be exposed to a "real life" dental clinic from Year 1 to Year 3 where they will work within an oral health team in a fully functional dental facility. Students will observe and work mutually with professional dentists, hygienists, prosthetist, dentistry students and academics when providing dental care to patients in our intramural private practice clinic. The final year of the program provides work-integrated learning opportunities where students will observe and contribute to the management and provision of dental hygiene care in safe supervised dental practices. Total work placement (hours): 1046.
My career opportunities
Completing this degree program provides the education and skills required to apply for registration as a dental hygienist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). As a graduate of this degree, you will be qualified to work as a registered dental hygienist with employment opportunities in the public and private health sectors through government health departments and private dental clinics that include:
- General dental practice;
- Specialist dental practices;
- Community dental/oral health clinics.
Program accreditation
The Bachelor of Dental Hygiene is accredited by the Australian Dental Council (ADC).
Professional recognition
Graduates of the Bachelor of Dental Hygiene will be eligible to apply for registration with the Dental Board of Australia via the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) subject to meeting any additional requirements that may be stipulated by the Dental Board of Australia. As these requirements may change from time to time, students should contact AHPRA to confirm registration requirements.
Professional Practice requirements
There are placements associated with this program and before undertaking professional experience placements, all students in this program are required to have completed the following by the end of their first trimester of study:
- Vaccinations and Health Tests
- Licenses and Certificates
- Online Training
- Health Placement Requirements
Students should refer to the checklist of professional practice requirements for their Health discipline on the Health Placement Support Hub for full details of the requirements regarding professional placement to ensure that they meet eligibility for placement.
Commonwealth supported students
- The indicative fee represents the expected average fee for an annual full-time study load (80 credit points). This is based on average study patterns across courses and the Australian Government's broad discipline areas (student contribution bands). A student's actual annual fee may vary in accordance with his or her choice of majors and electives. The Australian Government sets student contribution amounts on an annual basis.
- Find out more...
Fee-paying undergraduate (domestic) students
These fees are only applicable to domestic students who are not Commonwealth supported including:
- Full-fee paying domestic students who commenced their program prior to 2009.
- International students who have been approved to pay domestic tuition fees after obtaining Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency or a permanent humanitarian visa and who have not obtained a Commonwealth supported place.
Tuition fees
- A fee-paying undergraduate student pays tuition fees.
- Students are liable for tuition fees for the courses they are enrolled in as at the census date.
- The tuition fee is charged according to the approved program fee for the trimester in which the student is enrolled.
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Program fees for the Bachelor of Dental Hygiene (1613)
If the fee rate for your program is not displayed above, please contact Student Connect for assistance.
FEE-HELP
Eligible undergraduate fee-paying students may defer their tuition fees by taking out a FEE-HELP loan which is part of the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP). Payment of the loan is via the taxation system when income reaches a specified level.
Further information
- Calculating tuition fees
- Calculating your EFTSL
- Fees and Charges Procedure
- 3.2 - Fees for Undergraduate Students (Non-international)
- Financial help and support
Additional fee information
Throughout your program you may be required to pay for the following items:
First aid certificate; immunisations; uniforms; a portable computer device (laptop or tablet) and expenses associated with placements such as travel and accommodation; dental kits and tools as stipulated for each year. As well, there are Fit for Professional Practice Placement costs such as Blue Card and Police Check. For more information, please visit the School of Medicine and Dentistry and the Health Placement Support Hub webpages.