The student will be able to:

1. Categorize the various types of non-surgical periodontal therapy skills and explain the rationale for deciding the appropriate dental hygiene therapy for a specific patient.
2. Demonstrate non-surgical periodontal therapy instrumentation skills and techniques using universal curets, graceys, and sickle scalers.
3. Explain the rationale for sharpening universal curets, graceys, and sickle scalers, and demonstrate correct technique.
4. Categorize the causes of dental stains, the indication and contraindications for coronal polishing.
5. Perform coronal polishing, removing extrinsic stains using proper technique, equipment, patient management, and infection control.
6. Describe the risk factors for dental caries and the protective factors in the caries balance equation.
7. Identify the risk factors for periodontal disease.
8. Identify the non-surgical dental hygiene therapies used in the treatment of periodontal disease.
9. Analyze and interpret patient assessment data and formulate a comprehensive dental hygiene treatment plan based on current evidence-based research.
10. Choose the appropriate evaluation assessment mechanism to evaluate the outcomes of dental hygiene care.
11. Perform a comprehensive patient assessment on a student partner that includes caries and periodontal risk assessments, nutritional analysis, oral hygiene instruction, and a dental hygiene care plan.
12. Discuss the factors in caring for the child and adolescent patients in dental hygiene practice.

1. Non-surgical periodontal therapy
   1. Rationale for performing scaling and root planing
      1. Eliminate or reduce harmful microorganisms
      2. Control infection and prevent reinfection
      3. Support healing by reducing inflammation
      4. Address risk factors contributing to periodontal disease
   2. Rationale for performing supportive periodontal therapy
      1. Maintains periodontal health after active therapy
      2. Detects and manages early signs of disease recurrence
      3. Reinforces patient compliance and oral hygiene practices
      4. Provides ongoing assessment and site-specific care
      5. Supports long-term stability through individualized treatment planning
   3. Rationale for the dental prophylaxis
      1. Prevents onset of periodontal disease in health
      2. Removes supragingival plaque and calculus
      3. Reinforces effective oral hygiene practices
      4. Allows early detection of oral health issues
      5. Distinguishes preventive care from therapeutic treatment
      6. Supports accurate diagnosis and care planning
   4. Procedures involved during scaling and root planing, maintenance, and     prophylaxis appointments
2. Instrumentation and clinical skills
   1. Design and use of universal curets
   2. Design and use of gracey curets
   3. Design and use of the sickle scaler
   4. Scaling techniques and use of fulcrums
   5. Adaptation of gracey curets, universal curets, and sickle scalers
   6. Indications for use of the scaling instruments
3. Instrument sharpening
   1. Rationale for sharpening curets and scalers
      1. Ensures effective and efficient calculus removal
      2. Reduces operator fatigue and strain
      3. Improves tactile sensitivity and control
      4. Increases patient comfort
      5. Prevents burnishing of calculus
      6. Prolongs instrument life
   2. Armamentarium
      1. Procedure for sharpening universal and gracey curets, and sickle scalers
      2. Evaluation of sharpening procedure
4. Coronal polishing
   1. Armamentarium and materials
   2. Infection control and safety protocols
   3. Operator and patient positioning
   4. Polishing techniques
   5. Post-operative protocol
5. Caries risk
   1. Multifactorial nature of the dental caries process
      1. Host and teeth
      2. Microorganisms
      3. Diet, substrate, pH
      4. Saliva
      5. Caries balance equation
   2. Demineralization and remineralization process
   3. Preventive and therapeutic therapies
      1. Physiology and metabolism of fluorides
      2. Systemic fluorides
      3. Indications for application of topical
      4. Contraindication for application of topical fluorides
      5. Procedure for professionally applied topical fluorides
      6. Prescription and over the counter fluoride products
      7. Chlorhexidine mouthrinses
      8. Casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate
      9. Calcium phosphate
      10. Tricalcium phosphate
      11. Calcium sodium phosphosilicate
      12. Xylitol
6. Periodontal risk assessment
   1. Modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors
      1. Smoking and tobacco use
      2. Diabetes mellitus
      3. Poor oral hygiene
      4. Dental biofilm and calculus accumulation
      5. Genetic susceptibility
      6. Stress
      7. Medications
      8. Obesity and poor nutrition
      9. Hormonal changes
      10. Immunocompromised conditions
      11. Malocclusion and defective restorations
      12. Age
      13. Socioeconomic status and access to care
   2. Clinical applications of periodontal risk assessment
      1. Probing
      2. Bleeding upon probing
      3. Clinical attachment levels
      4. Radiographic analysis
      5. Bacterial testing
7. Dental hygiene diagnosis
   1. Components of the dental hygiene treatment plan
   2. Rationale for development of a dental hygiene treatment plan
   3. Procedure for developing a dental hygiene treatment plan
8. Evaluation of dental hygiene care
   1. Rationale for evaluation of dental hygiene care
      1. Assesses treatment effectiveness and goal achievement
      2. Guides modifications to the care plan
      3. Ensures patient safety and quality outcomes
      4. Supports evidence-based, professional decision-making
      5. Promotes clear communication and continuity of care
   2. Measurements for outcomes evaluation
   3. Interpretation of results
   4. Systemic conditions which warrant referral to dental and/or medical specialists
      1. Uncontrolled systemic diseases
      2. Undiagnosed systemic symptoms
      3. Signs of cardiovascular disease
      4. Respiratory concerns
      5. Suspected bleeding disorders
      6. Immunocompromised states
      7. Signs of eating disorders or nutritional deficiencies
      8. Mental health concerns
      9. Suspected abuse or neglect
   5. Intraoral conditions warranting dental referral
      1. Extensive carious lesions
      2. Suspicious soft tissue lesions
      3. Advanced periodontal disease
      4. Malocclusion or orthodontic concerns
      5. Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD)
      6. Defective or failing restorations/prosthetics
      7. Implant complications
      8. Third molar complications or eruption issues
   6. Intraoral or head and neck lesions warranting referral
   7. Suspicious soft tissue lesions
9. Special patient populations
   1. Pediatric patients
      1. Anticipatory guidance
      2. Dental home
      3. Early childhood caries
      4. Parent education
      5. Abuse
   2. Adolescent patients
      1. Growth, cognition, social development
      2. Self-care
      3. Caries and periodontal risk
      4. Nutrition, eating disorders
      5. Third molars
      6. Injury prevention
      7. Substance use, such as vaping/tobacco
   3. Geriatric patients
      1. Normal physiological aging and its oral health impacts
      2. Common oral health conditions in geriatric patients
         1. Systemic health conditions affecting oral care
         2. Polypharmacy and oral health
         3. Communication and behavioral considerations
         4. Modifying clinical care for geriatric patients
         5. Ethical and legal considerations
         6. Access to care and social determinants of health

Clinical dental hygiene clinic labs with student patient partners to include:

1. Instrumentation and clinical skills: design and use of universal curets, gracey curets, and sickle scalers
   1. Scaling techniques and use of fulcrums
   2. Adaptation of gracey curets, universal curets, and sickle scalers
   3. Indications for use of the scaling instruments
   4. Design, use, and adaptation of ultrasonic scalers
2. Sharpening
   1. Procedure for sharpening universal and gracey curets, and sickle scalers
   2. Evaluation of sharpening procedure
3. Coronal polishing
   1. Clinical application of selective polishing
4. Caries risk - clinical procedures
   1. Preventive and therapeutic therapies
   2. Procedure for applying topical fluoride
   3. Chlorhexidine mouthrinse
5. Periodontal risk assessment
   1. Clinical applications of periodontal risk assessment
      1. Probing
      2. Clinical attachment levels
      3. Radiographic analysis
      4. Bacterial testing
6. Dental hygiene treatment plan
   1. Procedure for developing a dental hygiene treatment plan
   2. Evaluation of dental hygiene care
   3. Clinical measurements and data for outcomes evaluation
   4. Interpretation of results
   5. Systemic and intraoral conditions which warrant referral to dental and/or medical specialists
7. Patient assessment project
   1. Health/dental review, vitals signs
   2. Extra/intraoral exam
   3. Gingival description
   4. Comprehensive periodontal exam
   5. Caries risk assessment
   6. Periodontal risk assessment
   7. Dental charting
   8. Nutritional analysis and recommendations
   9. Patient education
   10. Treatment plan

Patient assessment clinic and research project
Clinical process evaluations
Clinical final
Written final exam
Quizzes

Lecture
Discussion
Patient case studies
Oral presentations
Laboratory

Bowen, D., and J. Pieren. Darby and Walsh Dental Hygiene Theory and Practice, 5th ed.. 2019.

Nield-Gehrig, J.. Fundamentals of Periodontal Instrumentation, 8th ed.. 2019.

Wynn, R., T. Meiler, and H. Crossley. Drug Information Handbook for Dentistry, 25th ed.. 2019.

Chan, P., J. Leicht, and P. Staana. Foothill College Dental Hygiene Clinic Manual. 2020.

Although these texts are older than the suggested "5 years or newer" standard, they remain seminal in this area of study.

1. Weekly reading assignments from text and current research in the scholarly literature as a means for being prepared to deliver dental hygiene care to clinical patients.
2. Research and prepare an patient handout on an assigned topic related to a patient care.
3. Patient assessment project: written research paper of 5-7 pages on a student partner with full clinical documentation and research.
4. Write accurate documentation in the electronic chart of all aspects of patient care delivered in the dental hygiene clinic on student partners.