This course is designed to allow students to demonstrate professional behavior and beginning clinical experiences in the treatment of child, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients. Promotion of oral health and wellness is stressed through clinical experiences with patient assessment, dental hygiene care planning, intra-professional communication via case presentation and implementation and evaluation of treatment outcomes. This class may include students from multiple sections.
Course Outcomes
- Exhibit professionalism through personal appearance, attitude, and conduct appropriate for the humanistic learning environment and delivery of ethical dental hygiene care.
- Employ developing professional and culturally sensitive communication skills that apply health equity concepts.
- Demonstrate competence in the use of infection control, sterilization, and exposure control procedures.
- Describe accurate, comprehensive medical/dental histories related to oral/systemic disease and patient well-being and present a summary of medical/dental history and physical status to clinical faculty.
- Demonstrate accurate utilization of clinical software, patient electronic health records and hard copy patient records.
- Demonstrate correct dental charting and record maintenance.
- Demonstrate beginning data analysis, dental presentation, and the process of gaining informed consent. hygiene diagnosis, and case type planning.
- Demonstrate comprehensive treatment planning, presentation, and the process of gaining informed consent.
- Demonstrate correct novice periodontal therapy instrumentation techniques, utilizing all instructed curettes and sickles.
- Describe the correct design, function, and demonstrate the use of sickle scaling instruments.
- Collect accurate pharmacological, dental, and medical information for optimized patient care, safety, and collaboration.
- Differentiate and select the appropriate oro-physiotherapy (OPT) aids, demonstrate their use and evaluate patients' ability to use.
- Evaluate and recognize radiographic technique, anatomical and dental structures in states of health and disease.
- Implement patient-centered DH treatment modalities, including oral hygiene instructions, therapeutic services, and adjunctive therapies.
- Develop and present comprehensive DH treatment plans for the child and adult delivery of dental hygiene therapy.
- Demonstrate and evaluate correct coronal polishing procedures and techniques.
- State rationale, precautions, and describe procedures for the professional applications of tooth desensitizing agents and fluoride varnish.
- Present written reflections and observations regarding DH clinical care.
- Demonstrate and utilize correct sharpening techniques for universal curettes, and sickles.
- Utilize and be familiar with the rationale for professional topical fluoride applications and alternative methods of fluoride delivery.
- Evaluate the patient response, prognosis, and re-evaluation/recare plan.
- Demonstrate an understanding of occlusal morphology, beginning caries detection, and appropriate protocols.
- Assess the patient's skill and the effectiveness of the patient's oral self-care routine utilizing disclosing solution, a plaque index and the principles of motivational interviewing.