Murray State University receives grant from Delta Dental of Kentucky Foundation

Murray State University has received a grant from the Delta Dental of Kentucky Foundation in the amount of $40,000. The funding will help the university continue development of a new Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene program, which has been in the works and has received approval from the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

According to an article on Murray State University’s website, Dr. Dina Byers, the Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Professions, was quoted as saying of the funding, “We are grateful for the support provided by the Delta Dental Foundation. This funding will allow us to purchase supplies and/or equipment that is needed. This endeavor is a shared commitment to improving oral health outcomes and expanding the dental hygiene workforce in our region.”

Currently, the university offers a Biology Pre-Dental major and a Chemistry Pre-Professional Track in Dental, Pharmacy, and Medicine. This new Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene program will prepare students to fill the need of the region’s workforce for registered dental hygienists. The stated mission of the new program is to “educate students to become registered dental hygiene professionals who are scientifically oriented, technologically skilled, and ethically sound professionals competent for employment in multiple settings.”

The six-semester program includes pre-requisite courses as well as specific dental hygiene courses. While the program has received approval from the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, it has not received word on its application to the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

For more information about Murray State University, visit the school’s website.