Wednesday 11-3 and Friday by appointment
Appointments can be made at other times if needed. Please contact me through email to set up a time.
If you have a disability (learning, mental, physical) that affects your ability to participate effectively and have access to any program or service at Amarillo College please contact Disability Services at (806) 345-5639 . Our offices are located in the Enrollment Center, Suite 700. More information may be found at www.actx.edu/disability.
Disability Services facilitates access to all programs and services according to the ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as well as other federal and state laws.
Amarillo College is committed to providing equal access to all programs and services, including all working, learning, and service environments that affect equal access for persons with disabilities. This commitment to provide equal access and opportunity for persons with disabilities is in compliance with federal and state law. Amarillo College also strives to provide Electronic and Information Resources (EIR) that are accessible to all authorized users.
If you find you are unable to access material in an accessible format please contact the Disability Services Office at (806) 345-5639 . This office will work in conjunction with other campus resources to address and accommodate your issue in a timely manner.
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
Tutoring for Success applies to any student whose overall performance in the course falls below 75%. The instructor will create the task in the Student Engagement Portal (Watermark) to direct the student to the appropriate tutoring service, which may be faculty- or SI-led, discipline-specific, and/or general. The tutoring service assigned, the due date for when the tutoring must be completed, and the amount of tutoring required are at the discretion of the instructor. Additionally, the task will alert the student’s success team. Students who do not fulfill the assigned tutoring task may be subject to program- and course-specific penalties that could result in a grade reduction and/or in not being allowed to progress in the course until the tutoring requirement has been satisfied.
Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016
Students who wish to withdraw from a course must complete all steps indicated on the Academic Withdrawal Request form by the course withdrawal deadline.
NOTE: Students who are attending Texas institutions of higher education, for the first time fall 2007 and later, may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career. This withdrawal limitation does not include dual credit or developmental classes (Senate Bill 1231 Rule 4.10.) For more information on Drop and Withdrawal Policies, please visit the Registrar's Office Web site.
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 .
DHYG-1331-001 Preclinical Dental Hygiene
Foundational knowledge for performing clinical skills on patients with emphasis on procedures and rationale for performing dental hygiene care. Introduction to ethical principles as they apply to dental hygiene care.
Student ResourcesStudent Resources Website
Notice to Students enrolled in an educational program for preparation of issuance of certain occupational licenses:
Students enrolled in an educational program in preparation for obtaining certain occupational licenses are potentially ineligible for such license if the student has been convicted of an offense. For further information, please contact:
Melodie Graves
Justice Involved Advocate
Student Service Center 117
mgraves24@actx.edu
806-371-5995
Make appointment at https://melodiegraves.youcanbook.me
You can also contact the Legal Clinic, or the faculty member in charge of the educational program that you seek to enroll in. The further information you will receive will include notification to you of your right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from the licensing authority in order to clarify your particular situation.
(3 sem hrs; 1 lec/7 lab)
On Campus Course
Students are required to have the most current edition of textbooks
Teaching Methods:
A variety of teaching methods will be used to facilitate the goals and objectives of this course. We will be utilizing blackboard “Content” for our lecture/lab sessions. Students will be required to take a pre-test on the lab content prior to lab sessions. This will allow for collaborative learning in the lab setting. Collaborative learning is based on four principles where the learner or student is the primary focus of instruction, interaction and "doing" are of primary importance, working in groups is an important mode of learning, and structured approaches to developing solutions to real-world problems should be incorporated into learning. This learning style will be incorporated into our preclinical lab setting. The lab sessions will be divided into teams that will rotate every five weeks with new groups and new instructors. (4-5 Students to 1 Instructor) Instrumentation techniques will be taught on dental manikins and student partner activities. The lecture component of this course will be taught in a collaborative way to incorporate different learning styles. We will work in groups and with partners, often with some traditional lecture format. All material will be posted on Blackboard to support classroom and laboratory activities: PowerPoint, Videos, Demonstration of Instruments, and Demonstration of Skills. Research shows that educational experiences that are active, social, contextual, engaging, and student-owned lead to deeper learning. The benefits of collaborative learning include:
Technical Skills and Requirements
Students will need access to a laptop, computer, or tablet for quizzes, tests, and assignments.
Students are required to have regular, reliable access to a stable internet connection.
Students need to be proficient in sending and receiving emails with attachments, uploading documents, and participating in discussion boards.
Computers can break, servers can crash, and electric power can go out. It is your responsibility to identify solutions for unexpected catastrophes by thinking ahead about solutions to potential problems. Possible solutions for each of the above scenarios include using a friend or relative's computer and accessing a computer in one of the computer labs on campus. Students will be responsible for bringing their tablets or laptops to every class session. Please have the battery charged up and ready to go. Students will need to ensure that the Respondus Lockdown Browser has been installed on the computer.
Utilize CTL resources for technical help. CTL Student Help Center: (806) 371-5992 or ctlstudenthelp@actx.edu
Communication
The best way to contact me is through your student email in Blackboard. I will check my emails Monday-Friday first thing in the morning and throughout the day as time allows. I will respond to your email within 24 hours. I will answer emails sent over the weekend the following Monday morning. Please remember the use of netiquette when corresponding with faculty, staff, and peers.
Other Supplies
Course Meeting Days and Times
Lecture: Wednesdays - 8:30-9:30 am (Jones Hall, Room 110)
Laboratory: Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:00 - 3:30 (Jones Hall, Room 110, Dental Lab Rm 136, or Dental Clinic Room 112)
Additional Clinic Lab Instructors
Course Description
Foundational knowledge for performing clinical skills on patients with emphasis on procedures and rationale for performing dental hygiene care. Introduction to ethical principles as they apply to dental hygiene care. (3 semester hours; 1 lecture; 7 lab)
End-of-Course Outcomes
Explain the procedures and the rationale for dental hygiene care; demonstrate basic dental hygiene instrumentation skills; and define ethical principles related to dental hygiene care.
Course Overview
DHYG 1331 is a course designed to teach the sequence and procedures that are followed to perform preventive dental prophylaxis. Areas of study will focus on the role of the dental hygienist, diseases of importance, management of medical emergencies, infection control, dental hygiene instrumentation, use of equipment, techniques of positioning, and preventive measures to teach the patient. Module and chapter learning objectives and goals will be found in the student workbook and text and at the beginning of each week in Blackboard as well as in the syllabus. The learning objectives and goals will coordinate with the materials presented in lectures, handouts, reading assignments, online assignments, videos, workbook exercises, quizzes, examinations, and laboratory practicals.
Instructor Objectives for the Course
Chapter objectives will coordinate with the materials presented in lectures, handouts, videos, active learning, reading assignments, and examinations. Learning the objectives will be required of the student in order to be successful in the completion of the written and practical examinations and in laboratory exercises. Given the course textbooks, personal notes, handouts, and other course materials, the student should
The student will know that these goals have been successfully completed if, after evaluation by the course instructor, a minimum grade of 75 or greater is earned. This will demonstrate Mastery Level.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
COURSE GOALS:
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
Changes to the Syllabus and the Course
The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the Syllabus and the course as deemed necessary. Any and all changes will be posted on Blackboard Announcements page of the course and students will also be notified by email.
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".
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 syllabi and the program manual are sources for specific student conduct policies for dental hygiene student at Amarillo College.
Professional Standards
All dental hygiene students are expected to demonstrate professionalism in behavior, manner, and judgment while in the dental hygiene program. 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 Amarillo College Dental Hygiene Clinic Manual. Professionalism will be evaluated on a continual basis throughout the program.
Students will exhibit professional maturity and an acceptable level of clinical judgment as determined by faculty. Unprofessional behavior may be defined as a continual pattern of misconduct and/or an egregious act that endangers the health of 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. Documentation may include reporting via the Amarillo College Student Behavior Alert form with the college.
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 the educational experiences. Below are representative examples of professional standards which are not inclusive.
Safety: Individual Responsibility
This course supports Amarillo College policies regarding responsibility for a safe environment.
Amarillo College complies with environmental, health, and safety regulations, and therefore requires that all AC employees, students, and visitors comply to maintain a safe environment:
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 must 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 obligation to maintain the confidentiality of ALL patient information.
Breach of the duty to hold such information in the strictest confidence may cause liability for the individual student, including fines, imprisonment, and dismissal from the program. The American Dental Hygienists' Association has published the following statement which all dental hygiene professionals (including students) must always follow "Code of Ethics": "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
Advising
Notably, failure to uphold these appointments will result in a deduction of two points from your final clinical course grade for every instance during the semester.
Mentoring
Clinical instructors play a crucial role in providing mentorship, guidance, and hands-on training to dental hygiene students. They bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, helping students develop the skills and competencies required to become successful dental hygienists.
The essential roles and responsibilities of mentoring:
Overall, clinical instructors in a dental hygiene program play a vital role in shaping the future dental hygienists' clinical skills, professionalism, and overall patient care abilities. They contribute to the education and development of well-rounded and competent dental hygiene professionals.
Assigning clinic instructors as mentors to students in a dental hygiene program is a vital process that contributes to student success and growth. At the beginning of each semester, students will be assigned a new clinic instructor mentor. This consistent practice ensures that students benefit from diverse perspectives and guidance throughout their program.
Email Instructions for Scheduling a Mentor Meeting:
By following these steps, you'll effectively request a mentor meeting through email while being clear, respectful, and considerate of your mentor's schedule.
Mandatory Skills Building/Tutoring
To increase student success in DHYG courses and assist students with 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 schedule a time with the instructor first. The assignment will be given at that time.
Student Success Strategy
Opportunities for developing a pathway to success in the dental hygiene program involve a collaborative effort of the student and instructor. The student has the responsibility to achieve the desired outcomes in the course. Success strategies are available to help the student improve clinical skills, including but not limited to; calculus removal, instrument selection, hand instrumentation, ultrasonic instrumentation, environment, probing, and AC clinic protocols. While the instructor may assign these success strategies, the student may also request an opportunity to improve or guidance in skill development. All skill evaluations, including faculty evaluations, will require 75% to achieve competency. If 75% is not achieved, a completed Success Strategy Ticket will be mandatory to demonstrate competency. The initial grade will stand. The Clinical Instructor will fill out a Student Success Strategy Ticket Form, and the student will sign on acceptance and completion. A lack of effort or evidence of improvement may lead to disciplinary action.
The Clinic Manual
The Dental Hygiene Clinic Manual contains information pertaining to, but not limited to, the following:
Cell Phone and Electronic Device Policy
Cell phones are prohibited in this course to maximize learning.
If a student is caught with a cell phone in hand, in a uniform pocket or in the clinic bay, actively texting, talking, or surfing the internet during a class or preclinical session, the student will immediately be dismissed from the Preclinical lab session and will receive a critical error and an absence for the day. This includes cell phones in the hallways outside the clinic bays and the lab. The only approved area for cell phone use is in the locker room before or after the Preclinic. Those students who have children or anticipate an emergency should give caretakers and family members the Office Supervisor's phone number (806-354-6050) or the clinic supervisor at 467-4099 and have calls directed to her first. The office supervisor will act accordingly to inform the student.
Your children will not be allowed in the Clinic. Please, no exceptions.
TalEval & Blackboard
Students can communicate with clinical faculty and check their progress in the 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 locker 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 shared bulletin board inside the student locker 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: (806) 354-6050
Amarillo College Police: (806) 371-5163
Emergency Management: The Amarillo College Dental Hygiene Clinic has medical emergency management procedures and safety policies. Please refere to the program manual for further detail regarding these procedures and policies.
Academic Grievance Policy
A student who has a grievance concerning an academic course in which they are enrolled is directed to appeal in the following order to the: (1) Instructor, (2) Clinic Coordinator, (3) Department Chair/Program Director, (4) Dean/Committee, (5) Vice President of Academic Affairs, (6) College President in that order.
Assignments and Examinations
The following criteria will be used to determine the student’s grade:
The course will consist of major examinations, some quizzes, videos, several pre-tests, professionalism evaluations, journaling, clinical faculty lab evaluations, a comprehensive clinical lab final, and a comprehensive written final examination. Please refer to the course calendar for the schedule of materials to be covered in each class or lab period and the tentative examination dates. Also, please note the provisions of the Make-up Policy in this syllabus for missed examinations.
All pre-assignments are due by 11:00 am the day before class. (Example; if your pre-assignment for Tuesday's class Week 1 is to read Chapters 1 & 6 in Wilkins and do the associated pages in the Workbook. You will have completed this by Monday at 11:00 am and torn out the completed pages in the workbook, put your name on the top, stapled them, and put them in Mrs. Webb's mailbox. You will have also watched the assigned videos and completed the Ed Puzzle assignment by 11:00 am that Monday.)
Major examinations and quizzes will be objective in nature (true/false and multiple choice), with a few questions being subjective in nature (short answer, true/false, essay, and fill-in-the-blank). The final examination will be entirely objective in nature and will test information for the entire course.
Students will not have access to review and study prior quizzes, worksheets, or major examinations in preparation for the final examination. Students should not rely on memorization of specific test questions; instead, the student should have a general knowledge of the course objectives to be successful in learning the material in preparation for the comprehensive Final Exam in this course and for the Dental Hygiene National Board Examination.
Professionalism Standards Expected in this course
The following are professionalism expectations of the student in the clinical setting:
Critical Errors
Laboratory Assignments
The laboratory sessions of this course will consist of exercises that coordinate with the reading assignments and lectures. The students will first be introduced to the material in lab by utilizing the content in blackboard. This content will give them the learning objectives and goals for the lesson as well as the text chapters, videos, power points, and other adjuncts to then prepare the students for the pretests. Prior to the lab session all students will be required to take the pretest. Students will have two attempts to take the pretest and the highest grade will count towards their average. When students attend the lab session they will be given exercises by the faculty members demonstrating the processes and discussing the purposes for the steps to be followed during the exercises. The students will then practice the exercises and complete a self evaluation and a peer evaluation on each skill that is taught. Then students will be responsible for each skill practical examination by a clinical faculty instructor. The skill will test the student’s proficiency and level of competence. In order for a student to achieve competence or mastery of the skill they must attain a 75% on the skill evaluation. It is suggested that each student use the practice time wisely as the course faculty members will be available during that time for guidance and assistance. The practical examinations will be given randomly and each student is responsible for being ready for a practical examination on the next lab session after the material has be presented and practiced.
The final course grade will be computed as follows:
Major Exams -35%
Pre-Tests/Quizzes/EdPuzzles/Journaling/Professionalism Evaluations -20%
Clinical Lab Faculty Evaluations -20%
Comprehensive Written Final Exam -15%
Comprehensive Clinical Instrumentation Practicum -10%
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.
In order to pass the course, a student must achieve a final grade of 75% and meet all requirements of the course. All students are considered mature enough to seek faculty assistance and to monitor their own progress in meeting course requirements. Students who continually fall below the minimal level of 75% on graded material should seek assistance from the course faculty for remediation.
Comprehensive Clinical Instrumentation Practicum
The student is required to complete the comprehensive instrumentation practicum at the end of the semester. It is essential that a student possess competent technical skills (psychomotor ) before progressing to Clinic I and patient treatment. To demonstrate mastery level of clinical instrumentation a 75% must be achieved on the comprehensive clinical instrumentation practicum. Failure to achieve a 75% mastery level on the comprehensive clinical instrumentation practicum indicates a serious deficiency in skill acquisition and lack of preparation for patient treatment responsibilities. There will be no make-up or remediation status for this exam except under unusual circumstances approved by the Course Director and the Department Chair.
Faculty Assistance
All students are considered mature enough to seek assistance from the course director and to monitor their own progress in meeting course requirements. If students have questions concerning assignments, content, etc., or if a problem arises that warrants instructor help, please do not hesitate to call or come by my office to schedule an appointment. If I am unavailable, leave a note and I will contact you as soon as possible. I prefer to work with a scheduled appointment so that I may devote the time and attention necessary to meet each student’s needs.
Student Success Strategy
Opportunities for developing a pathway to success in the dental hygiene program involve a collaborative effort of the student and instructor. The student has the responsibility to achieve the desired outcomes in the course. Success strategies are available to help the student improve clinical skills such as but not limited to; calculus removal, calculus detection, tissue trauma, imaging, instrument selection, hand instrumentation, ultrasonic instrumentation, environment, probing, and AC clinic protocols. While the instructor may assign these success strategies, the student may also request an opportunity to improve or guidance in skill development. All skill evaluations, including Mock Boards, will require a 75% to achieve competency. If 75% is not achieved, a completed Success Strategy Ticket will be mandatory to demonstrate competency. The initial grade will stand. The Clinical Instructor will fill out a Student Success Strategy Ticket Form, and the student will sign on acceptance and completion. A lack of effort or evidence of improvement may lead to disciplinary action.
Makeup Policy for Missed Work
If a student is absent on the day when a major examination is given, the student may make up the missed work as follows:
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 established by the instructor." (Amarillo College Student's Rights and Responsibilities Publication). Absences are monitored and evaluated to determine the student's final course grade. A student with less than 90% attendance in class or lab may fail the course. The instructor will take roll for each class and note absences for each student. Students who are not present for roll call are counted absent. Students must report any anticipated class/lab absence to the instructor. A student who leaves class or lab early is counted absent.
A student will receive ONE bonus point to the final grade for perfect attendance with a prior passing minimal average of 75%.
Reporting an Absence: Immediately email Mrs. Chisum (Clinic Coordinator) and CC (copy) the email to Mrs. Leonard (Clinic Supervisory), Ms. Rubalcaba (Office Supervisor) and Ms. Hernandez ( Administrative Assistant).
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Lab Tuesdays 12-3:30 |
Rm 110 Wednesdays 8:30-9:30 |
Lab Thursdays 12-3:30 |
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2 August 29-31 |
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3 September 5-7 |
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4 September 12-14 |
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5 September 19-21 |
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6 September 26-28 |
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7 October 3-5 |
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8 October 10-12 |
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9 October 24-26 |
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10 October 31-Nov. 2 |
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11 November 7-9 |
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12 November 14-16 |
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13 November 21 |
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14 November 28-30 |
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15 December 5-7 |
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16 December Finals Week
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Final Exam |
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Help and Resources:
First Steps to Resources-Jordan Herera and the link is www.actx.edu/resources
08/17/23 7:56 PM
08/13/24 9:24 AM