Dental Hygiene

This course is designed to introduce the student to dental terminology, introduction to infectious diseases and infection and exposure control, basic concepts of oral health and prevention, oral disease process, role of saliva, product evaluation, human needs assessment, behavior modification, learning principles, deposits, stains and fluoride. Students will have an opportunity to develop a time management schedule, present evidence-based information on oral healthcare products and develop an oral hygiene instruction flip chart which will be utilized by the student when treating patients in the dental clinic setting throughout the two year program.

This is the final course in a two-part series focusing on Inter-professional education. This course is designed to give students the opportunity to take concepts learned in DH 410 Foundations of Inter-professional Collaborative Practice and apply skills and knowledge during external clinical enrichment rotations in the community. Clinical rotation sites may include but are not limited to, hospitals, medical offices, short and long-term care facilities. This course will give the students the opportunity to present their inter-professional collaborative practice team experience to their classmates as a way of self-reflective practice to improve upon professional growth.

A continuation of Clinical Dental Hygiene Practice II. Clinical application of diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic procedures utilized in patient care by a dental hygienist with increased levels of achievement in all dental hygiene skills.

The study of ethics, jurisprudence, business practices, finance, management, and policy creation for oral health care professionals, programs and businesses. This course examines current societal and professional issues and their impact on dental hygiene practices and management. This course will cover the following areas: planning, strategy and leadership, legal and ethical issues affecting businesses in the oral health care sector, financial statements, and professional considerations. The course will prepare students to take the Nevada Dental Hygiene Law and Ethics exam required for licensing as a Registered Dental Hygienist.

Covers selected topics of interest to dental hygiene students, including review of Dental Hygiene National Board Examination. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory.

Covers selected topics of interest to dental hygiene students, including review of Dental Hygiene National Board Examination. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory.

This is the final course in the series of two capstone project courses. This course will provide the opportunity to implement and evaluate the culminating project to demonstrate achievement of program outcomes.

DH 417 Community Dental Health is the continuation of DH 407 Dental Public Health Concepts. This course is designed to prepare the student to function as an effective oral health practitioner, educator, and resource person in a variety of community health settings. Evidence-based decision making will be applied to dental public health settings. Community water fluoridation, other forms of fluoridation, and other public health methods of primary prevention will be explored in terms of cost efficiency, efficacy, and safety. The role of the dental hygienist in tobacco cessation education will be emphasized. Community partners will be identified, if applicable to the class project. Students will conduct field work to identify an area of interest by contacting organizations, businesses, or educational institutions to discuss the feasibility of project ideas and the availability of participation. Emphasis will be on the development of a community service project on dental hygiene related topics taking into consideration the education level, SES, ethnicity, gender, age, and cultural considerations of their intended target population or audience.

Advanced study of periodontology with emphasis on new surgical modalities and equipment. Orientation to all aspects of periodontal practice.

This course will prepare the student to function as effective oral health educator, practitioner, and resource person in public health settings. This course involves 3 hours per week of field work. Some rotations will be arranged by instructor, others will be arranged by the student with prior approval from the instructor. Externship rotations may include, but are not limited to the VA dental clinic, Indian Health Service dental clinics, Community Health Alliance dental clinic, Early Head Start or Head Start programs, Future Smiles, Remote Area Medical events, nursing homes, oncology or memory care facilities, homeless shelters, and public schools.