MCCCD Program Description

Dental Hygiene Clinic I

Course: DHE133

First Term: 2023 Fall

Laboratory 3.0 Credit(s) 9.0 Period(s) 9.0 Load
Subject Type: Occupational
Load Formula: T - Lab Load

Description: Application of the dental hygiene process of care with emphasis on assessment, planning, and implementation. Introduction to evaluation of dental hygiene therapy.

MCCCD Official Course Competencies
1. Collect and interpret data from the medicodental history, extra-oral and intra-oral examination, radiographs, periodontal and dental assessments for clinic patients. (I) 2. Review rationale for referring patients to appropriate healthcare providers based on interpretation of clinical data. (I, II) 3. Create and present dental hygiene care plans to include proper appointment sequencing. (II) 4. Demonstrate clinic emergency protocols. (III) 5. Educate and include patients as co-therapists in oral disease prevention. (IV) 6. Determine instrument sharpness. (IV) 7. Detect and remove light to moderate deposits on patients with slight periodontitis. (IV) 8. Provide dental hygiene care for patients from diverse populations. (IV) 9. Apply selected caries preventive agents. (IV) 10. Apply selected desensitizing agents. (IV) 11. Demonstrate selective polishing using appropriate agents. (IV) 12. Utilize computer technology in patient care. (V) 13. Apply Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) standards of infection control and safety to protect the patient and operator. (VI, VII) 14. Evaluate outcomes of dental hygiene care. (VI, VII) 15. Demonstrate responsibility for professional judgment and ethical conduct in patient care. (VII)
MCCCD Official Course Competencies must be coordinated with the content outline so that each major point in the outline serves one or more competencies. MCCCD faculty retains authority in determining the pedagogical approach, methodology, content sequencing, and assessment metrics for student work. Please see individual course syllabi for additional information, including specific course requirements.

MCCCD Official Course Outline
I. Patient assessment A. Medicodental history 1. Chief concern 2. Vital signs 3. Referral B. Extra-oral and intra-oral assessment C. Radiographic assessment D. Periodontal assessment 1. Gingival evaluation 2. Pocket depths 3. Recession 4. Mobility 5. Furcations 6. Clinical attachment levels E. Dental hard tissue assessments II. Dental hygiene care plan A. Classification 1. Periodontal 2. Calculus B. Risk assessment C. Priority of treatment D. Planning and appointment sequencing E. Treatment plan presentation F. Informed consent G. Referrals H. Documentation III. Medical emergency management A. Clinic protocol B. Documentation IV. Implementation A. Diverse patient population 1. Adult 2. Adolescent 3. Pediatric B. Communication 1. Healthcare team interaction 2. Patient interaction C. Patient education 1. Patient/clinician co-therapy 2. Oral self-care 3. Nutritional counseling 4. Tobacco counseling D. Instrumentation 1. Determine instrument sharpness 2. Remove deposits E. Desensitization 1. Hard tissue (teeth) 2. Soft tissue (gingiva) F. Care of removal appliances G. Selective polishing H. Caries preventive agents 1. Fluoride 2. Sealants V. Computer technology A. Patient education B. Information management VI. Evaluation A. Patient 1. Oral health status 2. Patient satisfaction B. Student 1. Instrumentation skills 2. Infection control VII. Professionalism A. Compliance with clinic policies and procedures B. Teamwork C. Ethical conduct D. Documentation E. Accountability F. Self-assessment

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: April 25, 2023

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.