Dental Hygiene at Clayton State: Building a Program of Preventive Care

As early as 1969, Clayton Junior College planned to develop a Dental Hygiene Program dedicated to preventive dentistry and to challenging the belief that dental health concerns only begin in middle age. In August 1970, the college received $30,000 from the Board of Regents to establish the two‑year program, supplementing the $75,000 already allocated for equipment and a clinical laboratory. The Dental Hygiene Program officially opened for enrollment in September 1971 with a 16‑chair dental clinic, becoming the first and only academic Dental Hygiene Career Program in the Atlanta metropolitan area at the time. Mrs. Doris Bates served as director of both the Dental Hygiene and Nursing Programs during this formative period.

Early coursework for the program included dental hygiene, dental office procedures, and general studies in the humanities, social sciences, and mathematics. Classes were originally housed in the Student Center, and the program’s clinic remains in the same building today, now known as Edgewater Hall. As of 2020, the Dental Hygiene Program ranks among the top online Dental Hygiene Bachelor Programs, reflecting its long‑standing commitment to high‑quality education and community‑centered oral health care.