Page 7 - Dentistry Viewbook 2020-2021

Dental Therapy
An innovative approach to oral health access
In 2009, Minnesota became the first state to establish the licensure of dental therapists, in order to extend dental health to underserved populations.
Dental therapy students take classes with dental hygiene and DDS learners, preparing to be part of a dental team that provides educational, clinical and therapeutic services. You will graduate with both a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene and a Master in Dental Therapy after three years of year-round education.
As a dental therapist, you will work in settings that serve low-income, uninsured and underserved populations or in a dental health professional shortage area. Dental therapists work under the
supervision of a licensed dentist to do everything a dental hygienist does, plus some restorative procedures, extractions, preventative services, prescriptive ability and more.
DDS
Getting your Doctor of Dental Surgery degree prepares you to serve your community as a dentist. When you choose the University of Minnesota, you engage in team-based care with dental hygiene and dental therapy students in more than 71,000 square feet of clinical space. You will collaborate with students in medicine, pharmacy and nursing.
Dental students engage in care-based learning in didactic and clinical courses and are part of research contributions to the understanding of fluoride and decay prevention, microbiology and orofacial genetic anomalies, periodontal disease