USD Dental Hygiene

USD Dental Hygiene USD Dental Hygiene is dedicated to life-long learning and improving the health of the communities that we serve.

We set the standard for dental hygiene in South Dakota. Our graduates are dedicated to life-long learning and improving the health of the communities they serve. We admit 40 students each year who meet our academic standards. We not only stay on top of the latest teaching techniques, but we keep current on the latest clinical practices as well. Our students are well prepared with an above average

national certification exam pass rate - 99.8 percent since 2004. They enjoy a low faculty-to student ratio and get to experience clinical training opportunities in the real world. We offer services at several clinical sites throughout the state. This helps our community as well as our students by providing clinical experience. These include:

Main clinical site on the Vermillion campus, Delta Dental Oral Health Center
Clinic in Siouxland Health and Human Services Building in Sioux Falls. Correctional Facilities in Yankton, Springfield and Sioux Falls
South Dakota Developmental Center
IHS/Tribal Dental Clinics
Area nursing homes
Area Schools

Our students get experience outside the classroom for professional development and clinical experience, including:

Providing public dental health services
Providing oral cancer screenings
Giving oral health presentations
Completing a three-week dental office internship.

💉LA Last Chance Alert! 🦷We’re excited to offer our final Local Anesthesia Certification Course on June 18–20—don’t miss ...
05/18/2026

💉LA Last Chance Alert! 🦷
We’re excited to offer our final Local Anesthesia Certification Course on June 18–20—don’t miss your opportunity to get certified!
➡️https://aceware.usd.edu/wconnect/ace/CourseStatus.awp?course=26SU-DHLAC

Already certified? Join us for the Local Anesthesia Refresher Course on June 19 to sharpen your skills and stay confident in your practice.
➡️https://aceware.usd.edu/wconnect/ace/CourseStatus.awp?course=26SU-DHLAR

📅 Spots are limited—secure your seat today!

And another year of clinic is complete! Students and faculty give the clinic one last thorough cleaning for this school ...
04/30/2026

And another year of clinic is complete! Students and faculty give the clinic one last thorough cleaning for this school year.

04/21/2026
04/17/2026

🦷 Calling Local Dental Professionals and Offices!

USD Dental Hygiene is seeking your input! We invite you to participate in a brief survey about the dental software currently used in dental offices throughout our region.

Your feedback will help us evaluate and select future dental software applications for use in our USD clinics—making a real impact on dental education and patient care.

👉 Dental Office Software Survey: https://southdakota.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9nmNnRr3XAgMg0m

IdeaFest 2026 was held yesterday and today. IdeaFest celebrates research, scholarship, and creative engagement here at U...
04/16/2026

IdeaFest 2026 was held yesterday and today. IdeaFest celebrates research, scholarship, and creative engagement here at USD. USD Dental Hygiene was well-represented at the School of Health Sciences awards ceremony; Jillian VanDiepen won the Outstanding Undergraduate Student Achievement Award for Scholarship and Professor Tasha Wendel won the Student-Nominated Outstanding Faculty Award.

Congratulations, Jillian and Professor Wendel!

04/16/2026

Show your smile some love and keep it shining this dental hygiene week! 🦷

A huge thank‑you to our alumna Tia Meyer for spending time with our junior class today. She shared an engaging look at h...
04/15/2026

A huge thank‑you to our alumna Tia Meyer for spending time with our junior class today. She shared an engaging look at how AI is shaping the future of dentistry, including real examples of VideaAI being used at Neighborhood Dental.
We love seeing our alumni return to invest in the next generation of dental hygienists — and our students were energized by her insight, experience, and passion for patient‑centered innovation.

🪥Do you love teaching, mentoring and shaping the future of dental hygiene? We are hiring! 👉 Licensed Dental Assistant at...
04/07/2026

🪥Do you love teaching, mentoring and shaping the future of dental hygiene? We are hiring!

👉 Licensed Dental Assistant at the USD Sioux Falls Dental Clinic. Apply here: https://yourfuture.sdbor.edu/postings/47518

👉 Dental Hygiene Adjunct Instructors for the next academic year. Apply here: https://yourfuture.sdbor.edu/postings/42294

✔️ Make an impact
✔️ Share your expertise
✔️ Be part of an amazing academic community

The Department of Dental Hygiene at the University of South Dakota (USD) is seeking a Dental Assistant to join our Sioux Falls Clinic. This position primarily provides chairside dental assisting, manages dental insurance coordination, and offers front desk support as needed. The role is essential to...

Junior students working on their local anesthesia and nitrous oxide/oxygen sedation skills on each other
03/25/2026

Junior students working on their local anesthesia and nitrous oxide/oxygen sedation skills on each other

The student ADEA chapter hosted Whitney Crist to speak about Ergonomics. A big thank you to Lumadent for sponsoring and ...
03/23/2026

The student ADEA chapter hosted Whitney Crist to speak about Ergonomics. A big thank you to Lumadent for sponsoring and to Crown Seating for donating a chair to raffle off. Students learned some advanced ergonomics, recent evidence, and even some Essentrics stretches.

Address

414 East Clark Street 101 Center For Health Education
Vermillion, SD
57069

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Website

http://www.usd.edu/

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