2023-2024 Academic Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2023-2024 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

DEHY 110 - Pre-Clinical Dental Hygiene

6 CR
This course is designed to prepare students for the clinical practice of dental hygiene. It is a combination of a dental hygiene theory class and an instrumentation lab. In theory class, students are introduced to the dental hygiene process of care. They begin to learn the educational, preventive, and therapeutic skills associated with providing dental hygiene services. Students begin to develop the techniques and skills necessary for patient care by participating in instrumentation labs and working on student partners while under the supervision of clinical instructors. Successful completion of this course is mandatory for all other dental hygiene courses. Lab Fee

Additional Information: Formal admission to the Dental Hygiene Program required.
Course Learning Outcomes:
  1. Display professional and ethical behavior during all clinical procedures.
  2. Exhibit sensitivity to the diversity of people.
  3. Select proper personal protective equipment for use during client/patient treatment.
  4. Prepare the treatment area using proper aseptic technique.
  5. Take complete health (medical and dental) history on patient/client.
  6. Take patient/client vital signs.
  7. Protect patient/client privacy during all aspects of care.
  8. Apply the information from the health history to provide optimum and safe treatment of the client/patient.
  9. Use appropriate resources to gain further knowledge regarding the patient /client’s health history.
  10. Prepare to activate the medical emergency response system correctly.
  11. Use ergonomic principles to maximize safety, visibility and comfort for both client and dental health care providers.
  12. Conduct a thorough assessment of patient/client intra- and extra-oral conditions, using visual and tactile techniques.
  13. Utilize appropriate dental terminology verbally and written.
  14. Practice writing dental hygiene diagnoses for clients/patients using case studies.
  15. Prepare dental hygiene care plans for clients/patients using case studies.
  16. Demonstrate oral hygiene practices and devices to maintain oral health.
  17. Explain the dental disease processes at the correct level of understanding for client/patient.
  18. Activate manual instruments safely and efficiently to evaluate oral structures and remove hard accretions from the teeth.
  19. Perform plaque removal on client/patient safely and efficiently with both manual and motor instruments.
  20. Evaluate the thoroughness of accretion and plaque removal immediately after procedures.
  21. Use the appropriate procedures for cleaning a fixed or removable dental appliance.
  22. Select and correctly apply appropriate fluoride treatment for the client/patient.
  23. Modify patient/client records as a result of treatment, both paper and electronic, in an informative and legal manner.
  24. Accept responsibility for providing an aseptic and safe environment for the next client/patient.
  25. Accept responsibility for providing an aseptic and safe environment for other dental health care providers.
  26. Activate the dental injury procedure when a patient/client or dental health care provider becomes injured.