Ozarks Tech expands dental hygiene program by 40%

To help meet the demand for health care professionals in southwest Missouri, Ozarks Technical Community College will expand its dental hygiene program by 40% through a new partnership with Jordan Valley Health and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

The partnership includes $100,000 in state funding to expand with new equipment, instructor training and instructional support at Jordan Valley facilities. The investment will increase student access to hands-on clinical training.

“Dental professionals are in high demand, and this partnership allows us to train more students to fill those roles,” said Ozarks Tech Chancellor Hal Higdon, in a news release. “Training more graduates helps increase access to quality dental care in our communities.”

With approval from the Commission on Dental Accreditation, Ozarks Tech plans to add eight student seats to the dental hygiene program, increasing annual capacity from 20 to 28 students, starting in fall 2027.

The competitive two-year program leads to an associate degree and prepares students for licensure through classroom, lab and clinical training, the release said.

The expansion will begin with four additional slots at the college’s Table Rock campus in Hollister. Students in that cohort will complete laboratory and clinical training at Jordan Valley Health’s Hollister location.

Ozarks Tech said an additional four seats will be added in Springfield, with students completing laboratory and clinical instruction at Jordan Valley Health facilities there.

“At Jordan Valley Health, our mission is to improve our community’s health through access and relationships,” said Ashley Popejoy, chief dental officer at Jordan Valley Health, in the release. “This collaboration with OTC is a testament to the advancement of our mission. Through this relationship we will not only increase opportunities to educate and train dental hygienists but simultaneously increase access to high-quality dental care in our communities.”

Megan Krohn, chief dental consultant with the Office of Dental Health, said the state was happy to “support the expansion of innovation in dental hygiene training.”

“Oral health is overall health,” Krohn said in the release. “A sustainable, well-trained oral health workforce is vital to providing Missourians with the resources they need to achieve optimal oral health.”

According to the American Dental Association’s Health Policy Institute, staffing remains a top concern for dentists, with only about 60% reporting adequate hygienist staffing.

In the 2024-25 academic year, all Ozarks Tech dental hygiene graduates reported staying in Missouri, stepping straight into jobs with an average starting salary of $86,210. All graduates also passed their national, state and clinical exit exams, including the ADEX Dental Examination and the National Board of Dental Health Examination, according to Ozarks Tech.