Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

An emphasis is placed on patient privacy and records, clinic safety, operatory assembly and disassembly including instruments, materials and anesthetic, disinfection and sterilization, maintenance of dental equipment and supply management/inventory. 

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

1. Follow and respond appropriately to dental clinic policies and standards related to the dental profession. 
2. Demonstrate the proper use, preparation, and maintenance of clinic dental equipment and supplies.
3. Follow infection control guidelines regarding proper personal protective equipment, sterilization and disinfection to prevent disease transmission.
4. Apply the steps needed to gather and document patient information while following appropriate HIPAA protocols.
5. Demonstrate the steps in greeting, seating, and dismissing a dental patient including the reviewing of the health history and gathering of vital signs. 
6. Demonstrate the proper set up and break down of a dental operatory unit for patient care while following CDC guidelines for infection control and the prevention of cross contamination.
7. Demonstrate the safe and proper handling of instruments prior to sterilization and the steps needed for sterilization of instruments from contamination to finished sterile product.
8. Differentiate between composite and amalgam procedure armamentarium, instrumentation, and post-operative instructions for each.
9. Demonstrate adequate teamwork and collaborative interactions.
10. Describe and discuss basic chairside duties utilizing safe methods and professionalism in the PCC dental clinic setting.

By completing this Course concurrently with DA 117 and DA 110A the student will have obtained the knowledge to prepare them to sit for the Dental Assisting National Board Infection Control Examination (DANB ICE)

Student Activities:

• Lab participation Q and A during demonstrations
• Lab practice/small group and individual
• Lab competency performances
• Lab worksheets, exercises, and quizzes

Instructor Activities:

• Lab Demonstrations
• Coaching during student practice sessions to provide feedback
• Grading performance objectives with immediate feedback
•  Mini lectures/videos

• Clinic worksheets, assignments, and quizzes
• Performance objectives
• Charting exercises
• Clinical final exam

                Themes:

●        Dental Assisting Clinical Duties

●        Professionalism

●        Communication

●        Teamwork

                Concepts:

●        Standards of Care

●        Emergencies

●        Dental equipment/supplies

●        Dental Equipment Maintenance

●        Sterilization and Disinfection protocols

●        Microbiology

●        CDC

●        OSHA

●        Personal Protective Equipment

●        Disease transmission

●        Chain of infection

●        HIPPA Protocols

●        Chart Documentation

●        Patient Communication

●        Patient Flow

●        Health history

●        Vital Signs

●        Preparing anesthetic

●        Restorative Instruments

●        Hand piece and burs

●        Post-operative instructions

                Issues:

●        Time Management

●        Organization

●        Safety

Skills:

●        Identify dental clinic policies and standards

●        Identify and appropriately respond to a dental emergency

●        Identify dental equipment parts and maintenance for each

●        Prepare an operatory for a dental procedure

●        Prepare a handpiece for use chairside and for sterilization

●        Properly don and remove personal protective equipment

●        Identify the different modes of disease transmission

●        Prepare all dental instruments for sterilization

●        Disinfect dental equipment

●        Identify correct HIPAA protocols

●        Review a patient’s health history

●        Take a patient’s vital signs

●        Document examination findings, health history findings, vital signs, and services rendered

●        Communicate in a professional manner

●        Demonstrate the patient flow of a dental appointment

●        Prepare a patient for a restorative procedure

●        Assemble and disassemble anesthetic syringe

●        Identify instruments and burs by name and use

●        Demonstrate the armamentarium needed and steps involved of an  amalgam/composite procedure

●        Communicate post-operative instructions