D H 302: ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES IN DENTAL HYGIENE

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading	Value
Effective Term:	Fall 2026
Units:	3
Hours:	3 lecture per week (36 total per quarter)
Advisory:	Not open to students with credit in D H 53.
Degree & Credit Status:	Degree-Applicable Credit Course
Foothill GE:	Non-GE
Transferable:	CSU
Grade Type:	Letter Grade Only
Repeatability:	Not Repeatable

Student Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate competency in infection control procedures by creating an e-portfolio and submitting a project on infection control, achieving a minimum proficiency score of 75%
Demonstrate ethical knowledge proficiency by explaining the obligations to maintain dental care standards through adherence to infection control protocols consistent with current federal, state, and local regulations by completing a research project and presentation with a minimum passing score of 75%

Description

Introduces the principles and rationale of patient assessment as the initial phase of the dental hygiene process of care. Emphasizes the collection and interpretation of clinical data, including medical and dental histories, vital signs, extra/intraoral examinations, periodontal and dental charting, and radiographic interpretation. Integrates analysis of current evidence-based literature to support clinical decision-making. Intended for students in the Dental Hygiene Baccalaureate Degree Program; enrollment is limited to students accepted in the program.

Course Objectives

The student will be able to:

Explain the key steps and considerations involved in performing a comprehensive medical and dental history interview.
Describe conditions that may require physician consultation prior to dental hygiene treatment.
Describe how to document the gross anatomical structures of the head, neck, and oral cavity, including the normal clinical appearance of each.
Explain the procedure for extra- and intraoral examination, and differentiate between normal and abnormal clinical findings.
Identify and describe the five components used to document extra- or intraoral findings, using appropriate terminology from the lesion glossary.
Describe the roles of bacterial biofilm plaque, other soft deposits, and calculus in relation to dental health and disease.
Identify and describe the components of hard tissue examination.
Explain the factors that are assessed to determine the level of caries risk.
Describe the signs and clinical presentations of periodontitis and the assessment data required to determine disease status.
Apply principles of law and ethics to assessment procedures in dental hygiene practice.

Course Content

Medical and dental history interview
1. Techniques for patient interviewing
2. Communication strategies
  1. Open-ended questions
  2. Cultural sensitivity
  3. Language barriers
  4. Health literacy
3. Stress reduction protocols
4. Components of the health history
  1. Personal/social history
  2. Medical history
  3. Physical status (ASA American Society of Anesthesiologist classification)
  4. Medications
  5. Vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate)
  6. Laboratory values (e.g., blood glucose levels)
5. Dental history
  1. Chief complaint
  2. Dental concerns
  3. Existing dental conditions
  4. Radiographs
  5. Dietary habits
  6. Dental habits
  7. Daily oral self-care
Physician consultation and risk assessment
1. Risk assessment
  1. Purpose
  2. Procedures
  3. Conditions impacting dental hygiene care
2. Conditions requiring physician consultation
  1. Unstable medical conditions
  2. Need for antibiotic premedication
  3. Medication adjustments
  4. Special appointment planning and modifications to care
  5. Additional diagnostic/lab studies
  6. Transmission based precautions
  7. Prevention of allergic reactions or medical emergencies
Anatomic structures of the head, neck, and oral cavity
1. Extraoral structures
  1. Head
  2. Neck
  3. Eyes
  4. Ears
  5. Nose
  6. Lymph nodes
  7. Sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM)
  8. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ)
2. Intraoral structures
  1. Lips
  2. Buccal/labial mucosa
  3. Palate
  4. Oropharynx
  5. Tongue (dorsal, ventral, lateral)
  6. Floor of mouth
3. Salivary glands
  1. Parotid
  2. Submandibular
  3. Sublingual
4. Thyroid gland
Importance of extra/intraoral exams in patient assessment
1. Cancer screening
  1. Skin cancers
    1. Basal cell carcinoma
    2. Squamous cell carcinoma
    3. Melanoma
    4. Etiology, incidence, risk factors, signs and symptoms
  2. Oral cavity cancers
    1. Common oral cavity cancer sites
    2. Etiology, incidence, risk factors, signs, and symptoms
  3. Oropharyngeal cancers
    1. Common oropharyngeal cancer sites
    2. Human papillomavirus (HPV) link to oropharyngeal cancers
    3. Etiology, incidence, risk factors, signs, and symptoms
2. Examination techniques
  1. Sequence
  2. Visual inspection
  3. Palpation methods
Describing and documenting extra/intraoral findings
1. Types of soft tissue lesions
  1. Macule
  2. Papule
  3. Patch
  4. Plaque
  5. Nodule
  6. Wheal
  7. Vesicle
  8. Bulla
  9. Pustule
  10. Ulcer
  11. Fissure
  12. Petechiae
2. Characteristics of soft tissue lesions
  1. Discrete
  2. Grouped
  3. Confluent
  4. Linear
  5. Leukoplakia
  6. Erythroplakia
  7. Erythroleukoplakia
3. ABCD-T approach to formulating lesion descriptions
  1. A = Anatomic location
  2. B = Border: regular, irregular; margins: smooth, raised
  3. C = Color: white, red, yellow, brown, blue, black
  4. D = Dimension: measured with periodontal probe in millimeters
  5. T = Type of lesion
Oral deposits and dental biofilm
1. Acquired pellicle
2. Oral biofilms
  1. Stages of formation
  2. Types of bacteria in oral biofilms
  3. Cellular communication of oral biofilms
3. Soft deposits
  1. Materia alba
  2. Food debris
4. Hard deposits
  1. Calculus formation
  2. Types of calculus
5. Local and systemic responses to biofilm and calculus
  1. Local responses
    1. Biofilm-induced responses
    2. Calculus related responses
    3. Tissue effects
    4. Clinical signs
  2. Systemic responses
    1. Inflammatory response to oral biofilms
    2. Systemic conditions influenced by oral inflammation
      1. Cardiovascular disease
      2. Diabetes mellitus
      3. Adverse pregnancy outcomes
      4. Respiratory diseases
Hard tissue examination
1. Dental charting
2. Classification of occlusion
  1. Class I
  2. Class II, division I
  3. Class II, division II
  4. Class III
3. G.V. Black caries classification
  1. Class I
  2. Class II
  3. Class III
  4. Class IV
  5. Class V
  6. Class VI
4. Non-carious tooth conditions
  1. Abrasion
  2. Abfraction
  3. Attrition
  4. Decalcification
  5. Erosion
Dental caries risk assessment
1. Susceptible tooth surfaces
  1. Pits and fissures
  2. Smooth surfaces
  3. Interproximal surfaces
  4. Defects in enamel
  5. Recession
2. Diet considerations
  1. Fermentable carbohydrates and dietary sugars
  2. Frequency of eating and snacking
3. Cariogenic bacteria
  1. Streptococcus mutans
  2. Lactobacillus
4. Oral hygiene practices
5. Saliva
  1. Xerostomia
  2. pH levels
Periodontal assessment
1. Gingival evaluation
  1. Descriptive terminology for ginigival description
  2. Color of gingiva
  3. Contour of gingiva
  4. Consistency of gingiva
  5. Bleeding or exudate
2. Periodontal charting components
  1. Terminology for periodontal examination
  2. Periodontal probing depths
  3. Bleeding, exudate or suppuration
  4. Recesison
  5. Furcation
  6. Mobility
  7. Fremitus
  8. Clinical attachment level
3. Classification of periodontal diseases and conditions
4. Radiographic interpretation in periodontal assessment
Legal and ethical considerations
1. Compliance with infection control
  1. Standard precautions
    1. Hand hygiene
    2. Personal protective equipment (PPE)
    3. Proper handling of sharps
    4. Pathways of cross-contamination
      1. Contact transmission
        
        Direct transmission
        
        Indirect transmission
      2. Droplet transmission
        
        Airborne transmission
    5. Disinfection and sterilization procedures
      1. Disinfection methods
      2. Chemical disinfectants
      3. EPA-registered surface disinfectants
      4. Classification of disinfectants
        
        High
        
        Intermediate
        
        Low
      5. Sterilization procedures
        
        Steam autoclaves
        
        Dry heat sterilization
        
        Chemical vapor sterilization
2. Informed consent and patient rights
3. HIPAA and patient confidentiality
4. Referrals to other healthcare providers
5. Ethical principles
  1. Beneficence
  2. Nonmaleficence
  3. Veracity
  4. Justice
  5. Autonomy

Lab Content

Not applicable.

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

1. Multimedia classroom.
2. When taught via Foothill Global Access, on-going access to computer with email software and hardware; email address.

Method(s) of Evaluation

Methods of Evaluation may include but are not limited to the following:

Quizzes
Written midterm
Written final
Oral and written presentation of research
E-portfolio submission

Method(s) of Instruction

Methods of Instruction may include but are not limited to the following:

Lecture
Discussion
Oral presentations

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Bowen, D., and J. Pieren. Darby and Walsh Dental Hygiene Theory and Practice, 6th ed.. 2024.

Wynn, R., T. Meiler, and H. Crossley. Drug Information Handbook for Dentistry, 30th ed.. 2025.

Nield-Gehrig, J.. Patient Assessment Tutorials, 4th ed.. 2016.

The Nield-Gehrig text contains foundational dental hygiene knowledge and is the most recent edition.

Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments

Weekly reading assignments.
Research on a dental hygiene related topic.
Group project on research topic.
E-portfolio submission on infection control.

Discipline(s)

Dental Technology

Academic Catalog