Georgia Perimeter College

Common Course Outline

Course Abbreviation & Number: DHYG 1901
Course Title: Dental Hygiene I
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites:
BIOL 1612 and BIOL 1612L, each with a “C” or better
Co-requisites:
DHYG 1911
Course Description:
This course is an introduction to the dental hygienist’s role and responsibilities
within the profession to include prevention of disease transmission and the
dental hygiene process of care with focus on assessment and prevention
techniques.
Expected Educational Results:
As a result of this course, the student will be able to:

A. Understand the process necessary to become a Dental Hygienist and

value the history of Dental Hygiene.
B. Understand & practice the principles of disease transmission and infection
control in the dental hygiene clinical environment.
C. Communicate with other dental health professionals using appropriate
dental terminology.
D. Explain and demonstrate key attributes of effective communication and
rapport building.
F. Gather and assess a comprehensive medical and dental history to
determine necessary modifications in treatment
G. Assess patient vital signs, soft and hard tissues to describe/identify
deviations from normal.
H. Describe legal, ethical and cultural implications encountered in dental
hygiene practice.
I. Identify and classify dental caries.
J. Identify a variety of dental materials and restorations.
K. Describe the components and the value of performing a comprehensive
periodontal examination.
L. Describe plaque, stain and calculus formation processes including their
significance to oral health.
M. Describe selection and use of fluoride therapy and other agents in the
 prevention and remineralization of dental caries.
N. Identify oral hygiene education strategies and aids appropriate for each
patient including patients with various prosthetic appliances and implants
based on oral risk assessment.
O. Identify various dentifrices and topical agents used in dental hygiene
practice and explain the application and action of each.
P. Discuss the use chemotherapeutic agents and identify factors to consider
when selecting.
Q. Select an appropriate polishing agent and technique, based on the
requirements of the patients’ oral condition.
R. Discuss the relationship between correct operator posture and positioning,
patient and equipment positioning and musculoskeletal injuries.
General Educational Outcomes:
1. Students produce well-organized communications that exhibit logical
thinking and organization, use appropriate style for audience and meet
conventional standards of usage.
• Students demonstrate the ability to communicate professionally with
diverse populations, while using correct terminology and effective
communication skills.
• Students develop logical thinking and organizational skills through
systematic collection of assessment data.
• Students produce comprehensive patient assessment and dental
hygiene process of care documentation.
2. Students demonstrate effective problem-solving and critical thinking skills
through interpreting, presenting or evaluating ideas.
• Students develop critical thinking skills through systematic collection of
patient data, oral risk assessment and determination of patient care
modifications and/or appropriate oral disease prevention strategies.
• Students demonstrate effective critical thinking skills through
assessment of the risk for disease transmission and planning
appropriate infection control protocol.
• Students demonstrate effective problem solving skills through resolution
of ethical and legal dilemmas encountered in clinical practice scenarios.
Course Content:
• History and Profession of Dental Hygiene
• Health promotion
• Blood borne pathogens and Infectious Diseases
• Infection and hazard control management
• Communication Skills
• Systematic collection and documentation of patient assessment data
o Medical and dental history
o Intra and extra oral examination
o Vital Signs
 o Hard Tissue and restorations
o Periodontal assessment
o Plaque/Bleeding index
• Caries Risk, prevention and reversal
• Oral Disease Prevention
o Disease Control instruction
o Dentifrices
o Chemotherapeutics
o Polishing
• Legal and ethical aspects of dental hygiene practice
• Cultural competence
• Ergonomics
Assessment of Outcome Objectives
Course Grade:
A. Instructor will determine grades according to guidelines presented in
the course syllabus. Methods will include quizzes, tests, projects,
assignments as developed by the instructor.
B. Each student will be expected to demonstrate knowledge and
application of course content.
C. The final exam will be comprehensive which will include questions
from all sections of the course.
D. It is recommended that critical thinking questions be included in the
exams to promote the development of critical thinking.
Course Assessment:
At the completion of the course, the faculty completes an analysis of the
final exam and review of final course grades to ensure the benchmark of
90% pass rate has been achieved.
• Items on the final exam that were not correctly answered by 75% of
the class will be reviewed and revised to ensure that adequate
instruction in all course content is provided to allow for students to
meet expected educational outcomes.
Annually course assessment will be conducted by the dental hygiene
curriculum committee utilizing:
• An instrument designed by the outcomes assessment committee
which includes course success rates and review of course projects
• Outcomes of licensing exams
• Surveys(Exit, Graduate and Student course evaluations)
Use of Assessment Findings:
The Dental Hygiene Department curriculum management plan will serve to
guide the faculty in the review of the courses, the curriculum, and the
implementation of changes to the curriculum on an annual basis. The
curriculum management plan is designed to determine if the curriculum
 incorporates the necessary content, materials and activities to provide
students an opportunity to meet the levels of knowledge, psychomotor skills,
communications skills and attitudes set forth in the GPC Dental Hygiene
Program Competencies.

Last Revised:
10-10-2011