Hygienists are in demand in general dental practices and in specialty practices such as periodontics or pediatric dentistry. They also may be employed to provide dental hygiene services for patients in hospitals, nursing homes and public health clinics.
UA's mascot is an elephant called Big Al.. The name was chosen in the late 1970s in a campus-wide contest. The origin of the mascot dates back to 1930. On October 8, a sportswriter wrote about the previous weekend's Alabama-Ole Miss football game.
The University of Alabama is often referred to as The Capstone by alumni and friends of the university. The Capstone is a nickname for The University of Alabama coined by former UA President G. H. Denny when he referred to the University as the capstone of the public school system of the state in 1913.