Dental hygiene program finds new home in Dental College of Georgia

Behind every healthy smile is a skilled dental hygienist, a vital part of every dental care team. Augusta University has long been the training ground for many of Georgia’s top dental hygiene professionals, and now the Department of Dental Hygiene enters a new phase of growth and collaboration.

Effective Aug. 1, the dental hygiene program has officially transitioned to become part of the Dental College of Georgia, the state’s only dental school. This strategic realignment brings the department’s 11 faculty, one staff and 59 undergraduate students under the umbrella of DCG, where their clinical training already takes place.

The change is more than just administrative. It represents a closer integration of the future dental patient care team.

“Consolidating the dental hygiene department under the Dental College has the potential to achieve more efficient use of academic, physical and financial resources,” said Nancy Young, DMD, dean of DCG.

The program and its students will maintain strong ties and collaborations with the College of Allied Health Sciences on cross-disciplinary initiatives that benefit students and the communities that AU serves.

“We are incredibly grateful for the 58-year history we share with the CAHS. Their support has played a vital role in shaping the success of our program,” said Erin Boyleston, program director of dental hygiene. “DCG is already where students’ clinical education happens, so relocating administratively to where their faculty and resources are based makes perfect sense.”

For students, the move is expected to feel natural, even welcoming. Dental hygiene students spend a significant portion of their curriculum in hands-on clinical training. The proximity of dental and dental hygiene students under one college will enhance interdisciplinary learning and mirror the collaborative environments they’ll experience in their professional careers.

“Future generations of dentists working side by side with future dental hygienists in the same college seems like a natural fit,” said Kim Capehart, DDS, DBA, associate dean for academic affairs and advanced education at the DCG. “We know our students, faculty and staff, who are all engaged in varying aspects of this highly sought-after profession, will appreciate the added ease of studying and training together.”

Dental hygienists play a key role in oral health care by helping patients of all ages prevent and manage dental disease. They monitor oral health, provide therapeutic treatments and serve as educators in the importance of lifelong oral hygiene. Each year, dental hygiene students contribute hundreds of hours of service through initiatives like the annual Give Kids a Smile Day, sponsored by the American Dental Association, which brings preventive dental care and education to local elementary school children.

Founded in 1967, the dental hygiene program has a long-standing tradition of excellence in education, innovation and service. In 2019, the program was honored with AU’s Program of Teaching Excellence Award, recognizing its commitment to innovative teaching and student success.

As it joins the Dental College of Georgia, the program carries that legacy forward – now with even stronger alignment to prepare the next generation of oral health professionals, together.