Catalog 2017-2018 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
Catalog 2017-2018 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

DENT 113 Dental Practice Theory

5 credits
Basic concepts and principles of dental practice are presented in this lecture course. The emphasis is on Infection Control procedures, dental emergencies, accident prevention, assessment procedures, and record keeping. Skills and procedures are practiced by the student with team members, in a laboratory environment.

Prerequisites: Admission into the Dental Assistant program.

Quarters Offered: Fall, Spring

Global Outcomes:
This course teaches to the global outcome of Teamwork.

Student Outcomes/Competencies:
Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

  • Discuss concepts and principles related to selected aspects of Preparation, Assessment and Practice Management
  • Recall knowledge about hazardous materials and use of Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
  • Describe common accidents/injuries that occur in the dental environment, methods for preventing them, and ways of promoting safety for clients and dental personnel in the dental environment
  • Recall knowledge of infectious diseases, disease transmission, and body’s defense mechanisms against infection (from Microbiology)
  • Describe methods for controlling infection in dental practice
  • Explain how to establish and maintain clinical asepsis and how to problem-solve breaks in the asepsis chain
  • Compare and contrast effectiveness of various sterilization and disinfection methods
  • Discuss the physical and legal ramifications of inadequate infection control
  • Discuss any specific infection control guidelines for clinical and lab procedures introduced this quarter
  • Discuss appropriate aseptic techniques for obtaining supplies and assembling armamentarium
  • Describe ways of organizing armamentarium for efficient and safe dental assisting practice
  • Discuss action to take, in all areas of the Dental Assisting Program, in the event of emergencies (fire, earthquake, etc)
  • Discuss the protocol, in all areas of the Dental Assisting Program, for obtaining trained emergency care personnel
  • Explain the location of the emergency kit, oxygen equipment, and emergency telephone numbers
  • Discuss the rationale for the Program requirement of current First Aid and CPR training
  • Discuss adaptations for CPR for clients in a dental chair
  • Explain the rationale for obtaining a comprehensive health history
  • Discuss types of health history forms (e.g. consent cards, health questionnaire, dental history questionnaire)
  • Describe medico-legal requirements for completing a health history form
  • Compare and contrast questionnaire and interview methods for obtaining health history information
  • List key questions that must be included in a health history questionnaire and the reasons for each
  • Explain the purpose of assessing a client’s general appearance and of assessing the head and neck
  • Define inspection, palpation, auscultation, and percussion
  • Describe a systematic method and procedures for assessing general appearance and the head and neck
  • Explain how to record head and neck assessment findings, client’s complaints/comments, and the chart entry
  • Recall knowledge of the structures of the oral cavity
  • Explain the purpose of assessing the intra-oral soft tissues
  • Describe a systematic method and procedures for assessing the intra-oral soft tissues
  • Explain how to record intra-oral soft tissue findings, client’s complaints/comments, and the chart entry
  • Recall knowledge of dentitions, tooth identification systems, and dental morphology
  • Explain the purpose of assessing the dentition
  • Describe a systematic sequence for assessing the dentition
  • Describe physical injuries, regressive changes of teeth, and tooth malpositions
  • Explain how to record the following dental assessment findings: missing teeth, physical injuries, regressive changes of teeth, tooth malpositions, client’s complaints/ comments, and the chart entry
  • Explain the purpose of recording Angle’s classification of occlusion
  • Describe a systematic method for determining the classification of occlusion
  • Explain how to record Angle’s classification of occlusion, client’s complaints/comments, and the chart entry
  • List vital signs and the rationale for obtaining them for dental assisting care
  • Describe temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure, including normal ranges and factors which may cause variances
  • Describe procedures for obtaining vital signs
  • Describe how to record temperature, pulse, respiration and blood pressure, and the chart entry
  • Recall knowledge of informed consent and confidentiality
  • Describe dental charts and records used in the Dental Clinic including the rationale for each component of the chart
  • Describe guidelines for making progress notes for all procedures
  • Discuss confidentiality as it relates to clinical dental records
  • Describe medico-legal aspects of charts and records including handling and storage


Total Hours: 70 Lecture Hours: 30 Lab or Clinical Hours: 40