The University of Iowa Dental Hygiene Program records date from 1913 to 2005 and measure 20.25 linear feet. The records are arranged in nine series: History, Administrative files, Curriculum, Students, Alumni, Dental hygiene profession, Photographs, Theses, and Artifacts.

The History series (1953-1971), which is quite small, consists of memos, correspondence, reports, and proposals from the early years of both the undergraduate and graduate programs. A 1934 textbook for dental hygienists completes the series; this textbook includes an appendix entitled "The Dental Hygienist Movement" which explains the origin of, and rationale for, the profession of dental hygiene.

The Administrative files series (1953-1994), one of the largest series in the collections, includes correspondence, planning documents, reports, and meeting minutes of both the Dental Hygiene Program and the College of Dentistry. The series includes information on the research and grants of dental hygiene faculty members, and the personnel files that were in the possession of the dental hygiene program at the time of closure. This series includes the records of the controversial Experimental Expanded Function Study, a pioneering study coordinated by a member of the dental hygiene faculty on the feasibility of training hygienists to perform a wider array of dental procedures. The records show the resistance from members of the dental profession to the concept of expanding the scope of dental hygienists' duties.

The Curriculum series (1956-1995) consists of undergraduate and gradate curriculum materials such as reading lists, syllabi, assignments, manuals, and handouts used in coursework. Most of the materials relate to the undergraduate program and date from the 1970s and 1980s.

The Students series (1958-1994) includes information about admissions, enrollment, student life, and financial aid. The series includes a scrapbook of newspaper clippings about the students in the dental hygiene program during the 1950s, and photographs of all the students in the first dental hygiene class.

The Alumni series (1956-2005) includes surveys, newsletters, and correspondence between faculty members and alumni.

The Dental Hygiene Profession series (1913-1996) includes scholarly articles about the profession, and records related to the professional activities of the American Dental Hygiene Association, the Iowa Dental Hygienists Association, and the American Dental Association. Records relating to licensing and the national and state regulatory agencies are also included in this series.

The Photographs series (1950s-1995) includes photographs of dental hygiene students in class, working with patients, and posed in groups. The photographs from the 1950s through 1980 are mainly 5x7 or 8x10 black and whites; photographs from later years are color snapshots. The series includes color slides depicting dental hygiene students in the classroom, displays or booths set up and staffed by dental hygiene students, and presentations made by dental hygiene faculty members. Most of the slides and photographs are identified. Class photographs complete the series.

The Theses series (1966-1977) includes six master's theses written by University of Iowa dental hygiene students and two doctoral dissertations written by students at other institutions.

The Artifacts series (1984 and undated), including carved wax teeth, a trophy, and an instructional skull, completes the collection.