CCOG for DA 111 Winter 2025


Course Number:
DA 111
Course Title:
Introductory Concepts in Dental Procedures (Lab)
Credit Hours:
2
Lecture Hours:
0
Lecture/Lab Hours:
0
Lab Hours:
60

Course Description

Introduces clinical training and practical experience in four-handed dentistry. Includes dental assisting duties and responsibilities. Introduces clinical safety, privacy policies, patient records, restorative procedures, isolation procedures, dental records, disinfection, and sterilization. Prerequisites: Acceptance in the Dental Assisting program. Corequisites: DA 110 and DA 117.

Intended Outcomes for the course

Upon successful completion of the course students should be able to:

  1. Describe and follow all dental clinic policies and standards related to the dental profession. 
  2. Demonstrate the proper use, preparation, and maintenance of dental equipment and supplies.
  3. Employ 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 review of the health history and gathering of vital signs. 
  6. Assist a dentist chairside during exams and simple restorations while demonstrating proper four-handed dentistry skills, ergonomics, and moisture control techniques.
  7. Differentiate between composite and amalgam procedure steps, armamentarium, instrumentation, and post-operative instructions for each procedure.
  8. Demonstrate adequate patient management, teamwork, and collaborative interactions.

Outcome Assessment Strategies

  • Complete weekly clinic objectives, clinic worksheets and assignments
  • Complete a clinic final
  • Complete practice chart assignments and exercises

Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)

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 
  • HIPAA protocols 
  • Chart documentation 
  • Services rendered 
  • Patient communication 
  • Patient flow 
  • Health history 
  • Vital signs 
  • Four-handed dentistry skills 
  • Restorative procedures 
  • Ergonomics 
  • Preparing anesthetic 
  • Oral evacuation 
  • Dental dam 
  • Restorative instruments 
  • Handpieces 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 the 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 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 procedures 
  • Assemble the different handpieces used in general dentistry 
  • Demonstrate proper four-handed dentistry skills including passing of instruments and proper use of evacuators and air/water syringe 
  • Mix and pass dental materials
  • 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 
  • Apply and remove a dental dam 

Related Instruction

Computation
Hours: 6

  • Demonstrate the steps in greeting, seating, and dismissing a dental patient, including the review of the health history and gathering of vital signs.
  • Assist a dentist chairside during exams and simple restorations while demonstrating proper four-handed dentistry skills, ergonomics, and moisture control techniques. Also includes measuring and mixing dental materials necessary for the procedures.

  • Apply knowledge of vital signs to calculate respirations and pulse, prior to beginning a dental procedure on a patient.
  • Measure and mix dental materials for chairside use in the dental clinic.
  • Chart existing and treatment planned restorations for a clinic patient during an exam procedure.

Communication
Hours: 15

  • Describe and discuss basic chairside duties utilizing safe methods and professionalism in the PCC Dental Clinic setting.
  • Describe and discuss PCC Dental Assisting Clinic policies and standards and their purpose related to the professions of dentistry.
  • Apply the steps needed to gather and document patient information while following appropriate HIPAA protocols.
  • Use appropriate communication skills to interact with patients and health professionals.

  • Practice communication with patients and health professionals through the use of inquiry and listening skills.
  • Review verbally a patient's health history, present clinic policies to the patient and provide oral health care education and instructions.
  • Document patient information in dental chart according to industry standards and HIPAA protocols.

Human Relations
Hours: 6

  • Perform basic chairside duties, demonstrating professionalism, teamwork and collaboration with peers, instructors, clinic dentists, and patients.
  • Follow and respond appropriately to dental clinic policies and standards related to the dental profession.
  • Describe and discuss PCC Dental Assisting Clinic policies and purposes, and how they relate to industry standards.
  • Demonstrate proper patient management in a clinical setting.
  • Practice proper patient management in a clinical setting.

  • Describe the dental team and the importance of working as a collaborative team member.
  • Demonstrate the ability to work as a dental team member and provide patient management skills in the clinical setting.
  • Practice patient management techniques in the clinical setting with peers and instructors.
  • Demonstrate proper patient management during clinical procedures.