Denise Claiborne joined the faculty at the G.W. Hirschfeld School of Dental Hygiene at Old Dominion University July 2012.  Denise currently serves as Lecturer and Director of the Entry-level Bachelor of Science Dental Hygiene Program.  She teaches didactic and clinical courses to 1^st and 2^nd year dental hygiene students. Additionally, she teaches an asynchronous course to students in the BSDH-degree completion program and the master’s degree program.

Denise mentors and supervises dental hygiene students in providing service to underserved populations in various community settings and outreach programs in the Tidewater area.

She is currently serving as the Membership Chair for the Virginia Dental Hygienists’ Association (VDHA) and the Peninsula Dental Hygienists’ Association (PDHA) and Student Educator Network Liaison for VDHA.

She earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in both Psychology and Dental Hygiene. Additionally, she holds a Master’s of Science in Dental Hygiene with a concentration in education and research from Old Dominion University.  Denise is currently pursuing a PhD in Health Services Research.  Her research interests include: understanding parents’ attitudes and knowledge towards establishing a dental home, evaluating social, environmental and community factors which predict dental home utilization, maternal and children’s oral health, and exploring multidisciplinary approaches to improving children’s oral health outcomes.