COURSE DESCRIPTION

Introduces dental health care for patients with special needs. Includes introduction to computer concepts and applications. Provides supervised clinical practice in the dental hygiene clinic with emphasis on refining patient treatment and instrumentation skills, including or radiographs.  Lecture 2 hours. Clinic 6 hours. Total 8 hours per week.

GENERAL COURSE PURPOSE

To expand the dental hygiene student's knowledge of his/her role in dental hygiene practices and working with special patient groups such as hospitalized and chronically ill patients, patients with physical and mental disabilities, pregnant patients, and patients with systemic disorders.

ENTRY LEVEL COMPETENCIES

Successful completion of two semesters of the dental hygiene program.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of the course and as a result of class participation, clinical procedures and reading assignments, the student should be able to accomplish the following objectives with at least 75% accuracy.

1. Demonstrate proper care, maintenance and use of the dental unit, handpiece, prophylaxis angle, and equipment used in the dental clinic.
2. Utilize consistently appropriate radiographs during dental hygiene procedures.
3. Explain the advantage and limitations for utilizing radiographs during dental hygiene procedures.
4. Clinical examination: complete an oral prophylaxis on a Class I patient during the exam at a proficiency of 75% or better.
5. Characterize the special considerations in appointment planning for persons with physical, sensory and mental handicaps.
6. Describe the capabilities and limitations of persons with physical and mental handicaps with regard to oral hygiene instruction and plaque control.
7. Perform ultrasonic scaling on at least one patient in clinic.
8. Set up ultrasonic unit including proper tuning and scale appropriate patient with ultrasonic scaler to meet requirements for process evaluation.
9. Complete scaling, coronal polishing, and fluoride application on patients in clinic as indicated in criteria for evaluation of end product.
10. Complete all process evaluations as indicated on summary grade sheet.
11. Describe the adaptation of instruments, equipment and procedures for dental hygiene care for restricted or hospitalized patients and provide oral hygiene instruction taking into consideration the capabilities and limitations of these patients.
12. Describe with reasonable expectations, the approach and appointment planning of the pregnant patient, menopausal patient, geriatric patient, and those with systemic disorders.
13. Describe the specialized needs and care necessitated for oral surgery patients with cleft palates, oral cancer or fractured jaws
14. Demonstrate use of adjunct devices for OPT.
15. Discuss management of patients with drug and alcohol and psychiatric related problems.
16. Complete a calculus detection and removal process evaluation on a class I and II patient as stated in clinical requirements handout.
17. Expose, process and evaluate 2 FMX series including landmarks and pathology.
18. Expose, process and evaluate one bitewing and one panorex on clinical patients.
19. Discuss management of patients with drug and alcohol and psychiatric related problems.
20. Complete a minimum of 7 patients in clinic including 1 pedo and 1 teenager.
21. Identify the signs of child abuse in dental patients.
22. Describe the procedures to be followed in reporting suspected child abuse cases.
23. Describe the characteristics, clinical and emotional, and the treatment of the patient with an eating disorder.