Clinical Dental Hygienist II Syllabus for 2015-2016
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Instructor Information

Office Location

West Campus Jones Hall 123

Office Hours

Student Office Hours:  Monday and Wednesday 11:00 am to 12 noon or  By Appointment as needed

Course Information

Recording Policy

Disability Statement

Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact disAbility Services (Student Service Center room 119, phone 371-5436) as soon as possible.

Statement for Mental Health and Advocacy & Resource Center:

As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

Administrative Drop Policy

N/A

Student Withdrawal Procedures

N/A

Privacy Statement

The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students.  If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .

Course

DHYG-1360-001 Clinical Dental Hygienist II

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: DHYG 1260

Course Description

A health-related work-based learning experience that enables the student to apply specialized occupational theory, skills and concepts. Direct supervision is provided by the clinical professional.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

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Occupational License Disclaimer

Hours

(3 sem hrs;18 clinic)

Class Type

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

Fundamentals of Periodontal Instrumentation and Advanced Root Instrumentation, Jill Neild-Gehrig; Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 7th Edition. 

 Patient Assessment Tutorials:  A Step By Step Guide for the Dental Hygienist, 2nd  edition, Jill Neild-Gehrig;  Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.

 Dental Hygiene Theory and Practice, 4th Edition, Michele Leonardi Darby, BSDH, MS; Margaret Walsh, RDH,MS, MA, EdD; Saunders Publisher (Available in E-book or Hard Copy)

Health Professional and Patient Interaction, Ruth Purtilo, Amy Haddad, Regina Doherty; Elsevier, Saunders Publisher (Available in E-book or Hard Copy)

Ethical Dimensions in the Health Professions, Ruth B. Purtilo, Regina F. Doherty; Elsevier, Saunders Publisher (Available in E-book or Hard Copy)

Medical Emergencies in the Dental  Office, Stanley F. Malamed, 7th Edition; Elsevier, Sunders Publisher (Available in E-book or Hard Copy)

Amarillo College Dental Hygiene Program Manual will be available to you in Blackboard.

Supplies

Each student will supply his/her own instruments and disposable products.

Student Performance

Course Meeting Days and Times

Clinic: Monday - Thursday

8:30 am -4:00 pm

Friday - 8:30 - 12:00 pm

Jones Hall Dental Clinic Room 112

Morning  Report

Monday 8:30 - 12:00

Jones Hall Room 110

Course Instructor

Donna Cleere, RDH, M.Ed.

Professor/Program Director

Office Location:  Jones Hall, Room 123

Office Phone:  (806) 354-6064

Campus E-Mail:  dkcleere@actx.edu

Office Hours:  Monday afternoon, 1-3 pm

Friday by appointment 

Clinic Coordinator

Amanda Lester-Chisum, RDH, M.Ed.

Office Location:  Jones Hall, Room 127

Office Phone:  (806) 354-6062

Campus E-Mail: ajlester21@actx.edu

Office Hours: Wednesday 9-5 pm

Friday by appointment 

  • Additional Faculty
  • Chelsea O’Dell, RDH 
  • Monica Cryer, RDH
  • Jnita Collins, RDH, BS
  • Janet Ramos, RDH
  • Jack Fong, DDS
  • Gregory Harrison, DDS
  • Lynette Hayhurst, RDH, BS
  • Mike Henderson, DDS
  • Karen Lester, RDH, BS
  • Melissa Bain, RDH
  • Krista Lutonsky, RDH
  • Amanda Lester-Chisum RDH, M.Ed.

End-of-Course Outcomes

A health-related work-based learning experience that enables the student to apply specialized occupational theory, skills and concepts. The instructor's primary role will be to function as a facilitator to aid the student through functional assessment and quality patient-centered treatment of clients. Clinic II is the bridging course from the academic clinical environment to eventually the entry to the profession. This competency-based clinical course uses the process of care model of assessment, dental hygiene diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Critical thinking skills, time management, and self-assessment are emphasized for the practical application of dental hygiene theory. Patient cases include medically compromised, advanced complex treatment cases, pediatric and special needs populations. In the clinical setting, students will serve as patients for their classmates, complete manikin exercises, treat all patients without discrimination, and attend all assigned rotations.

Method of Instruction

In the clinic setting the ratio of faculty to students never exceeds 1:5.  Individual feedback will be provided for the students verbally and in TalEval and Blackboard.   Direct observation will be utilized through process performance evaluations, while indirect observation will be used in end-product evaluations.

Morning Report will be held each week to allow discussion of clinical issues, and present additional clinical procedures and or materials as well as review previously presented procedures/materials. The forum setting is mandatory.  You will be counted absent for the entire day if you do not attend clinic forums. You will also be counted absent if you are not present when roll is called.  Student input is encouraged.

 

Clinical Dental Hygiene

Clinical Dental Hygiene is the portion of the dental hygiene curriculum focused on developing the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor skills necessary for delivery of preventive, educational, and therapeutic services to the public.  The delivery of patient - centered comprehensive care is accomplished through adherence to the process of care:  assessment of patient needs, formulation of a dental hygiene diagnosis, planning for the prevention and treatment of oral disease, implementation of various dental hygiene interventions (services) and evaluation of both the patient and practitioner efforts and oral health outcomes. The patient care experiences are required for all students in order to attain clinical competence and complete the dental hygiene program.  This education is provided in the program's clinical facilities as defined in the Accreditation Standards and is supervised and evaluated by program faculty according to predetermined criteria.

 

Definitions

  • Preventive Services:  Clinical methods employed by the clinician and/or patient to promote and maintain oral health.
  • Educational Services:  Strategies developed for an individual or for groups to elicit behaviors directed toward health.
  • Therapeutic Services:  Clinical treatment designed to arrest or manage disease and maintain oral tissues in health.
  • Process of Care:  Systematic approach to the delivery of dental hygiene care that supports comprehensive services to meet the individual needs of all patients.  The process of care requires defined problem solving and critical thinking skills and supports evidence-based decision making.
  • Dental Hygiene Diagnosis:  A statement of potential or actual patient need that can be addressed by dental hygiene intervention services or strategies.
  • Pre-Clinic:  The portion of clinical education during which the student does not have direct and primary responsibility for providing comprehensive dental hygiene care to a patient.  The student performs selected services on a patient, a partner or a laboratory manikin, but does not necessarily provide a full range of services.
  • Clinical Dental Hygiene:  The major portion of clinical education.  As primary provider, the dental hygiene student integrates preventive, educational, and therapeutic care in treating the patient.
  • Fundamental Clinical Dental Hygiene Skills:  Skills routinely performed by the dental hygienist and/or taught to clinical competency in most dental hygiene programs and/or are legal in most states.

 

Clinical Dental Hygiene:  Primary Educational Goals

Clinical dental hygiene experience provides preventive and therapeutic care according to the process of care: 

  • assessment 
  • dental hygiene diagnosis
  • planning
  • implementation 
  • evaluation
  • documentation (including electronic health records)

This requires critical thinking and evidenced-based decision making skills that guide the provision of dental hygiene care within a focused scope of practice.  Upon the completion of the clinical curriculum, the student will be able to:

  • Apply the process of care to preventive and therapeutic oral health management to a diverse patient population.
  • Assess and analyze objective and subjective patient findings to formulate an evidence-based, patient-centered dental hygiene diagnosis.
  • Plan, implement and evaluate intervention strategies that will promote and maintain oral health including oral self care behaviors.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of and skill in applying dental hygiene methodology of care.
  • Apply the principles of professional and ethical behavior in providing care to individuals of all populations.

Special Learning Objectives

  1. Comprehensive collection of data, and assess a comprehensive health history, including social history.
  2. Perform and record extraoral and intraoral examinations, clinical and radiographic assessment of the periodontium and dentition, and assessment of occlusion.  
  3. Assess the need for, expose, develop, evaluate and interpret dental radiographs to support the clinical examination.
  4. Expose, assess and transmit intraoral photography.
  5. Formulate a dental hygiene diagnosis and supportive dental hygiene treatment plan.
  6. Assess, plan, implement and evaluate a dental hygiene treatment plan for the prevention and/or treatment plan for the prevention of oral diseases.
  7. Assess the need for and perform a periodontal risk assessment, initial and supportive therapies.
  8. Assess the need for and perform therapeutic hand and ultrasonic periodontal debridement therapies.
  9. Perform care and maintenance of procedures for dental implants.
  10. Assess the need for and perform extrinsic stain removal procedures.
  11. Assess the need for and apply adjunctive topical chemotherapeutic and controlled released agents.
  12. Assess the need for and apply pain and anxiety management strategies.
  13. Assess the caries risk and plan appropriate interventions and therapies.
  14. Assess the need for and application of professional topical fluorides and/or self-applied fluoride
  15. Apply principles of nutritional and/or tobacco cessation counseling to the management of oral and systemic health.
  16. Assess the need for and place pit and fissure sealants.
  17. Assess, plan and perform patient oral self-care education.
  18. Apply standard precautions for the prevention of disease transmission.
  19. Follow all state and federal regulatory requirements when rendering patient care.
  20. Apply principles of comprehensive record keeping.
  21. Apply principles of professional and ethical behavior.
  22. Apply principles of evidence-based decision-making.
  23. Demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving skills when providing patient care.
  24. Demonstrate professional communication skills in all aspects of patient care that includes interacting with diverse populations and other members of the health care team.
  25. Demonstrate concern and understanding of a variety of patient needs based on overall health, oral health, cultural, social, and economic circumstances.
  26. Recognize those patients whose medical, physical, psychological, or social situations make it necessary to modify normal dental routines in order to provide dental treatment for that individual.  These individuals include, but are not limited to, people with developmental disabilities, complex medical problems, and significant physical limitations.
  27. Obtain informed consent by discussing with the patient his/her oral health findings, goals and comprehensive treatment needs.  Patients that are accepted for dental hygiene care must be advised of the scope of dental hygiene care available in the Amarillo College Dental Hygiene Clinic.
  28. Recommend a re-care schedule for continued supportive care.
  29. Recommend referral for additional assessment and/or treatment.
  30. Assess overall patient satisfaction with care provided.
  31. Self-assess ability to perform dental hygiene services at a high standard of care.
  32. Value patient confidentiality and patient rights according to HIPAA guidelines.
  33. Evaluate the relevancy and accuracy of new information in order to provide evidence based client care.
  34. Accept constructive criticism and peer review as a learning experience that contributes to professional knowledge and growth.
  35. Apply basic, dental and behavioral sciences to clinical practice.
  36. Use the dental hygiene process of care to render comprehensive preventative oral health services.
  37. Demonstrate appropriate time management strategies when rendering dental hygiene services to patients.
  38. Demonstrate clinical emergency medical protocol procedures.
  39. Comply with the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines for the prevention of disease transmission during the rendering of dental hygiene services to patients.
  40. Provide specialized treatment that includes preventative and therapeutic services designed to achieve and maintain oral health and assist in helping the patient formulate and achieve oral health goals.
  41. Evaluate the effectiveness and outcomes of dental hygiene services and make modifications as needed.
  42. Demonstrate accurate, consistent and complete documentation skills.
  43. Evaluate the effectiveness of sterilization procedures, and identify and demonstrate the need for accurate documentation, i.e. biological indicators.
  44. Develop awareness and sensitivity for the scope of health and dental health needs in the community.
  45. Provide dental hygiene services to an under-served population
  46. Observe and appreciate the role of dental support staff in managing patient communication and care.
  47. Develop an appreciation for the different roles and responsibilities of each person within a private practice, and how they work together for the successful management of the office.
  48. Recognize, experience, and understand the role of the front office/receptionist, and their function in the dental setting, to include phone skills, greeting patients, scheduling, and using EagleSoft to create treatment plans. 

 

Emergency Management: In the Amarillo College Dental Hygiene Clinic we have medical emergency management procedures and safety policies.  Please refer to the program manual for further detail regarding these procedures and policies.

This course is designed to support the student’s development in the knowledge, skills, and values required for graduation from the program and the dental hygiene licensure eligibility. Specifically this course promotes the development of the dental hygienist as defined by the following Educational Standards of the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (ADA CODA) and the Department of Dental Hygiene competency statements.

ADA CODA Educational Standard 2-9

General education content must include oral and written communications, psychology, and sociology.

ADA CODA Educational Standard 2-10

Biomedical science content must include content in anatomy, physiology, chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, immunology, general pathology and/or pathophysiology, nutrition and pharmacology.

ADA CODA Educational Standard 2-11

Dental sciences content must include tooth morphology, head, neck and oral anatomy, oral embryology and histology, oral pathology, radiography, periodontology, pain management, and dental materials.

ADA CODA Educational Standard 2-12

Dental hygiene science content must include oral health, education and preventive counseling, health promotion, patient management, clinical dental hygiene, provision of services for and management of patients with special needs, community dental/oral health, medical and dental emergencies, legal and ethical aspects of dental hygiene practice, infection and hazard control management, and the provision of oral health care services to patient with blood borne and infectious diseases.

ADA CODA Educational Standard 2-13

The basic clinical education aspect of the curriculum must include a formal course sequence in scientific principles of dental hygiene practice, which extends throughout the curriculum and is coordinated and integrated with the clinical experience in providing dental hygiene services.

ADA CODA Educational Standard 2-14

The number or hours of clinical practice scheduled must ensure that students attain clinical competence and develop appropriate judgement. Clinical practice must be distributed throughout the curriculum.

ADA CODA Educational Standard 2-15

The dental hygiene program must have established mechanisms to ensure a sufficient number or patient experiences that afford all students the opportunity to achieve stated competencies.

ADA CODA Educational Standard 2-16-a

Graduates must be competent in providing dental hygiene care for the child, adolescent, adult and geriatric patient.

ADA CODA Educational Standard 2-16-b

Graduates must be competent in assessing the treatment needs of patients with special needs.

ADA CODA Educational Standard 2-17

Graduates must be competent in providing the dental hygiene process of care which includes

Comprehensive collection of patient data to identify the physical and oral health status

Analysis of assessment findings and use of critical thinking in order to address the patient’s dental hygiene treatment.

Establishment of a dental hygiene care plan that reflects the realistic goals and treatment strategies to facilitate optimal oral health

Provision of patient-centered treatment and evidence-based care in a manner minimizing risk and optimizing oral health

Measurement of the extent to which goals identified in the dental hygiene care plan are achieved

Complete and accurate recording of all documentation relevant to patient care.

ADA CODA Educational Standard 2-18

Graduates must be competent in providing dental hygiene care for all types of classifications of periodontal disease including patients who exhibit moderate to severe periodontal disease.

ADA CODA Educational Standard 2-19

Graduates must be competent in interpersonal and communication skills to effectively interact with diverse population groups.

ADA CODA Educational Standard 2-20

Graduates must be competent in assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating community-based oral health programs, including health promotion and disease prevention activities.

ADA CODA Educational Standard 2-21

Graduates must be competent in providing appropriate life support measures for medical emergencies that may be encountered in dental hygiene practice.

ADA CODA Educational Standard 2-22

Graduates must be competent in applying ethical, legal and regulatory concepts to the provision and/or support of oral health care services.

ADA CODA Educational Standard 2-23

Graduates must be competent in the application of self-assessment skills to prepare them for life-long learning.

ADA CODA Educational Standard 2-24

Graduates must be competent in the evaluation of current scientific literature.

ADA CODA Educational Standard 2-25

Graduates must be competent in problem solving strategies related to comprehensive patient care and management of patients.

ADA CODA Educational Standard 5-3

The program must establish, enforce, and instruct students in preclinical/clinical laboratory protocols and mechanisms to ensure the management of emergencies. These protocols must be provided to all students, faculty and appropriate staff. Faculty, staff and students must be prepared to assist with the management of emergencies.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

Expected Student Behavior

A high standard of conduct is expected of all Amarillo College students.  The Student Code of Conduct is defined in the Amarillo College Student Rights and Responsibilities publication.  The document may be located at www.actx.edu under the student tab.  "Amarillo College expects a high standard of conduct from its students.  Students are expected to comply with the law, respect proper constitutional authority, and obey College policies, rules and regulations.  Unacceptable conduct is defined as an action or behavior that is contrary to the best interest of a fellow student or students, the faculty or staff, the College, or the teaching/learning process.  Students failing to perform according to established standards may be subject to disciplinary action.  Policies, standards, rules and regulations apply to students attending College activities whether the activity takes place on or off campus.  Each student shall be responsible for becoming knowledgeable of the contents and provisions of College policies, rules, and regulations concerning student conduct. In some cases, individual programs may have approved policies for student  conduct which guide the actions of each member of the college community both in and out of the classroom. Integrity and common sense will guide the actions of each member of college community both in and out of the classroom.  Any student who fails to perform according to expected standards may be disciplined".

The Amarillo College Dental Hygiene Program has specific policies which apply to student conduct within the program.  These policies may be implied or written.  The course syllabus and the program manual are sources for specific student conduct policies for dental hygiene students at Amarillo College.

Professional Standards

  • All dental hygiene students are expected to demonstrate professionalism in behavior, manner, and judgment in the dental hygiene clinic and clinic rotation sites. The area of professionalism includes appearance, asepsis, patient management, peer, faculty and staff interaction, and documentation. Guidelines for professionalism and professional appearances are discussed in the AC Dental Hygiene Clinic Manual.  Professionalism will be evaluated on a continual basis.
  • Students will exhibit professional maturity and an acceptable level of clinical judgment as determined by the clinical faculty. Unprofessional behavior will be documented in written form by the faculty to the Clinic Coordinator. Unprofessional behavior may be defined as a continual pattern of misconduct and/or an egregious act that endangers the health of the patients, students, faculty, and/or College. Egregious acts also include violations of the Texas Dental Hygiene Practice Act and falsification of patient records and/or faculty signatures.
  • Students must be competent in the application of the principles of ethical reasoning, ethical decision making and professional responsibility as they pertain to patient care. Dental hygienists should understand and practice ethical behavior consistent with the professional code of ethics throughout their educational experiences. The following are examples which are considered professional standards.   These are representative examples and may not be all inclusive.  For maximum learning to occur, the student is expected to demonstrate professional conduct and judgment at all times.
  • Student is concerned with excellence in learning rather than just meeting minimal criteria.
  • Student maintains his/her composure, dealing with conflict in a constructive way.
  • Student exhibits an attitude of respect for classmates, faculty, and staff.  If a student has a conflict with a grade given by the instructor, the student must follow the outlined grievance procedure.  Faculty will not change a grade given to a student from another faculty member.

Safety: Individual Responsibility

This course supports the Amarillo College policies regarding responsibility for a safe environment.

Amarillo College is in compliance with environmental, health, and safety regulations, and therefore requires that all AC employees, students, and visitors comply to maintain a safe environment:

Report hazardous conditions and safety concerns immediately to their supervisors, instructors, staff, and/or emergency management personnel, as appropriate.

Abide by safe practices and procedures established by the College.

Adhere to and cooperate fully with all local, state, and federal regulations concerning environmental, health, and safety issues.

Take action to resolve safe workplace issues when appropriate.

Statement of Confidentiality

Confidentiality is the duty owed by dental hygiene professionals, including students enrolled in Dental Hygiene accredited programs, to protect the privacy of all patient information.  Dental Hygiene professionals clearly have an obligation to keep MEDICAL and PERSONAL information about patients in the strictest confidence at all times.  Unless disclosure is mandated by patient consent, statute, a duty to inform third parties, or special circumstances, dental hygiene professionals have a clear duty to maintain confidentiality of all patient information.

Breach of the duty to hold such information in the strictest confidence, may cause liability for the individual student such as fines, imprisonment, and dismissal from the program.  In the professional "Code of Ethics", the American Dental Hygienists' Association Code of Ethics for Dental Hygienists has published the following statement which all dental hygiene professionals (including students) must always follow:

"We respect the confidentiality of client information and relationships as a demonstration of the value we place on individual autonomy.  We acknowledge our obligation to justify any violation of confidence."

Instructor Help and Student Participation

It is very important that you seek faculty input regarding your performance so that you may:

  • Gain confidence in your performance
  • Identify problem areas and determine methods for correcting deficiencies
  • Attain competence in your clinical skills

All students are considered mature enough to seek faculty assistance and to monitor their own progress.  Please meet with your assigned instructor or Clinic Coordinator as soon as possible if you have any questions or difficulties in this course.  The faculty is committed to supporting your success; please remember, however, that you are the only person who can make us aware that you need assistance.

Amarillo College Dental Hygiene Mentoring Program

The student has a very important role in the mentoring process.  Each student will be assigned a mentor.  The mentor/mentee list will be posted in the locker room and emailed to each student.  As partners in the mentoring relationship, students have responsibilities to:

  • Contact mentors and arrange for a mentoring appointment by June 15th
  • Be aware of their mentoring needs and discuss these needs with mentors
  • Maintain regular communication with their assigned mentors

Prepare for mentoring meetings by:

  • Setting daily and weekly goals for program progression
  • Assessing attainment of goals
  • Identifying impediments to achieving goals

It is the student’s responsibility to contact mentors and arrange appointments.  Failure to arrange and /or keep appointments will result in a two-point deduction from the final clinical course grade for each occurrence in the semester.

Mandatory Skills Building/Tutoring

In an effort to increase student success in DHYG coursers, and to assist students having difficulty understanding complex subject areas, any student who scores below a 75% on any exam (excluding the final exam) must complete a mandatory skills building assignment before taking the next exam.  Before receiving a skills assignment, you must first schedule a time with the instructor.  The assignment will be given at that time.

Clinic Remediation Policy

Remediation defined is the act or process of remedying.  Students should not fear this word or this policy.  Remediation is available to address calculus removal, calculus detection, tissue trauma, radiographs, instrument selection, hand instrumentation, ultrasonic instrumentation, environment, probing, fulcrum, grasp, and adaptation.  Students may also request this from a clinical instructor and a instructor may request this for a student as well.  All skill evaluations including Mock Boards will require a 75% to achieve Mastery.  If 75% is not achieved remediation will be mandatory to demonstrate competency.  The initial grade will stand.  The Clinical Instructor will fill out a Student Remediation Form and the student will sign upon completion.

Course Failure-Remediation Policy

If you fail to attain the required minimum requirements for Clinic IV and have less than 3 absences during the semester, a “I” (Incomplete) may be given.  The “I” (Incomplete) will be removed and a grade of “C” will be given for the course after you have completed the required work.  If an “I” is received in the first (spring) semester, it must be removed by the end of the first four weeks of the following second (summer) semester.  If an “I” (incomplete) is received in the summer session, it must be removed during the fall session before you can register for the subsequent academic year.  If you fail to remove the “I” grade from your record in the allotted time, a grade of “F” will be posted automatically.  No “I”s can be given the final semester before graduation.

The Clinic Manual

The Dental Hygiene Clinic Manual contains information pertaining to but not limited to the following:

  • Our Program’s Mission/Goals/Philosophy
  • Clinic Curriculum 
  • Code of Ethics
  • Standards for Professional Responsibility
  • Bloodborne Infectious Diseases
  • Clinic Operations
  • Professional Appearance Standards
  • Clinic Rotations
  • Emergency Management
  • Infection Control
  • Hazard Communication Policy
  • Competencies

Electronic and Recording Devices

In order to maximize learning, all electronic devices such as cell phones are prohibited in this course, UNLESS you are utilizing your phone to call or text a patient in your operatory only.  Cell phones are not permitted outside of the operatory or on a rotation assignment for any purpose.  Students should keep their cell phones in a drawer or pocket on silent at all times.  Patients deserve your uninterrupted care and devotion. Those students who have children or who anticipate an emergency situation should give caregivers and family members the Office Supervisor's number (806-354-6050) and have calls directed to her first.  She will then act accordingly to inform the student.  Patient care should not be interrupted unless the student is alerted from the Office Supervisor regarding an emergency. 

TalEval & Blackboard

Students can communicate with clinical faculty and check their progress in clinic through the web based system TalEval. Blackboard is a web-based learning management system provided by Amarillo College.  Students can access their grades through blackboard as well as many resources for this course.

Mailboxes

Each student is assigned a mailbox located inside the student dressing room.  Students are required to check his/her mailbox daily for various communication from the faculty. Faculty will also correspond via email and announcements on Amarillo College Blackboard.

Bulletin Board

First and second year dental hygiene students have designated areas on a common bulletin board inside the student dressing room where various announcements may be posted.

Emergency Contacts

Phone numbers that family members may use to reach a student in case of an emergency are as follows:

Dental Clinic Office Supervisor:   354-6050

Dental Clinic Supervisor: 467-3399 

Amarillo College Police:   371-5163

Academic Grievance Procedure

A student who has a grievance concerning an academic course in which he or she is enrolled is directed to appeal in the following order to the:  (1)  Instructor  (2)  Clinic Coordinator   (3)  Department Chair/Program Director  (4)  Dean of Health Sciences  (5) Vice President of Academic Affairs (6) College President.

Grading Criteria

Grading Criteria

General Clinic Guidelines

  • Although the Department of Dental Hygiene maintains a system for recalling patients and providing maintenance oral hygiene care, students will be responsible for recruiting new patients to the Dental Hygiene Clinic who will meet the student's needs for various dental hygiene requirements.  Additionally students will be expected to recruit and maintain a list of potential patients, who are available and willing to make an appointment on short notice.  Students will also be required to select a patient who meets the criteria for WREB and/or CRDTS or another regional clinical board in order to pursue licensure to practice dental hygiene.
  • It is important that each student understands the necessity for taking a proactive and responsible role in obtaining his/her education.  Your signature on the "syllabus documentation form" is evidence of the fact that you understand your responsibility in recruiting the type(s) of patients you will need to complete requirements/competencies in order to graduate from the Dental Hygiene Program at Amarillo College.
  • In a competency based clinical system, dental hygiene students are expected to demonstrate the mastery of skills along a progressive continuum toward entry-level competence.  Once you have demonstrated mastery of a skill you are expected to maintain that level of mastery.  Each skill assessment serves as the foundation for you continued skill development.  Therefore, your maintenance of the base skills will be evaluated on a continual basis.
  • Each error for Clinic II will count as minus 5 point deduction per error on the Clinical Screening Assessments.  Sealant placement will be graded as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory.  Radiographs will be graded as outlined in the Program Manual, and must be critiqued at the time of the appointment and turned in at the end of the appointment.  All evaluations must be graded by an instructor.  Clinic requirements must be completed by the final clinic day of the semester.  A student who does not complete all clinic requirements in Clinic II by the final clinic day of the semester will be given an Incomplete.  An “I” (Incomplete) may be given when a portion of course requirements, such as an exam or a report, has not been completed. The student and instructor must complete a Contract for Incomplete Grade form prior to the granting of a grade of “I.” If the course is not completed by the specified deadline, the “I” will be changed to an F. The student is entirely responsible for completing the work that will remove the “I.”
  • The course will also consist of quizzes and other online/computer assignments.  Quizzes may or may not be announced in advance.  Quiz and online/computer assignment grades will be a part of the end-product evaluation.  All grades will be counted and will not be dropped.
  • Critical Errors may drop a student’s grade.  Examples of critical errors may include but are not limited to:  breach of infection control, critical medical history error, unprofessional conduct, dishonesty, a breach of confidentiality, and arguing with a faculty or staff member.

 Minimum Number of Successful (75% or greater) Learning Experiences Required for Clinic I: 

Clinic II Course Requirements

Minimum Number of Required Case Types:

Minimum Number of Patient Care Experiences:

11

Case Type A

Perio I

1

Child Patient (age 12 & under)

3

Case Type B

Perio II

2

Adolescent Patient (age 13-17)

1

Case Type C

Perio III

2

Adult Patient (age 18 and up)

     

1

Geriatric Patient (age 65 and up)

     

1

Special Needs Patient

 

Comprehensive Dental Hygiene Services

Services

Minimum Requirements

Competency Required

Dental Hygiene Diagnosis & Care Plan Competency

1

Yes

OHI Competency

1

Yes

PowerLINE Heavy Insert Competency

1

Yes

Triplebend Slimline Insert Competency

1

Yes

Air Polishing Competency

2

No 

Coronal Polishing Competency

2

No 

Fluoride Competency

2

No 

Desensitizing Competency

2

No 

Ultrasonic Standard Straight Insert Competency

0

No 

Sealants

8

Yes

BWX

2

Yes

Pano

1

Yes

Clinical Screening Assessment (including BWX & PANO)

4

Yes

Nutritional Counseling

1

Yes

Other Additional Competencies

Ethics Chapters (6,7,8,9)

1

Yes

Professionalism Chapters (6,7,8,9)

1

Yes

Medical Emergencies (5,6,7,8.9.10)

1

Yes

Discussion Boards

1

Yes

Journaling

1

Yes

Exit Exam

1

Yes

The Piezo competency has been added to Clinic II, Clinic III, and Clinic IV.  You can access it through blackboard and you have all three semesters to meet 1 competency.

The final course grade will be computed as follows:

A = 93-100%

B = 83-92%

C = 75- 82%

F = Below 75%

Note:  A grade of "D" is not possible in this course

 

AC Dental Hygiene Rotation Assignments:

Rotations that will be evaluated by faculty and kept in your blue folder:

It is your responsibility to bring your blue folder to your rotation and return it to the file box when your rotation is over.

  • Office Assistant
  • Sterilization
  • Dental Assistant  

Rotation that will be Evaluated as Patient Care Assessment by Clinical Faculty (Including 4BWX & PANO) point value =5

  • Screening Rotation

Rotation that will be evaluated by Clinical Faculty as Patient Care in TalEval:

  • Chair Side Observation Rotation

Voluntary Clinical Enrichment Rotation will be evaluated by faculty and given community hours:

  • Wyatt Dental Clinic, On Site Voluntary Clinical Enrichment Rotation
  • Veteran’s Hospital, Voluntary Clinical Enrichment Rotation

 

Clinic Requirements and Grading Criteria

Please see the Grading Criteria in the Amarillo College Dental Hygiene Clinic Manual Regarding TalEval Grading System.  You may also refer to https://taleval.com/signin/aspx for more information.

Clinical Competency is obtained successfully by completing procedures in the following categories:

Patient Treatment/TalEval II A                                                

35%

Patient Treatment/TalEval II B                                                

35%

Screening Assessments                                                           

15%

Radiographs                                                                          

 5%

Nurtitional Counseling                                            

2.5%

Competencies/Quizzes/Rotations/Instrument Exam                                           

7.5%

Critical errors may drop a student's grade.  Examples of critical errors may include:  breach of infection control, critical Medical History error, dismissing or re-appointing a patient without faculty approval, unprofessional conduct toward a patient, student, or faculty/staff member, a breach of confidentiality, scheduling a fictitious patient(s) or phone number (s), cancelling or moving a patient without the patient's permission and or faculty member, failure to accept a patient assignment from the front office supervisor and/or faculty, clocking in or out of the clinic/lab for a classmate.  

 

Make Up Policy

A student will not be allowed to make up quizzes or online assignments.  A zero will be given for each missed quiz or online assignment. 

Radiograph Procedures:

1 Panoramic Radiographs (Competency Level of 75% or above)  Radiographs will be graded as outlined in the Program Manual.  Radiographs must be critiqued at the time of the appointment and are due at the end of the appointment. 

2 Full Mouth Series Radiographs (Competency Level of 75% or above)  Radiographs will be graded as outlined in the Program Manual.  Radiographs must be critiqued at the time of the appointment and are due at the end of the appointment. 

2 Bitewing Radiographs (Competency Level of 75% or above)  Radiographs will be graded as outlined in the Program Manual.  Radiographs must be critiqued at the time of the appointment and are due at the end of the appointment. 

Students will aslo have the opportunity to take 4BWX, and 4 Pano’s at the Clinical Screening Assessment appointments.  These radiographs must also attain a Competency Level of 75% or above.  Radiographs will be graded as outlined in the Program Manual.  Radiographs must be critiqued at the time of the appointment and are due at the end of the appointment. 

Ethics Chapters:  6,7,8,9. Quizzes will be Available in Blackboard and must be completed by June 22, 2016.

Professionalism Chapters:  6,7,8,9. Quizzes will be Available in Blackboard and must be completed by June 22, 2016.

Medical Emergency Chapters: 5,6,7,8,9,10. Quizzes will be Available in Blackboard and must be completed by June 22, 2016

Nutritional Counseling:  The student will complete the nutritional counseling project on video.  This video will need to be handed in with either a flash drive or a disk.  The video will be critiqued by a peer and self assessment prior to the due date.  This project must be handed in by June 22, 2016.  The rubric for Nutritional Counseling and the forms are uploaded into Blackboard.

Journaling & Discussion Boards:  You will be responsible to Journal after every assigned clinical session.  Monday’s Journal will be due every Tuesday at Midnight and so on.   Rubric for journaling is in Blackboard.  There will be 2 Discussion Boards this semester that will have assigned deadlines in Blackboard.  Rubric for Discussion Boards is in Blackboard.  Both journaling and discussion boards are mandatory in this course and will go towards a collaborative quiz grade.

Exit Instrument Examination:  Will be completed by faculty utilizing the Evaluation Tool in Blackboard.  The evaluation must be completed by June 30, 2016.

All students are required to complete both an Entrance and Exit Examination with a competency level of 75% or higher in order to progress to Clinic II.  The examinations will include the demonstration of skills utilizing the following instruments:

Explorer 11/12

Nevi 4

H6/H7

Periodontal Probe

Nevi 2

204S

Barnhart 5/6

Mini Gracey 1/2

Gracey 13/14

YG 7/8

Gracey 11/12

Gracey 17/18

A student who does not achieve 75% competency on the Entrance and/or  Exit Examination must complete mandatory remediation an opportunity to retest until 75% competency is achieved.  However, the original exam score will be counted in computation of the final grade.

 

Attendance

Attendance Policy

"Regular attendance is necessary for satisfactory achievement.  Therefore, it is the responsibility of the student to attend class in accordance with the requirements of the course as established by the instructor."  (Amarillo College Student's Rights and Responsibilities Publication)  Due to the tremendous amount of information contained in this course, the student who plans to succeed should also plan to attend all course sessions regularly and promptly.  Without question, the clinical faculty expects each student to be present at each clinic/rotation assignment.  Unfortunately, no one has ever developed a short cut which will replace hours of actual experience needed to master a new skill; therefore, students must be present to acquire the specific knowledge in this subject. Attendance records will be kept on a daily basis during the semester.  Any absence from the clinic or scheduled rotation(s) must be reported to the Clinic Coordinator first via email (Amanda Lester-Chisum> ajlester21@actx.edu) and then the Clinic Supervisor via email (Mitzi Leonard  at m0067781@actx.edu).    Mrs. Leonard’s number is 467-3099.   Each student is required to complete a minimum number of clinic hours and requirements in order to graduate from the dental hygiene program.  If a student does not report an absence, the student will be required to type a two page report on professionalism and turn in to the Clinic Coordinator.   A Critical Error in TalEval will be given for each day the paper is late.   The deadline for submission of the paper is no later than 24 hours after the absenteeism.

Absences will be monitored and evaluated to determine a student's final clinic grade.  A student may have no more than 1 absence in this course without affecting his/her final grade.  Beginning with the 2nd absence, 2 points will be deducted from the final grade; after the 3rd absence, 3 points will be deducted; after the 4th absence, 4 points will be deducted.  On the occurrence of the 5th absence, the student will be required to repeat Clinic IV.  Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each clinic and rotation session.   Students who are not present when attendance is taken in Morning Report will be counted as absent.  A student will receive 2 bonus points to the final clinic grade for perfect attendance.  Arriving late or leaving clinic/rotation early will result in a critical error in TalEval. (Item #122)  In clinic, students must log in to the computer no later than 8:30 am and log out no earlier than 12:00 pm.  After lunch the student must log back in no later than 12:45 pm and log out no earlier than 4:00 pm as a record of his/her attendance.  Student’s that do not log in or out of Eaglesoft correctly will need to email Mrs. Leonard and request a correction.  You are allowed 5 corrections in a semester before you will receive 1 absent for the sixth correction.   Also, students who leave early without special permission from a faculty member will be counted as absent.  The clinic supervisor will monitor student time logged in at the computers in the clinic and will report this information to the faculty.  

Absences Defined:

Critical Error in TalEval> Late= arriving after 8:30am but before 9:00am or after 12:45 but before 1:00pm.

Absence in Blackboard>Absence=arriving after 9:00am or 1:00pm to begin patient care, or not present at all.

Example for Bonus Points:

Student has a final clinic average of 91% = B Student attends all scheduled clinics, classes and rotations on time. Final Clinic Grade = 93% = A

Calendar

Week 1

Monday 8:30-12:00pm

Morning Report

Clinical Patient Care

Monday 1-4

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

8:30-12 & 1-4

Friday 8:30-12

Week2

Monday 8:30-12:00pm

Morning Report

Clinical Patient Care

Monday 1-4

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

8:30-12 & 1-4

Friday 8:30-12

Week 3

Monday 8:30-12:00pm

Morning Report

Clinical Patient Care

Monday 1-4

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

8:30-12 & 1-4

Friday 8:30-12

Week 4

Monday 8:30-12:00pm

Morning Report

Clinical Patient Care

Monday 1-4

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

8:30-12 & 1-4

Friday 8:30-12

Week 5

Monday 8:30-12:00pm

Morning Report

Clinical Patient Care

Monday 1-4

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

8:30-12 & 1-4

Friday 8:30-12

Week 6

Monday 8:30-12:00pm

Morning Report

Clinical Patient Care

Monday 1-4

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

8:30-12 & 1-4

Friday 8:30-12

Additional Information

No additional information available

Syllabus Created on:

11/30/-1 12:00 AM

Last Edited on:

11/30/-1 12:00 AM