Free online courses for dental hygiene are in the form of continuing education or just basic information. These are designed for professional dental hygienists. However, other courses are also available for anyone who is interested in this subject.
Coursework Overview
Several courses related to the subject are on the web. These include managing side effects of medication, medical emergencies in the oral health care setting and looking for signs of addiction. Hygienists may also be interested in studying automated oral hygiene self-care devices, Burning Mouth Syndrome and dental digital radiographic imaging.
Other free resources on the Internet cover diet and nutrition implications for oral health, eating disorders and dentin hypersensitivity. Courses on the latter focus mostly on management.
Studies about mental illness and the dental patient, oral health and adults and HIPAA are freely available on the web.
There is also the opportunity to study the relationship between systemic disease and oral health. Other health subjects like gingivitis and oral biofilm management are freely downloadable as well. There are also topics about xerostomia, osteonecrosis, osteoporosis and periodontal diseases.
Format
These programs are usually OpenCourseWare. They can be accessed anytime by anyone. Some sites may require registration but this is free. These sites have no instructors. But you can study these lessons anytime.
Benefits for Students
Professional hygienists can use the information in these courses to enhance their knowledge. Because these courses are free, they don’t have to worry about busting their budget. Aside from the core courses stated earlier, you can also study subjects such as public health, geriatric dentistry and denture care general training. There are also topics about density issues, laws and ethics. These will vary depending on where you are practicing.
Requirements
These sites are open for everyone. You just need to have a stable Internet connection. You will also need a browser capable of playing videos, audio and animation.
Other Information
You will also find free resources about women, oral health needs and aging. Continuing education programs offer updated information about herbal supplements, anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications.
Veteran hygienists may also study clinical practice reviews or refresher courses. Other topics like dental caries and saliva, oral cancer screening and other related issues can be studied online as well.
Some free online courses for dental hygiene are only previews. You will only be able to access a few elements, but the rest can only be accessed after you have paid.