DENT - Dental Hygiene

Principles of disease transmission. Infection control policies, patient procedures, patient assessment and fundamental instrumentation for the dental hygienist. Foundation of knowledge and strategies of preventive dental hygiene practice. Emphasis on mechanical and chemical plaque control, use of fluoride and health promotion. This course is equivalent to DEHYG 1101 at College of DuPage.

Rationale for collection of assessment data and associated clinical procedures. Data collection. Use of instruments, dental sealants, topical fluorides, development of dental hygiene treatment plans. Introduction to direct patient care. This course is equivalent to DEHYG 1102 at College of DuPage.

Physical and chemical properties of dental materials, characteristics and manipulation of impression materials, gypsum products, investments, waxes, cements, resins, metallic and non-metallic restorative agents. This course is equivalent to DEHYG 1105 at College of DuPage.

This course is designed to create awareness of current developments in general and oral health care. A variety of topics will be explored. As new developments are presented in the media, they will be added to the class. This course will explore new practice models such as inter-professional health care teams, teleconferencing and collaboration with dentists as well as other health care providers in order to provide access to care for persons in under-served areas, long-term facilities, or those needing home health care. Emerging influences on health status such as the aging of the population, the opioid crisis and the widespread use of marijuana are included. New technologies as well as expansion of the dental hygienists' roles and responsibilities to meet the disparities in oral health care will be discussed.

This course consists of three presentations by various health professionals in the dental field. Students will be required to attend all three lectures to complete their degree requirements. This will allow students to stay informed and gain insight into topics such as oral cancer, new treatments for periodontal disease, advanced treatment techniques, and equipment.

Periodontal anatomy. Physiology/etiology of periodontal diseases. Clinical, histopathogenesis of gingivitis/periodontitis. Role of genetics, tobacco use and systemic preventative/therapeutic procedures associated with diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and initial phase of periodontal therapy. This course is equivalent to DEHYG 2211 at College of DuPage.

Concepts of radiation history, radiation physics, radiation biology, radiation protection, dental X-ray equipment, film, image characteristics and film processing. Introduction to radiographic examination techniques. This course is equivalent to DEHYG 1112 at College of DuPage.

This course is designed for dental hygienists and will provide updates in the field of oral health. Oral pathology will be discussed as well as general pathophysiology since many health and medical conditions affect treatment plans. Patients with specific medical problems require modified treatment and the dental hygienist needs to have an understanding of how the body is affected by disease and how it might affect the patient's response to treatment.

Emphasis on clinical appearance of oral structures, dental terminology, morphology of the permanent and primary dentition, patterns, and the occlusion and malocclusion within and between the dental arches. Review of dental anomalies and other clinical appearances. This course is equivalent to DEHYG 1115 at College of DuPage.

This course is designed to provide the students with a review of public health to include biostatistics, epidemiology, cultural awareness, and public health policy. The student also will gain practical experience in public health by selecting a community, identifying the stakeholders, completing a needs assessment, analyzing the data, and developing a plan to meet those needs.

Integration of the scientific and clinical principles underlying the practice of dental hygiene. Clinical procedures and techniques for patient assessment, including: prevention of disease transmission, health history, and intraoral examination, gingival evaluation and periodontal examination. Operation of the dental unit and basic instrumentation techniques for the removal of plaque and calculus are presented. This course is equivalent to DEHYG 1120 at College of DuPage.

Comprehensive examination procedures, charting and patient treatment. Adjunctive procedures are presented, dental caries preventive agent application and stain removal procedures. Integration of scientific and clinical principles underlying the practice of dental hygiene. Assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating dental hygiene care on patients in the clinical setting. This course is equivalent to DEHYG 1121 at College of DuPage.

Organization, structure and function of the head and neck. Focus will be placed on histologic and embryologic development and structural microanatomy to gain an understanding of clinical and oral manifestations of the regions of the head and neck. This course is equivalent to DEHYG 1125 at College of DuPage.

Principles of nutrition and biochemistry applied to dental hygiene patient care. Skills in diet analysis and patient counseling. This course is equivalent to DEHYG 1135 at College of DuPage.

Pathology of the head and neck and oral structures. Specific pathologic processes, repair, healing and regressive changes. Developmental conditions, diseases of bacterial and viral origin, and neoplasms of the oral cavity. This course is equivalent to DEHYG 1136 at College of DuPage.

Familiarity with critical steps in prevention, preparation, early recognition and appropriate management of common medical emergencies in the dental office. This course is equivalent to DEHYG 1145 at College of DuPage.

Application of dental hygiene theory to direct patient care. Techniques and theory related to local anesthesia administration of local anesthetic agents. Emphasis of dental hygiene care of patients with various systemic, mental and physical disorders in the dental office setting. Introduction to use of heavy scaling hand instruments is included. This course is equivalent to DEHYG 2201 at College of DuPage.

Application of dental hygiene theory to direct patient care. Overview of dental hygiene care of patients with various systemic and mental disorders. Presentation of periodontal cases is included. This course is equivalent to DEHYG 2202 at College of DuPage.

This course is designed to make students familiar with the basic structure and function of the immune system, as well as expose students to underlying immune responses in various clinical situations. Topics will include the immune response to infection as well as the consequences of abnormal immunity in patients experiencing immunodeficiency or augmented immune responses such as those present in allergy, autoimmunity, and gastrointestinal diseases.

This course is designed to enable students to develop knowledge of the scientific method in order to evaluate and interpret professional and scientific literature. The student will apply principles of scientific research to develop an evidence-based approach to problem-solving and decision-making. The course will provide an in-depth study of basic research terminology, the research process, research design, methodology and sampling techniques, basic statistical calculations, data collection, and analysis. The student will access the most recent and relevant scientific evidence, critically appraise it and determine if it is clinically applicable for dental hygiene best practice. Each student will plan, implement, and evaluate a small-scale research project.

Description of clinical procedures associated with surgical phase of periodontal therapy. Evaluation of periodontal treatment, maintenance phase, ad relationship between periodontics and other dental specialties. Discussion of clinical management of the periodontum and adjunctive therapies. This course is equivalent to DEHYG 2212 at College of DuPage.

Advanced dental radiographic and related procedures including exposure and technique errors, occlusal and localization techniques, normal anatomy, panoramic films and radiography, extraoral radiography and digital radiography. Radiography for patients with special needs, introduction to radiographic interpretation: dental caries, periodontal disease, trauma and pulpal and periapical lesions. Introduction to forensic odontology. This course is equivalent to DEHYG 2213 at College of DuPage.

Continuation of clinical dental hygiene practice. Includes assessment, planning and implementation of patient care. Adjunctive clinical services include dental sealants, ultrasonic scaling, air polishing, topical fluoride treatments and dental radiographs. This course is equivalent to DEHYG 2222 at College of DuPage.

Continuation of clinical dental hygiene practice. Includes assessment, planning and implementation of patient care. Adjunctive clinical services include dental sealants, ultrasonic scaling, air polishing, topical fluoride treatments, amalgam polishing, application of desensitizing agents and dental radiographs. Introduction to outside rotational experiences. This course is equivalent to DEHYG 2223 at College of DuPage.

Continuation of clinical dental hygiene practice. Includes assessment, planning and implementation of patient care. Adjunctive clinical services include dental sealants, ultrasonic scaling, air polishing, topical fluoride treatments, amalgam polishing, application of desensitizing agents and dental radiographs. Administration of topical and local anesthetic agents. This course is equivalent to DEHYG 2224 at College of DuPage.

Dental hygienist's role in community. Epidemiological concepts, trends in oral diseases, research assessment tools, and strategies to improve public access to oral health care. Review of biostatistics, federal and state agencies, and managed care. This course is equivalent to DEHYG 2232 at College of DuPage.

Creation, implementation, and evaluation of a dental health care program in the community.  Presentation of projects to faculty and peers. This course is equivalent to DEHYG 2233 at College of DuPage.

Classifications and varieties of drugs, pharmacologic effects, adverse reactions, usual indications and contraindications. Discussion of drugs utilized to treat common diseases. Pharmacokinetics of local and general anesthetic agents, and their use. This course is equivalent to DEHYG 2235 at College of DuPage.

Preparation for professional role as health care provider and member of dental health team. Focus on ethical and legal responsibilities, dental practice act, malpractice issues, and scope of dental hygiene practice. This course is equivalent to DEHYG 2245 at College of DuPage.