Academic Catalog

D H 318: INTRODUCTION TO CLINIC

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Summer 2025
Units: 7
Hours: 3 lecture, 12 laboratory per week (180 total per quarter)
This is a clinical laboratory course.
Advisory: D H 300B and 308 with a grade of "C" or better; possession of a current CPR certificate; not open to students with credit in D H 61B.
Degree & Credit Status: Degree-Applicable Credit Course
Foothill GE: Non-GE
Transferable: CSU
Grade Type: Letter Grade Only
Repeatability: Not Repeatable

Student Learning Outcomes

  • The student will choose an appropriate pediatric, adolescent or geriatric patient to complete a patient competency project, including the clinical requirements and a research paper documenting the competency and evidence based decision making, with a score of 75% or higher.
  • The student will select an appropriate quadrant, analyze periodontal assessment data and complete a periodontal probing evaluation with a grade of 75% or higher.

Description

This is the first in a series of clinical dental hygiene practice courses with an emphasis on the assessments, planning, and implementation of comprehensive dental hygiene care for diverse patient populations including those with special needs. Students will apply knowledge, critical thinking, and clinical skills acquired in previously completed dental hygiene theory and preclinical courses to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate comprehensive dental hygiene care for culturally diverse patient populations. Lecture content includes a review of clinical techniques, caring for patients with special health care needs and person-centered treatment planning. 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:

  1. Collect dental hygiene assessment data on a diverse patient population in the clinic setting.
  2. Analyze assessment data, ensuring that patients' individual needs are understood and addressed through the development of appropriate patient-centered dental hygiene treatment plans.
  3. Implement compassionate, evidence-based dental hygiene care for a diverse patient population in the clinic setting.
  4. Evaluate dental hygiene treatment outcomes for patients in the clinic setting and make appropriate recommendations for next steps in treatment.
  5. Develop oral health education strategies and individualized plans for patients in the clinic setting based on assessment data.
  6. Demonstrate infection control and hazardous waste management practices that are in compliance with the Minimum Standards and OSHA regulations.
  7. Demonstrate an understanding of and apply the principles of law and ethics to the practice of dental hygiene.
  8. Apply constructive feedback as a goal for self-assessment and competency.

Course Content

  1. Dental hygiene assessment data
    1. Assessment data
      1. Relevant medical and dental information
      2. Extraoral and intraoral examination findings
      3. Staging and grading of periodontal status
      4. Caries examination
      5. Risk assessments
        1. Periodontal risk using evidence-based internet programs, radiographs, periodontal examination, bacterial testing, and patient interview
        2. Caries risk using evidence-based internet programs, radiographs, caries examination findings, patient interview, and saliva testing
        3. Oral cancer risk using evidence-based internet programs and extra/intraoral examination findings, and patient interview
      6. Dietary information
      7. Current oral hygiene habits
    2. Consultation with medical/dental professionals
  2. Dental hygiene treatment planning
    1. Treatment recommendations based on the patient's individual needs and values
    2. Comprehensive treatment plan
      1. Patient centered goals and treatment outcomes
      2. Oral hygiene instructions
      3. Dental hygiene care by appointment
      4. Necessary referrals
    3. Case presentation and faculty consultation
      1. Appropriate medical/dental referrals
  3. Development of professional communication skill
  4. Dental hygiene treatment procedures
    1. Preventive and therapeutic dental hygiene procedures
      1. Utilization of hand instruments for complete removal of calculus, soft deposits, plaque biofilm, stains, and the smoothing of unattached surfaces
        1. Non-surgical periodontal therapy
        2. Gingival scaling
        3. Periodontal maintenance
        4. Prophylaxis
      2. Pain control procedures
        1. Topical anesthesia
    2. Adjunctive dental hygiene procedures
      1. Selective coronal polish
      2. Dentinal desensitization treatments
      3. Pit and fissure sealants
      4. Topical fluoride treatments
    3. Post-operative instructions
    4. Instrument maintenance and care and sharpening techniques
    5. Emergency management
    6. Rotation duties
      1. Screener
      2. Radiology lab
    7. Time management strategies
  5. Evaluation of dental hygiene treatment
    1. Evaluation of healing following treatment
      1. Identification of clinical parameters to assess healing
    2. Re-evaluation appointments
    3. Recall intervals for patients
    4. Dental referrals
  6. Oral health education strategies
    1. Oral hygiene instructions
      1. Patient centered strategies
      2. Patient values
      3. Patient motivation
      4. Accommodations for special health care needs
      5. Manual dexterity
    2. Nutritional counseling including dietary analysis
    3. Educational strategies to guide patients in learning specific manual skills
    4. Educational techniques, methodologies, and learning styles/preferences appropriate throughout the lifespan
  7. Infection and hazard control protocols
    1. Infection control procedure for disinfection of the dental operatory and sterilization of instruments
    2. Prevention of cross contamination
    3. Perform the required the duties of sterilizer
    4. Equipment maintenance, spore testing, and quality control records
  8. Ethical and professional behavior
    1. Accurate and detailed patient records
    2. Patient confidentiality and HIPAA regulations
    3. Delivery of respectful and culturally competent care
    4. Professional conduct when interacting with patients, faculty, and peers
    5. Respect for diversity in patients, faculty, and peers
    6. Delivery of culturally competent dental hygiene care
  9. Evidence based patient care across the lifespan
    1. Patient case studies
      1. Pediatric patient
      2. Adolescent patient
      3. Geriatric patient
      4. Medically complex patients
      5. Patient with cardiovascular disease
      6. Patient with kidney disease and diabetes
      7. Patient with respiratory disease
      8. Patient with sensory impairment
        1. Hearing impairment
        2. Visual impairment
      9. Patient with mental health issues and neurodiversity
      10. Patients with neurological disorders
      11. Patient with developmental or physical impairments

Lab Content

  1. Supervised management of patients in the clinical setting utilizing all components of the dental hygiene process of care (assessment, planning, treatment, evaluation) on a diverse range of patients across the lifespan in a clinical setting.
  2. Dental hygiene students participate in the following activities and field experiences as part of their clinical dental hygiene course work: dental unit preparation, patient chart review, and faculty huddle before clinic session begins; post-appointment one-on-one faculty/student consultations; and one-on-one student/clinic coordinator conferences for dental chart audits and review of course requirements.

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

1. Dental hygiene clinic, student instrument kit, personal protective equipment (gowns, masks, protective eyewear, face shields, head coverings, gloves), expendable supplies kit; multimedia classroom.
2. When taught as a hybrid course for the lecture content, access to computer with email software and hardware; email address. Laboratory sessions are held in the dental clinic located on the Foothill campus.

Method(s) of Evaluation

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

Students must achieve a grade of 75% or better on all clinical and written proficiencies
Clinic proficiencies:
1. Periodontal probing evaluation
2. Instrument sharpening proficiency
3. Oral hygiene instruction proficiency
Clinic requirements:
1. Complete dental hygiene care on a minimum of three patients with a grade of 75% or higher
2. Complete a patient experience or competency project in clinic with a grade of 75% or higher
3. Successfully complete coronal polishing procedure
4. Successfully complete a topical fluoride application
5. Apply pit and fissure sealants on a patient
Written examinations and assignments:
1. Examinations
2. Complete a patient based research paper on a child, adolescent, or geriatric patient
3. Complete case studies
Class participation: Students are expected to model professionalism in all aspects of this course by coming to class and clinic on time and prepared with the necessary supplies and equipment. Lectures require active participation; students are expected to be prepared to discuss the assigned topics

Method(s) of Instruction

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

Lecture
Case studies
Oral presentations
Clinic

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Bowen, D., and J. Pieren. Darby and Walsh Dental Hygiene Theory and Practice, 5th ed.. 2024.

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

Wynn, R., T. Meiler, and H. Crossley. Drug Information Handbook for Dentistry, 28th ed.. 2023.

Chan, P., J. Leicht, and P. Staana. Foothill College Dental Hygiene Clinic Manual. 2023.

Although the Nield-Gehrig text is older than the suggested "5 years or newer" standard, it remains a seminal text in this area of study.

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

  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 paper and presentation on an assigned topic related to medically complex patient.
  3. Patient experience or competency project: written research paper of 5-7 pages on a child, adolescent, or geriatric patient experience with full clinical documentation and research.
  4. Write reflections on the dental hygiene process of care, health education strategies, infection control, and ethical practice competencies for the student e-portfolio.
  5. Write accurate documentation in the electronic chart of all aspects patient care delivered in the dental hygiene clinic.

Discipline(s)

Dental Technology