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Online Advanced Standing Courses

Courses required by the Dental Hygiene online advanced standing program include:

• DH 303. Professional Writing. Techniques and practice in intermediate composition strategies, including development, research, and analysis. It includes a study of rhetoric in health care and methods for adapting to the needed rhetorical situation by the hygienist. (3 semester hours) (3-0-0)
• DH 311. Current Trends in Preventive Care. A course focusing on expanding the dental hygienist's understanding of primary prevention measures used to promote oral health. Included are biofilm control, an update on demineralization/remineralization, motivational interviewing, caries management by risk assessment (CAMBRA), prevention for the oral cancer patient, treating dentinal sensitivity, oral malodor, and current use of pit and fissure sealants. (3 semester hours) (3-0-0)
• DH 319. Pathophysiology/Special Needs Patients. A study of the pathology and oral health management of disease and injuries is offered in this course. Topics include functions of the cells, tissues, organs and organ systems and how they relate to the disease process, along with the inflammatory process and immunologic response. The course emphasizes normal and pathological responses to illness as related to the evaluation and treatment of the dental patient. Specific emphasis on dental hygiene care of patients with various systemic, mental, physical disorders and special needs will also be covered. (3 semester hours) (3-0-0)
• DH 401. Research Methods. An introduction to research design emphasizing systematic investigation involving human subjects as it relates to data collection, analysis and interpretation of findings. Emphasis is on critical review of dental hygiene literature studies and their application to clinical practice. (3 semester hours) (3-0-0)
• DH 412. Pharmacology. This course is a study of drug actions and their mechanisms when introduced to the body under specific conditions and the reactions of the body to these drugs. Special emphasis is placed on pharmacological knowledge that will provide more effective care of the patient by the dental hygienist. (3 semester hours) (3-0-0)
• DH 428. Dental Hygiene Case Studies. A course designed to utilize current technology to prepare and present multimedia presentations regarding selected dental hygiene clinical scenarios. A component of the course involves legal and ethical issues that arise in clinical practice. (3 semester hours) (3-0-0)
• DH 430. Advanced Practice Management. This course involves students in a study of the delivery of client-centered care practice, current OSHA and Hazard Standard communication methods, and emphasizes accommodations to the evolving health care system. (3 semester hours) (3-0-0)
• DH 434. Dental Hygiene Practices. This course focuses on the concepts of advanced dental hygiene instrumentation, instrument sharpening, solutions for common instrumentation difficulties; ergonomic techniques, appointment planning, and instrument sequencing are included. (3 semester hours) (3-0-0)
• DH 440. Community Dental Health. In this course, the student will develop and utilize skills in the area of community-based program planning, implementation, and evaluation. History, principles, and ethics of dental public health are discussed, along with an emphasis on disease prevention, distribution of oral diseases, principles of dental epidemiology, and the use of dental indexes. Students will implement a community-based program utilizing program planning and evaluation skills. (3 semester hours) (3-0-0)
• DH 455. Capstone Study. This course offers the opportunity for students to examine, synthesize and develop solutions to issues faced in oral health care. In cooperation with the course advisor and/or program director, students will select a contemporary topic in dental hygiene and develop a comprehensive project or paper evaluating solutions to the particular issue and present the paper to faculty according to course guidelines. (3 semester hours) (3-0-0)