This course is designed to enable students to examine the principles and practices of social and cultural competent oral health care. The social and professional responsibility of the dental professional regarding public promotion of oral health and access to care is examined. Course will introduce students to health care disparities from a sociological perspective, such as social structure, socialization, and inequalities of underserved populations. The role of effective communication and the provision of care with diverse populations will be explored. Emphasis is placed on the role of the dental hygienist as an innovator and educator in community dental health programs with consideration to the social determinants of oral health, needs assessment, biostatistics application, program planning, results, and evaluation. Students will design and implement a community-based oral health research project. This class may include students from multiple sections.
Course Outcomes
- Describe the historical development of sociology and why sociology is important to oral healthcare.
- Identify social theories, concepts, and trends affecting domestic and global oral health.
- Compare and contrast social and cultural determinants of oral health.
- Identify the diverse social, cultural, economic, and political factors influencing oral health problems.
- Compare and contrast the principles and practices of public health as they relate to dental health.
- Describe the role of the dental hygienist in community health programs.
- Describe the major oral health problems using epidemiology and the extent to which they affect the population.
- Assess the oral health needs of a target group utilizing surveys, questionnaires, interviews, or other means.
- Describe how to develop a community dental health program including project objectives, proposals, assessment instruments, implementation and evaluations.
- Identify and describe current public dental health measures, programs, and resources available to reduce or control major oral health problems in a diverse array of communities.
- Utilize scientific literature to select treatment modalities consistent with best knowledge and research available in the field.
- Compile a list of community dental health information resources.
- Explain the status of community water fluoridation and the social implications this has on the public health decay rate statistics.
- Apply information gained in course to school dental health program rotation, to include dental screening and grade appropriate student oral health education.
- Examine the social and professional responsibility of the dental professional regarding public dental health and access.
- Review basic biostatistics as it relates to oral health and understanding scientific literature.
- Describe health communication in relation to health information technology, as well as strategies to frame health messages for diverse audiences and media applications.