LSUA & LSU Health Launch Innovative Dental Hygiene Program | WNTZ

ALEXANDRIA, La. (WNTZ) – Louisiana State University Alexandria (LSUA) and LSU Health New Orleans are excited to announce the launch of the first dental hygiene program in Central Louisiana. Working together, the LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry expanded its Dental Hygiene program to an off-campus teaching site located on LSUA’s downtown campus.

The dental hygiene program is a two-year Bachelor of Science program that spans students’ junior and senior years of college. The curriculum is designed to challenge and empower students, covering courses such as Oral Diagnosis, Radiology and Physiology. Six students are selected each year, ensuring a focused and personalized educational experience. Students graduate from the LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry.

“Although we are in New Orleans, we serve all of Louisiana – North and South. East and West. Urban and Rural,” notes Dr. Steve Nelson, Interim Chancellor of LSU Health New Orleans. “Because Alexandria is known as a area with a shortage of health professionals and a great need for dental hygienists and improved access to care, we have been working with LSUA since 2019, along with a strong local contingent of dentists, association representatives, Louisiana Dental . Association and the Louisiana Legislature to expand our dental hygiene program here. We owe a special thanks to Senator Jimmy Harris for putting the funds in the budget and to State Senator Glen Womack for helping to keep them.”

Dental hygienists are licensed health care professionals who work closely with dentists to ensure patients maintain optimal oral health and dental hygiene. Their main objective is to treat and prevent oral diseases affecting the teeth and gums.

In 2019, shortly after becoming Chancellor of LSUA, Paul Coreil received a contact from Dr. Trey Carlton, President of the Central Louisiana Dental Association, who expressed the community’s strong desire to create a dental hygiene pathway in LSUA. Together, they engaged the Dean of the LSU Dental School in New Orleans, who embraced the idea. Tragically, the dean’s untimely death and the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic temporarily stalled these plans.

In 2021, Carlton and Coreil joined forces with Annette Droddy, Executive Director of the Louisiana Dental Association, LSU Health New Orleans Interim Chancellor Dr. Steve Nelson and the leadership of the School of Dentistry. United in their mission, they collaborated to secure state appropriations that would enable the expansion of the dental hygiene program in Alexandria.

“It’s no secret that oral health is very important to overall health, but most people don’t know that there is a national shortage of dental hygienists. Central Louisiana is no exception,” noted Dr. Trey Carlton, past president of the Central Louisiana Dental Association. “The vision and commitment from LSUA, the LSU Health Sciences Center and our legislators to open this dental hygiene program is providing a great opportunity for much-needed health care for our community.”

With funding secured and renovations completed at a facility in downtown Alexandria by Rapides Regional Medical Center, the dental hygiene program began this fall.

This important achievement brings access to high-quality dental hygiene education to Central Louisiana, increasing the region’s health care resources and contributing to the larger goal of promoting oral health in the community.

“As we celebrate this dental hygiene program, we know we cannot achieve our goals without partnerships with the LSU Health School of Dentistry and local and state dental associations,” said Paul Coreil, LSUA chancellor. “This program embodies our commitment to filling a vital workforce gap in Central Louisiana. It’s a historic moment that shows how collaboration and foresight can improve educational and health outcomes in our community.”

LSUA continues to offer the most affordable tuition in Louisiana, allowing students to graduate career-ready and debt-free. This program adds another dimension to LSUA’s degree offerings, further strengthening its reputation for providing high-quality, cost-effective education.

At least three out of every four dentists and hygienists practicing in Louisiana today are graduates of the LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry. The school is unique among all US dental schools in offering degrees in dentistry, dental hygiene and dental laboratory technology. Teaching all aspects of dentistry, the LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry offers a level of training that has earned a national reputation for exceptional academic and clinical education.