Event Details

Course date: Friday June 5, 2026 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM PST

Course Panelists:
Jessica Atkinson, MEd, RDH
Melia Lewis, MEd, RDH
Shelley Brown, MEd, RDH
Moderator: Heather Wong, MSDH, RDH

Course Description: This session brings together three dental hygiene educators in an engaging, conversation driven format to examine the evolving role of prevention within dental hygiene education. Participants will reflect on how preventive principles are incorporated into today’s curriculum and how these foundational concepts translate into everyday clinical care once graduates enter practice.

Attendees will explore the current educational pathway for dental hygienists and review key elements of the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) standards related to prevention focused competencies. Through guided discussion and peer exchange, the panel will share insights on curriculum design, patient behavior change and education, interprofessional collaboration, future trends, and each educator’s unique prevention centered expertise. Participants will leave with renewed perspective and a strengthened commitment to prevention as a cornerstone of dental hygiene practice.

Objectives:

• Describe the current educational pathway for dental hygienists in the U.S. and identify relevant CODA standards related to prevention-focused competencies.
• Discuss emerging trends in minimally invasive care, patient behavior change, and interprofessional practice as they relate to dental hygiene curricula.
• Compare perspectives from multiple dental hygiene educators to identify opportunities for enhancing prevention within academic and in clinical settings.
• Apply insights from the panel discussion to evaluate and refine your own approach to integrating prevention as a core component of oral health.

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