CCOG for DH 236 Winter 2025


Course Number:
DH 236
Course Title:
Dental Hygiene Ethics and Law
Credit Hours:
1
Lecture Hours:
10
Lecture/Lab Hours:
0
Lab Hours:
0

Course Description

Explores ethical and legal principles, and professional conduct specific to the dental hygiene practice. Reviews ethical dilemmas, patient rights, confidentiality, informed consent, and cultural competence. Promotes ethical decision-making, ethical practice and compassionate patient care.

Intended Outcomes for the course

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

  1. Apply the ADHA Code of Ethics, ethical principles, values, and social responsibility to dental hygiene practice.
  2. Articulate the Dental Practice Act for the state of Oregon.
  3. Apply the dental laws, rules, and regulations governing the delivery of dental hygiene care to the practice of dental hygiene.
  4. Recognize, explain and resolve ethical issues in theory and practice.
  5. Describe employment laws and benefits related to dental hygiene practice.
  6. Explain the professional relationship between the health care provider and the patient, specifically in terms of competence, fairness, integrity, responsibility, respect and service-mindedness.

Outcome Assessment Strategies

Quizzes

Case Studies

Comprehensive final exam

Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)

Themes and Concepts:

  • Risk Management
  • Ethics and Professionalism
  • Ethical Theory and Philosophy
  • Ethical Principles and Values
  • Codes of Ethics
  • Ethical Decision-Making in Dental Hygiene and Dentistry
  • Social Responsibility
  • Society and the State Dental Practice Act
  • Dental Hygienist-Patient Relationship
  • Dental Hygienist-Dentist-Employer Relationship

Skills:

  • Ethical decision-making
  • Legal compliance
  • Patient advocacy
  • Professional conduct
  • Confidentiality/privacy
  • Cultural competence
  • Communication skills
  • Documentation skills
  • Risk management
  • Conflict resolution
  • Continuing education