Program Overview

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Dental Hygiene Education (DHED)

Course Fees

Some courses may carry fees beyond the standard tuition costs to cover additional support or materials. Program-, subject- and course-specific fee information can be found on the Office of the Bursar website.

Course Descriptions

DHED 101. Dental Hygiene Academic Orientation

• Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
• Prerequisite(s): Admission to Dental Hygiene Lower Division
• Description: This course is designed especially for dental hygiene students. It will include understanding a career in dental hygiene, academic policies and requirements, and making use of the diverse resources offered at a metropolitan research university.

DHED 301. Dental Hygiene Theory I

• Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
• Description: Provides the fundamentals of scientific knowledge and clinical skills necessary for entering the clinical phase of the curriculum of dental hygiene.

DHED 302. Dental Hygiene Principles of Practice I

• Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
• Description: This course is a laboratory course teaching students the concepts and principles of dental instrumentation.

DHED 303. Dental Anatomy

• Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
• Prerequisite(s): Students must have completed or be in the process of completing all of the prerequisite lower division courses.
• Description: Nomenclature, morphology, structure, function and occlusion of teeth.

DHED 304. Radiography

• Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
• Description: History and development of the x-ray, its nature and properties, safety precautions, and uses of the x-ray in dentistry. Theory in the fundamentals of oral radiographic technique, darkroom processing, and dental radiographic analysis.

DHED 305. Structural Biology of Head and Neck

• Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
• Prerequisite(s): Acceptance into the Dental Hygiene Program
• Description: Origin and structure of tissues, histology and embryology of teeth, face and oral cavity. Biochemistry as it relates to oral structures. Study of anatomy of oral structures.

DHED 307. Physical Diagnosis and Medical Management

• Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
• Description: Course teaches clinical patient evaluation, emphasizing medical histories and vital signs. Students learn to recognize and manage patients who need treatment and modifications or special precautions for safe dental care.

DHED 308. Pre-Clinical Radiography

• Term Typically Offered: Spring Only
• Prerequisite(s): DHED 304
• Description: Laboratory experiences in film placement, film mounting, exposure and processing techniques. Application of the techniques of radiographic surveys.

DHED 309. General and Oral Pathology

• Term Typically Offered: Spring Only
• Description: Study of disease mechanisms affecting the human body, with particular emphasis on diseases of the oral and paraoral structures. Clinical diagnostic criteria are emphasized and correlated with pathological entities.

DHED 310. Periodontology

• Term Typically Offered: Spring Only
• Prerequisite(s): Acceptance into the Dental Hygiene Program
• Description: An understanding of the etiology, mechanisms and processes involved in periodontal disease. Emphasis on integration of research findings to provide evidence-based periodontal therapy.

DHED 311. Dental Materials

• Term Typically Offered: Spring Only
• Prerequisite(s): Acceptance into the Dental Hygiene Program
• Description: Physical properties of dental materials and basic principles of their preparation. Students work on typodonts, placing rubber dams, applying matrices, inserting bases and restorative material in anterior and posterior prepared teeth. Polishing of restorations and taking impressions for diagnostic study models are introduced.

DHED 312. Oral Health Education

• Term Typically Offered: Spring Only
• Description: Course addresses theories and principles of health education, assessment and evaluation techniques, and teaching strategies with regards to oral health education. Will include information specific to selected topics such as tobacco cessation and community health education.
• Course Attribute(s): CBL - This course includes Community-Based Learning (CBL). Students will engage in a community experience or project with an external partner in order to enhance understanding and application of academic content.

DHED 313. Dental Hygiene Theory II

• Term Typically Offered: Spring Only
• Prerequisite(s): DHED 301
• Description: This course is a continuation of DHED 301.

DHED 314. Dental Hygiene Principles of Practice II

• Term Typically Offered: Spring Only
• Prerequisite(s): DHED 302
• Description: This course is the laboratory continuation and beginning clinical component of DHED 302.

DHED 315. Pain and Anxiety Control

• Term Typically Offered: Summer Only
• Prerequisite(s): Acceptance into the Dental Hygiene Program
• Description: Provides basic understanding in the use of local anesthesia and anxiety management techniques for the control of pain and anxiety in the clinical practice of dental hygiene.

DHED 316. Community Dental Health I

• Term Typically Offered: Summer Only
• Description: Course provides students with an overview of the dental health care system, introduces students to epidemiological study methodologies, explores selected dental public health practices and introduces basic skills in program planning.
• Course Attribute(s): CBL - This course includes Community-Based Learning (CBL). Students will engage in a community experience or project with an external partner in order to enhance understanding and application of academic content.

DHED 402. Pharmacology

• Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
• Description: Course focus is drugs and anesthetics, with emphasis on those used in the dental office. Discussion of the origin of drugs and anesthetics, physical and chemical properties, preparation, mode of administration and effects on body systems.

DHED 403. Evidenced Based Practice

• Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
• Prerequisite(s): Acceptance into the Dental Hygiene Program
• Description: This course is designed to provide students with the analytical skills needed to interpret and evaluate studies that include the collection and analysis of data. The course focuses on research design, and descriptive and inferential techniques commonly used research activities.

DHED 404. Special Needs Patients

• Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
• Description: Course teaches students about the management of dental patients with a variety of physical, emotional, and psychosocial needs. Will include information about the demographic and sociological trends concerning the elderly and will relate those trends to the dental care delivery system.

DHED 405. Advanced Periodontology I

• Grading Basis: Pass/Fail
• Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
• Prerequisite(s): DHED 310
• Description: Introduction to the use of chemotherapeutics in the treatment of periodontal disease. Use of case studies to enhance recognition of periodontal disease and identification of subsequent treatment.

DHED 406. Community Dental Health II

• Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
• Prerequisite(s): DHED 316
• Description: Course focuses on skills development in assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of dental public health programs. Will include practicum to enhance student experience in program planning and critical thinking skills
• Course Attribute(s): CBL - This course includes Community-Based Learning (CBL). Students will engage in a community experience or project with an external partner in order to enhance understanding and application of academic content.

DHED 407. Advanced Technology and Patient Care Procedures I

• Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
• Description: Correlation of medical conditions to dental hygiene treatment utilizing both lecture and case study seminars. Emphasizes the application of information technology to improve the management of diagnostic data.

DHED 408. Dental Hygiene Principles of Practice III

• Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
• Prerequisite(s): DHED 314
• Description: Continuation of DHED 314 including rotations to dental clinics in other facilities to further acquaint students with diverse oral and medical conditions.
• Course Attribute(s): CBL - This course includes Community-Based Learning (CBL). Students will engage in a community experience or project with an external partner in order to enhance understanding and application of academic content.

DHED 409. Clinical Radiography I

• Term Typically Offered: Fall Only
• Prerequisite(s): DHED 308 and DHED 304
• Description: Clinical application of radiography and radiology.

DHED 410. Advanced Radiology

• Term Typically Offered: Spring Only
• Prerequisite(s): DHED 409
• Description: This course teaches advanced extra oral radiography, advanced interpretation and introduction into radiographic case studies. Some campus visits are required to complete the course requirements.

DHED 411. Clinical Radiography II

• Grading Basis: Pass/Fail
• Term Typically Offered: Spring Only
• Prerequisite(s): DHED 409
• Description: Clinical application of radiography and radiology. A continuation of DHED 409.

DHED 412. Dental Hygiene Principles of Practice IV

• Term Typically Offered: Spring Only
• Prerequisite(s): DHED 314 and DHED 408
• Description: Continuation of DHED 408.
• Course Attribute(s): CBL - This course includes Community-Based Learning (CBL). Students will engage in a community experience or project with an external partner in order to enhance understanding and application of academic content.

DHED 413. Advanced Periodontology II

• Grading Basis: Pass/Fail
• Term Typically Offered: Spring Only
• Prerequisite(s): DHED 310 and DHED 405
• Description: Continuation of DHED 405.

DHED 414. Advanced Technology and Patient Care Procedures II

• Term Typically Offered: Spring Only
• Prerequisite(s): DHED 407
• Description: Continuation of DHED 407.

DHED 415. Dental Hygiene Ethics and Practice Management

• Term Typically Offered: Spring Only
• Description: Role of the dental hygienist as related to the health professions and to the dental hygiene association; relationship of the dental hygienist to members of the health team; principles of professional ethics, laws, rules and regulations covering the practice of dental hygiene and dentistry; introduction to the administration and management of a dental health team.

DHED 417. Dental Hygiene Extramural Education - CUE

• Term Typically Offered: Spring Only
• Description: Extramural clinical rotation that affords the student an opportunity to provide patient care and community service projects within a health care delivery system.
• Course Attribute(s): CUE - This course fulfills the Culminating Undergraduate Experience (CUE) requirement for certain degree programs. CUE courses are advanced-level courses intended for majors with at least 90 earned credits/senior-level status., CBL - This course includes Community-Based Learning (CBL). Students will engage in a community experience or project with an external partner in order to enhance understanding and application of academic content.