1.

TITLE OF COURSE:

INTRODUCTION TO DENTAL PRACTICES

PREFIX/NUMBER:

DEA 120

CREDIT HOURS:

1

2.

PREREQUISITE:

3.

RESOURCES NEEDED:

TEXT:

Torres & Erhlich Modern Dental Assisting, Bird/Robinson, Saunders and Company, 9^th Edition, 2008

Modern Dental Assisting Workbook, 9^th Edition, 2008

SUPPLIES:

4.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The course includes roles and responsibilities of the dental health team; educational background for the various specialties: general practitioner, hygienist, and dental assistant, history, legal implications, ethical responsibilities, and the role of professional organizations.

5.

COURSE GOAL:

 Introduction to Dental Practices is designed to help students interested in dental assisting to formulate specific goals and choices when choosing a career.  The material presented in class relates to the foundations of dental assisting and when completed will clarify questions dealing with the profession of dental assisting.

This course carries one credit hour for a total of 15 contact hours.

Transferability of credit depends on the institution to which the student plans to transfer.

6.

COURSE OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES:

At the completion of the course, the student should be able to:

A.

Identify the members of the dental health team, the duties typically performed by each and professional organizations for each.

B.

Understand the educational requirements for each dental team member including specialty practitioners.

C.

Discuss the issue of licensure and identify the team members that it affects.

D.

Identify the credentials that may be held by a dental assistant.

E.

Discriminate between the functions of the ADAA and DANB.

F.

Identify the various parts of the Colorado Dental Practice Law and discuss the legal implications for each dental health team member.

G.

Identify the tasks that can be legally performed by a dental assistant.

H.

Explain the terms “personal direction”, “general supervision”, and “direct supervision”.

I.

Distinguish the differences of educational training of the dental assistant and understand the various types of accreditations and benefits to the dental assisting student.

J.

Identify and demonstrate characteristics of a Professional Dental Assistant.

K.

Rationalize the responsibility not to practice beyond the law.

L.

Identify the purpose of the rules and regulations included in the dental practice law and explain the difference between them and the statute.

M.

Identify the ethical and legal duties each team member has not only to the patients but also to the office by which they are employed.

N.

Identify the purpose of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)

O.

Identify the difference between contract law and tort law.

P.

Define malpractice; identify the types and common grounds for malpractice.

Q.

Define consent, its importance, and the types of consent.

R.

Identify the pioneers in dentistry and important events leading to the advancement of the profession.

S.

Write and/or present a report on the important historical events in dentistry: founders, researchers and their inventions in dentistry related to equipment, instruments and materials.  (Ex. G.V. Black, Amalgam and Radiology).  Instructor to determine topics.

T.

Understand the differences between ethics and jurisprudence.

U.

Define the key terms: Risk management, licensure, implied consent, informed consent, abandonment, acts of commission, acts of omission, duty of care, code of ethics, ethics, jurisprudence, laws, HIPAA, malpractice, negligence, res gestae, and respondent superior, along with the correct spelling and knowledge of these terms related to this course.

V.

Identify the tools of risk management and the dental assistant’s role in this capacity.

W.

Discuss and identify the indications of child abuse and neglect.

X.

Demonstrate professional activity by participating in the student club and associated activities. This involves the DASO/ HOSA, ADAA fundraising and community service activities.

Y.

If applicable * As an associated activity of (DASO, HOSA, ADAA), student will prepare and demonstrate a table clinic on a topic of choice for presentation to local health professionals, local community, and/or public at a professional meeting.

Z.

If applicable *Construct a display of report topics/presentations in DA programs facility display case.  Student teams will rotate monthly throughout the spring and summer semesters.  All topic displays are to be educational and professionally displayed.

AA.

Demonstrate and describe the personal requirements of the dental assistant, emphasizing physical well-being, grooming and appearance as well as psychological well-being involving behaviors, motivation, maturity and manners.

AB.

Develop and analyze case studies involving ethical dilemmas

7.    EVALUATION PROCEDURES:

30%     Of the student’s grade will be based on the scores received on unit tests, quizzes and the final exam.

10%     Will be based on the scores received by the student on assignments and worksheets.

40%     Will be based on scores received by the student on group reports and presentations.

20%    Attendance Policy for Pueblo Community College.  See pages 6 & 7 criteria on additional Dental   Assisting Program attendance and excused and unexcused absence and tardy policies.

At the completion of the course the student should be able to do all the basic dental assistant functions required for the successful completion of the program.  These competencies will be evidenced by the student scoring a 77% or better on unit exams, graded activities and tasks (skills) in each unit.

Raw Score Range

Grading Scale

Letter Grade

100

to

93

A

92

to

85

B

84

to

77

C

Special Remarks:

A.

Pueblo Community College Dental Assisting Program will adhere to the Academic Dishonesty

Policy, which is stated in your DA Student Handbook, for any and all acts of cheating, fabrication,

facilitating academic dishonesty and plagiarism.

COURSE OUTLINE:

UNIT I. THE PROFESSIONAL DENTAL ASSISTANT

A. Characteristics of a Professional Dental Assistant Educational Training of the Dental Assistant

B. Roles of the Dental Assistant

C. Professional Organizations

D. Professional Status Terminology/Acronyms

E. Dental Assisting National Board

F. DANB Board Eligibility Pathways

UNIT II  DENTAL HEALTHCARE TEAM

A.  Roles and Responsibilities of Dental Healthcare Team Members

B.  Dentist - Education and Training 

C.  Dental Specialists

D.  Registered Dental Hygienist Education and Training

E.  Dental Assistant Education and Training

F.  Dental Laboratory Technician

G.  Supporting Services of the Dental Healthcare Team

UNIT III.  DENTAL ETHICS

A.  Basic Principles of Ethics

B.  Confidentiality and HIPAA

C.  Professional Code of Ethics

D.  Obligations and Relationships of the Dental Health Team to Patients

UNIT IV.  DENTISTRY AND THE LAW

A.  Statutory Law

B.   State Dental Practice Act / Colorado Dental Practice Act

C.   Expanded Functions and Supervision

D.   Dentist-Patient Relationship

E.    Malpractice and Risk Management

F.    Patient Records

9.

10.

11.

UNIT V.  HISTORY

A.   Famous people and events in dental history

B.    History of the ADAA

METHODS OF INSTRUCTION:

To be successful in this course, students are expected to participate in discussions, readings, in-class writing, group presentations, and peer review activities. The instructor may assign point values to such activities.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:

The very nature of higher education requires that students adhere to accepted standards of academic integrity. Therefore, Pueblo Community College has adopted a policy of academic conduct as described in the Student Handbook. Violation of academic integrity may be defined to include the following: cheating, plagiarism, falsification and fabrication, abuse of academic materials, complicity in academic dishonesty, and personal misrepresentation. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of the behaviors that constitute academic dishonesty. Sanctions for violating the standards of academic integrity may include warning, probation, suspension, and/or failure of the course or assignment at the discretion of the instructor.

ADA NOTICE:

Students who have a documented disability may be eligible to receive accommodations for this class. Please contact the Disability Resources Center at 549-3446 for further information.