Dental Hygiene

This course introduces students to food sources of nutrients and highlights principles of digestion and absorption, the function of nutrients, lifecycle nutritive needs, disease prevention, diet modifications, and weight controls. Emphasis is placed on the role of nutrition in the development and maintenance of the human body through the life cycle.

This combination lecture laboratory course is designed to introduce the student to the dental hygiene care environment and to present basic instrumentation skills and techniques. The principles of instrumentation, ergonomic standards, and preparation for the delivery of educational and therapeutic patient services are presented in detail.

This course presents the didactic and laboratory components of preclinical dental hygiene theory. A firm foundation in infection control procedures, dental hygiene process of care, client assessment, and oral infection control, fluoride therapies and disease prevention is highlighted. In preparation for advancing to patient care, the following topics are presented: CPR and management of medical emergencies, OHSA regulations, Blood Born Pathogen Standard, Hazard Communication Standard, and CDC Guidelines.

Information presented in this course is designed to develop a firm foundation for the dental hygiene student in morphology and function of head, neck, and oral structures. Topics presented in detail include the formation of the face (nervous system, muscles etc.), development, and growth of the jaws, the origin and stages of tooth development and root formation.

This is a continuation of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology of Facial Structures I and presents an in-depth coverage of the anatomy of the teeth and surrounding soft tissues. In addition, eruption sequences and occlusion are highlighted.

This course builds on the foundations of DHG 104. It involves a didactic approach to implementing more advanced dental hygiene services. Topics include sealants, chemotherapies, ultrasonic and sonic instrumentation, and instrument sharpening. The identification of patients with medical, physical, and psychological conditions is presented as well as the dental hygiene treatment modifications for those patient communities. An introduction to cultural diversity and competency as it relates to patient management is presented.

This course is designed to enable beginning dental hygiene students to assess the systemic and oral health of the client and allow for the delivery of clinical dental hygiene preventive and therapeutic care appropriate at the novice level.

In this course the dental hygiene student continues to acquire basic clinic competencies in patient assessments, radiographic techniques, patient education techniques, and delivery of therapeutic and preventative services.

This course is designed to refine the psychomotor instrumentation skills of dental hygiene students. Students are expected to complete oral assessment and delivery of dental hygiene services in an independent manner. The students will have experiences with special care patient populations, pediatric clients and radio interpretations. Treatment plans will be written with more comprehensive components.

This course is an integrated lecture laboratory course that introduces students to the dental laboratory environment. Students will learn to assist the dentist in restorative, fixed, and removable prosthodontics.

This course is designed to present to the dental hygiene student an overview of more advanced clinical competencies including pain control strategies. The techniques of pain control include non- invasive and behavioral strategies, local anesthesia administration and nitrous oxide sedation will be presented.

The intent of this course is to acquaint the dental hygiene student with the fundamentals of Periodontology. Topics include the basics of the epidemiology, anatomy, physiology, neurology, lymphatics, and hematology of the periodontium in health and disease. A detailed discussion of the classification and etiology of periodontal diseases (periodontitis and gingivitis) is presented.

This course is designed to emphasize the role of the dental hygienist in health promotion, as educator and resource person. The knowledge and experiences will assist the dental hygiene student in developing and enhancing interpersonal communication skills necessary to interact effectively with patients from diverse populations and communities. An introduction to cultural diversity and competency as it relates to patient management is presented. A participatory segment of this course explores the various methods used in health promotion and disease prevention programs (e.g., educational strategies, group and individual processes, community approaches.) These education methods are tailored for diverse settings and populations. Topics include community efforts in tobacco cessation counseling programs, nutritional counseling programs and pit and fissure sealant placement programs. In addition, students will develop educational aids for individualized oral hygiene instructions.

This course presents processes of inflammation, wound healing, repair, regeneration, and immunological responses. Topics include oral manifestations of systemic diseases, genetics, and developmental anomalies of the oral cavity. In addition, commonly encountered diseases and disorders of the head and neck will be covered. Emphasis will be placed on recognizing the differences between pathological and normal tissues.

This course is designed to provide the student with a knowledge and understanding of basic pharmacology to be applicable specifically to clinical situations and with emphasis on dental hygiene practice. The pharmacology of pain control is presented in detail.

This course is intended for the student who will begin to incorporate all components of the process of care and will recognize and begin to implement treatment evaluation methods. It is expected that the dental hygiene student will begin to incorporate the basics of autonomous decision-making in the process of patient care.

This clinic will provide the student with experiences in the managing patient care using a comprehensive utilization of a process of care model. The student will apply the process of care model for patients who have systemic modifiers and/or intermediate stages of periodontal diseases. In addition, the student will apply the techniques of pain control presented in Process of Care II.

This course is designed to continue to enhance the skills necessary in providing clinical preventive and therapeutic dental hygiene services. Experiences in comprehensive dental hygiene patient care will include advanced manual instrumentation, ultrasonic instrumentation, and application of chemotherapeutic agents, nutrition counseling, whitening trays, and sealant placement. A burgeoning portfolio of competencies is expected at the completion of this course. A burgeoning portfolio of foundational competencies is expected at the completion of this course. This course allows for further enhancement of clinical skills and mastery of the entry level competencies to the dental hygiene profession. Students will take a simulation of a Clinical Dental Hygiene Regional Licensing Examination.

This capstone course is intended to furnish the upper-level dental hygiene student with an opportunity to demonstrate competency in the process of care for diverse patient populations. Utilizing case studies, students assess findings, formulate a dental hygiene diagnosis, plan, implement and evaluate intervention strategies for a variety of diverse communities. Selected projects provide opportunities for proficiency in critical thinking skills and evidence- based decision making. Students will take a simulation of the written Dental Hygiene National Board Examination.

This course is a continuation of Radiology DAS 114. Advanced topics will include digital radiography, intro oral photography, interpretation of films, extra oral radiography, advanced exposure techniques, and the clinical management of patients with clinical or systemic issues.

The intent of this course is to present the field of Periodontics to the dental hygiene student. Based on the foundation of the introductory course, the student will survey the diseases and disorders of the periodontium and the surgical and non-surgical therapies. Students will gain experience with autonomous decision making of evidence-based treatment planning and case management. Strong emphasis is placed on the role of the dental hygienist as a periodontal therapist in the recognition, treatment and prevention of periodontal diseases.

This course introduces the history and principles of community dental health and health care delivery systems. Topics include the prevention of oral disease, development of public policy, and implementation of community efforts to enlighten the public. Issues surrounding access to care, managed care, private practice, independent practice, as well as trends in dental insurance reimbursement are presented. In addition, students will gain insight into research design and statistical methods and evaluation by participating in a table clinic or poster research project. Selected current topics in international healthcare are presented.