Dental Hygiene

This course is an introduction to dental hygiene theory including process of care with emphasis on professionalism, basic instrumentation skills and patient assessment processes. Upon completion, students will be able to apply the basic theory of dental hygiene to patient care and utilize this knowledge as a rationale for treatment provided.

This course prepares students to perform the specific skills outlined in the Dental Hygiene Process of Care. Emphasis is on professionalism, infection control, basic instrumentation skills and patient assessment processes. Patient assessment include conducting a medical history interview, documentation of vital signs, head and neck cancer screening exams, caries detection, assessment of deposits and an evaluation of the periodontium. This is accomplished through lab demonstrations and clinical practice on manikin and/or lab partners. Upon completion, will be able to demonstrate the assessment procedures and utilization of basic instrumentation necessary to perform an oral prophylaxis.

This course is an introduction to dental hygiene theory including process of care with emphasis on professionalism, basic instrumentation skills and patient assessment processes. Upon completion, students will be able to apply the basic theory of dental hygiene to patient care and utilize this knowledge as a rationale for treatment provided.

This course is designed to cover an intense study of the structure and function of the cells and tissues that comprise dentition.  Crown and root morphology receive in-depth study.  Emphasis is placed on the embryologic development of dentition.  Gross anatomy and histological considerations provide the foundation for the understanding of dental and oral disease.  Upon completion, the student will be able to identify and discuss the anatomical structure of dentition, the embryological development of dentition and the function, structure and composition of the cells and tissues comprising dentition. 

This course is designed to study the composition, structure and function of the cells and tissues of the body with emphasis on the head, neck and oral cavity.  Embryological development of these structures is traced.  Gross anatomy and histologic considerations provide the foundation for understanding of dental and oral disease.  Upon completion, the student will be able to discuss the embryologic development, the anatomical structures, and the cells and tissues comprising anatomic structures in the head, neck, and oral cavity.  

This course is designed to study the characteristics, manipulation, and application of dental materials ordinarily used in the dental office. Students are given intra and extra oral technical tasks to perform. Emphasis is placed on polishing amalgam restorations, and placement of sealants. Upon completion, students will be able to take and pour alginate impressions, trim study models, construct temporary crowns and mouth guards, polish amalgam restorations, place sealants, manipulate cements and impression materials.

This course is designed to provide the student with the opportunity to develop instrumentation skills necessary for comprehensive dental hygiene treatment including the removal of hard and soft deposits. Emphasis is placed on patient assessment, treatment planning, polishing restorations, application of topical fluoride, patient education, oral hygiene instruction and tissue evaluation. Upon completion, students will be able to assess, plan, provide and evaluate the effectiveness of the dental hygiene treatment provided for the patient.

This course elaborates and expands upon the theories presented in Dental Hygiene Theory I, and introduces additional information required when rendering individualized patient care. Emphasis is placed on dental considerations for patients with chronic diseases taking medications that may affect one’s dental health, recognizing varying levels of dental disease, determining appropriate interventions and evaluation of dental hygiene treatment, and instrument sharpening to aid in effective removal of deposits.  Upon completion, students will be able to apply individualized patient care based on patient need.

This course is designed to present normal periodontal structures and an analysis and correlation of etiology, assessment, immunology, clinical and radiographic diagnosis, treatment planning, prognosis and therapy of periodontal diseases. Emphasis is placed on an intense comprehensive study of chronic inflammatory periodontal disease including the non-surgical and surgical therapy and pain control. Upon completion, students will be able to discuss the etiology, predisposing factors, immunology, assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, prognosis, treatment and evaluation of treatment for periodontal diseases.

This course is designed to study pharmacology as it relates to the practice of dentistry. Drugs and anesthetics are addressed including composition, indications, contraindications, mechanism of action, dosages, modes of administration, and side effects. Emphasis is placed on the most common drugs used in dentistry and the recognition of the signs and symptoms and treatment protocol for medical and dental emergencies. Upon completion, students will be able to discuss pharmacology and medical emergencies as related to dentistry.

This course presents the biochemical aspects of nutrition and an overview of organic chemistry as applied to the practice of dental hygiene. Included are basic principles of nutrition, knowledge of the principle nutrients in foods and their utilization by the body. Emphasis is placed on the practical aspects of nutritional counseling and the control of oral disease.

This course advances students to higher levels of dental hygiene treatment.  Emphasis is placed on refining of instrumentation skills, application of individualized treatment in relation to special needs of patients and utilization of power scaling during patient treatment.  Upon completion, students will improve their patient assessment skills and instrumentation skills during comprehensive dental hygiene treatment.

This course is designed to continue to advance student's knowledge base as it applies to patient care.  Emphasis is placed on the dental hygiene treatment of medically compromised and special needs patients.  The theory of dental hypersensitivity will be presented.  Upon completion, students will be able to apply appropriate hygiene treatment of medically compromised and special needs patients.

This course elevates students to an advanced level of dental hygiene treatment.  Emphasis is placed on patient management skills, treatment planning, nutritional counseling and evaluation of tissue health.  Upon completion, students will continue to improve their communication skills in the treatment of a diverse selection of patients.

This course is designed to present the theory of dental laws and ethics.  Emphasis is placed on dental office procedures, clinical research and chairside dental assisting.  Upon completion, students will be able to discuss basic dental office procedures, develop a clinical research presentation and apply principles of laws and ethics to dental hygiene practice.

This course is designed to provide a study of the dental research process including problem identification, literature review, research design, data collection, statistical analysis, interpretation of results and presentation of findings. This course introduces skills and tools that enable the dental health professional to read and apply scientific literature to clinical practice.

This course is designed to study oral health promotion and disease prevention in the community.  The concepts, problems, epidemiology and statistics of public dental health are addressed.  Emphasis is placed on planning, implementing and evaluating dental health presentations and community public health programs.  Upon completion, students will be able to develop lesson plans, learning objectives and visual aids to deliver an effective dental health presentation in the community and develop an effective public health program to address community needs.

This course is designed to provide the student with the opportunity to deliver and evaluate advanced clinical hygiene treatment to periodontal patients. Emphasis is placed on automated scaling, air polishing, soft tissue curettage, root planing, subgingival irrigation, patient and time management. Upon completion, students will be able to provide comprehensive non-surgical periodontal therapy, evaluate treatment effectiveness, recognize the need for surgical periodontal therapy, establish and maintain optimum oral health for the patient.

This course is designed to present advanced dental hygiene theory in instrumentation skills, presentation of a patient case study, and practical application in the interview and resume process. Emphasis is placed on the development of critical thinking skills through the preparation of a case study presentation. Upon completion, students will be able to deliver a comprehensive case study developed throughout their final year as well as apply advanced instrumentation skills in the clinical setting.