Dental Hygiene

This course introduces the dental hygiene student to clinical dental hygiene practice. It provides a historical overview of dentistry and dental careers, ethical principles, the science behind disease transmission, instrument sterilization, and infection control procedures. Ergonomics, communication skills, and preliminary patient assessment tools, including vital signs, are covered. The dental hygiene process of care, basic instrumentation, extrinsic stain removal, and fluoride application will be covered in the simulation laboratory. Clinic Theory I Lec/lab is a prerequisite to Clinic Theory II Lec/lab. 

This course will introduce the dental hygiene student to the form, function, and comparative anatomy of primary and permanent teeth, tooth numbering, and dentition periods. Embryologic development of the face, neck, orofacial structures, and teeth. And the histologic study of the gingiva, oral mucosa, and attachment apparatus.

This course is designed to provide dental hygiene students with the anatomical foundation of dental hygiene and study regional and systemic anatomy. Presented through didactic, case-based learning, and experiential learning pedagogy, this course focuses on conceptual anatomy, demonstrating the dental significance of anatomical structures including the skull, face, oral cavity, and cranial cavity are critical to the practice of dental hygiene.

This course introduces dental hygiene students to the science of radiography and safety techniques for the operator and patient, intraoral and extraoral radiographic techniques, interpretation, and identification of pathological processes. Students will be acquiring radiographs on the simulation manikin and transition to live patient experiences during the lab portion of the course.

This course is a continuation of Clinic Theory I. In the lab, simulation exercises will provide practice exercises for assessment and instrumentation techniques. Students will begin the application of dental hygiene theory to responsible patient-centered dental hygiene care.

This course has been designed to integrate oral pathology and general pathology. Students will study principles of general pathology with emphasis on the relationships to oral diseases. Pathologic physiology includes tissue regeneration, the inflammatory process, immunology, and wound healing. Clinical appearance, etiology, location, and treatment options of general system diseases is presented, along with the oral manifestations. Special attention will be placed on the oral cavity's common pathological conditions and early recognition of these conditions.

This course introduces students to the identification, treatment, and prevention of pathological conditions that affect the periodontium. Includes assessment, diagnosis, and initial treatment of periodontal disease. Emphasis will be placed on anatomy and histology of normal periodontal tissues, etiology of periodontal diseases, and resulting tissue changes. Classification of Periodontal Disease will be discussed in depth.

This course introduces the student to classes of drugs and their uses, actions, interactions, side effects, contraindications, systemic and oral manifestations, emphasizing dental application. Students will learn the dosages of commonly prescribed medications in dentistry and prescription writing.

This course provides student hygienists with the anatomy, medical considerations, pharmacology, needle safety, preparation, procedures, complications, documentation, and the legal considerations of delivering local anesthesia and nitrous oxide sedation. Students will administer local anesthesia, administer and monitor nitrous oxide sedation, and manage simulated medical emergencies in the laboratory. Completing this course satisfies the State of Tennessee Board of Dentistry requirements for licensure in administering local anesthesia and administering and monitoring of nitrous oxide.

This course is a continuation of Clinical Theory II. Through patient care experiences, students will review and assess medical histories, take and recording vital signs, perform intraoral and extraoral exams, assess periodontal health, treatment planning, provision of routine prophylaxis and scaling and root planing, and remove calculus and stain, oral hygiene instruction, the use of preventative agents and adjuncts to homecare. Students will understand the biochemistry of nutrition, the effect of nutrition on oral cavity disease processes, and systemic health. Tobacco cessation will be discussed in depth.

This course presents the fundamentals of dental materials used in dental hygiene, including laboratory techniques, procedures, advantages, and disadvantages. The properties of dental materials are covered, including prophy paste, fluoride gel, fluoride varnish, cements, bleaching gels, bleaching trays, occlusal guards, and sealants. Labs will cover mixing techniques, applications, and uses of different dental materials.

This course focuses on the unique dental and medical needs of pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients with special needs and limitations. Student dental hygienists will develop the knowledge and skills required to provide oral health care to this population. They will understand the complexities and limitations, management techniques, and the dental hygienist's role in delivering oral healthcare while managing patients with mental or physical disabilities and those medically compromised.

This course is a continuation of Clinic Theory III. Through patient-care experiences, students will continue developing communication and critical thinking skills, treatment planning, patient-centered care, time management, and treatment outcome evaluation skills to achieve competence.

This course focuses on the importance of community oral health and its impact on the population. It correlates oral health as an entity of one's overall health as illuminated in The Healthy People initiative adopted by the Federal Government. The dental hygiene student will be able to identify career options for a dental hygienist in community health and promote disease prevention. Students will develop and implement a community health outreach event at the College of Dental Medicine for the community.

This course introduces the student dental hygienists to the ethical and legal issues related to dental hygiene practice. Case studies are presented to determine the principles of dental ethics and jurisprudence. Review and interpretation of the Tennessee Dental Practice Act and licensure requirements are reviewed. The student dental hygienist will be introduced to practice management, employment issues, dental office procedures, career opportunities, resume building, and effective communication as a member of the oral healthcare team.

This course is a continuation of Clinic Theory IV. Through patient-care experiences, students will continue developing communication and critical thinking skills, treatment planning, patient-centered care, time management, and treatment outcome evaluation skills to achieve competence.

This course helps dental hygiene students prepare for the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and the ADEX Dental Hygiene Examination. Course content will include a comprehensive review of dental hygiene curriculum content, computer-simulated clinical examination (case studies), and patient treatment clinical examination (mock board exam).