DENTAL HYGIENE ONLINE DEGREE COMPLETION COURSES

Offered through the IDEAL Program

COURSE SYLLABUS

Dear Student,

Please read the following course syllabus carefully, especially the course dates, times and location. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to communicate with the Dental Hygiene department, your dental hygiene academic advisor, or the instructor.

The BSDH degree completion program is designed with the adult learner in mind. Adult learners approach learning with specific goals, want to be able to directly apply new learning to their work and personal lives, and tend to learn best when the coursework is problem-centered so that they are actively engaged in the learning process. In addition, adults bring rich and varied experience to the classroom, which becomes a valuable learning resource for other students.

The BSDH Online Degree Completion Program assumes joint responsibility in the learning process. The activities and assignments in our classes build on the shared experience of all learners in each class. This is why each student’s preparation, participation and interaction in class activities and discussions are critical to the success of each course. The accelerated format of each course requires a significant amount of time outside the classroom to prepare for and complete the course assignments. This varies between students and courses; however, students typically spend a minimum of ten-twelve hours per week on course material.

To participate in the BSDH Online Degree Completion Program, it is expected that you will do the following:

1. Participate in and complete the online orientation prior to your first online course.
2. Obtain the required course materials prior to the course start date.
3. Login to your course a minimum of three times per week.
4. Complete all assignments to the best of your ability.
5. Participate in the class discussions and demonstrate respect and consideration to the instructor and other students when they express themselves in discussion.
6. If you have any technical difficulties, you must contact the Office of Distance Education immediately.
   
   

Have questions about taking an online course?

“Instructions for Taking a UB Online Course”

If you cannot perform these expectations, it is recommended that you drop the course. If you do not participate during the first week of the course, you will be dropped from the course.

Ethics Statement of Confidentiality

An integral component of the BSDH Online Degree Completion Program is student and faculty expression of personal experiences for the purpose of facilitating coursework. Students enrolled in the program are expected to honor confidentiality as it pertains to student disclosure. Shared information, comments, or opinions expressed by another student or the faculty member during the course of classroom discussion should never be used in a manner which is intended to humiliate, embarrass, harass, damage, or otherwise injure other students in their personal, public, or business lives. In addition, confidentiality must be upheld by not disclosing any information that would identify any particular individual.

The BSDH Online Degree Completion Program

Fones School of Dental Hygiene

DHYG 303

Advanced Clinical Concepts

Summer 2008

Course Dates: May 12 - June 27, 2008

DHYG 303 Advanced Clinical Concepts Course Description

This course expands upon the basic knowledge and skills found in the dental hygiene process of care. Oral medicine, advanced periodontology, and current research is emphasized.

3 semester hours

Course Instructor

Laura J. Greco, RDH, MSEd

Assistant Professor

University of Bridgeport

Fones School of Dental Hygiene

Health Science Center

60 Lafayette Street

Bridgeport, CT 06604

laurag@bridgeport.edu

Phone: 203.576.4838

Department Phone: 203.576.4138

Department Fax: 203.576.4220

Required Resource Materials

· UBNet Account

· Online Resource Access: Websites will be used for assigned readings and topics related to oral medicine, advanced periodontology, and current research.

· Access to Dental Hygiene Case Study Development Information

Student should have access to a dental hygiene patient (client) in order to develop a comprehensive case study project. However, if the student does not have access to an actual patient, mock information may be used to develop the final case study project.

Please Note: No textbook is required for this course

Course Goal

The goal of this course is to expand clinical dental hygiene knowledge in order to apply advanced concepts to the dental hygiene process of care (ADPIE). Students will be encouraged to critically analyze current scientific literature and apply information gained in order to develop a comprehensive dental hygiene treatment that assures the health of the patient. Course discussions will broaden the student’s insight of advanced clinical concepts and a final dental hygiene case study will provide the student with a means to demonstrate comprehension.

Course Competencies/Objectives

Upon completion of this course the student will:

· Discuss the ever changing role of the dental hygienist and value the advancement of the profession.

· Describe the responsibilities of the dental hygiene clinician as a co-therapist.

· Examine risk factors of the medically compromised patient and explain it’s role during assessment, implementation, and prevention processes.

· Research new oral health assessment techniques and expand traditional data collection methods.

· Explain the dental hygiene diagnostic process.

· Formulate, validate and identify outcomes of a dental hygiene diagnosis based on the Human Needs Theory.

· Develop a progressive dental hygiene care plan derived from a dental hygiene diagnosis.

· Identify purposes of the dental hygiene care plan and the expanding patient’s role in its development. 

· Describe advanced implementation techniques of dental hygiene care.

· Present advanced clinical techniques used during implementation of treatment and identify their strengths and limitations.

· Evaluate the quality of dental hygiene care, oral health prognosis and continued care needs of the patient.

· Create and present a dental hygiene case study project based on advanced clinical concepts.

· Value the opportunity to share dental hygiene patient treatment experiences and gain knowledge from other course participants.

Course Policies and Online Participation

• Weekly assignments should be saved and submitted as rtf (rich text format) and be submitted through the course’s “Digital Dropbox”.
• Weekly assignments are due during the assigned week. Late assignments will be subject to point deductions.
• Weekly topics will direct the student to the “Discussion Board”. Proper “netiquette” is necessary to facilitate the learning process. Discussions should focus on weekly questions/topics and avoid unnecessary personal communication that may distract the participants.
• Weekly discussions must be timely. The student must contribute to the discussion board during each week of assignment in order to receive credit for the participation. Discussion must be of quality, thoughtful, and concise contributions that directly address assigned topic.
• A minimum of two contributions to weekly discussions are required.
• Lectures may include attachments or links as additional (essential) information.
• Throughout the course, a case study project will be developed by submitting weekly assignments.
• A final dental hygiene case study project will be due June 27, 2008 12:55pm. A late project will be reduced by one letter grade and one point per day.
• Students with disabilities are eligible for reasonable and appropriate accommodations for this course. Assessment and documentation of a legitimate disability that hinders performance will be required for accommodations.
• As with all dental hygiene major courses, the student must earn a minimum grade of “C” in DHYG 303 in order to receive credit for the course.

Weekly Schedule: Course Topics

Week 1: Dental Hygiene: An Evolving Profession

Week 2: Advanced Dental Hygiene Assessment

Week 3: Dental Hygiene Diagnosis

Week 4: The Dental Hygiene Care Plan

Week 5: Advanced Implementation of Dental Hygiene Care

Week 6: Quality of Dental Hygiene Care: Measuring Outcomes

Week 7: Dental Hygiene Case Study Project

· Schedule subject to change at the discretion of the professor.

· Specific weekly reading assignments and activity assignments will be posted as the week’s progress throughout the course.

· Please note that each week’s course topic builds on the previous week’s information. Posting of lecture notes, assignment information, and discussion board topics will be posted week by week in order to facilitate the student’s learning in progressive comprehensive manner.

· The case study rubric for weekly assignments and final project will be posted early in the course to allow the student to plan work schedule.

· It is imperative that course participants stay up to date with reading assignments and weekly activities in order to submit a comprehensive final case study project at the end of the course.

Course Evaluation

• Weekly Assignments 40%
• Online Participation 20%
• Final Case Study Project 40%