Course Title: Provide dental hygiene care for individuals with special needs

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2014

Course Code: DENT5823

Course Title: Provide dental hygiene care for individuals with special needs

School: 155T Life & Physical Sciences

Campus: City Campus

Program: C6119 - Advanced Diploma of Oral Health (Dental Hygiene)

Course Contact : Paulette Smith

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 93411403

Course Contact Email:paulette.smith@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Nominal Hours: 30

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

TAFEDH032 - Confirm physical health status
TAFEDH003 - Analyse oral status
TAFEDH010 - Research and evaluate patient dental and health history to prevent and/or manage emergencies
TAFEDH012 - Apply reflective practice, critical thinking and analysis in dental health
TAFEDH013 - Interpret and analyse patient medical and drug history
 

Course Description

This competency unit describes the skills and knowledge required by the dental hygienist to manage individuals/groups with specials needs to improve and maintain their oral health.
It focuses on the roles and responsibilities of the dental hygienist in the dental team, with medical and allied health practitioners for the management of a patient with special dental needs within the community and/or private/public dental facilities.
 


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

TAFEDH025 Provide dental hygiene care for individuals with special needs

Element:

1. Work in collaboration with dental, medical and allied health practitioners to identify the dental needs of those patient’s with special needs

Performance Criteria:

1.1 Communicate with key dental/medical/health
practitioners within the (specific) dental and allied health
teams to identify a collaborative approach to dental and
health issues
1.2 Contribute and work effectively with dental, medical and
allied health team(s) to support group dynamics for
dental and patient centred health care identified for the
special needs dental patient
1.3 Apply investigation and critical analysis to record and
identify dental and health risks for the patient with
special needs
1.4 Practice dental hygiene treatment skills in accordance
with the legislative requirements
1.5 Identify the contributions of emergency service
personnel, referring agencies, hospital and community
team staff and community support groups to the care
needs of dental patient(s) with special needs

Element:

2. Plan appropriate dental hygiene care for the dental patient with special needs

Performance Criteria:

2.1 Adhering to the principles of informed consent, discuss
the treatment with the patient and carer, provide
opportunity to clarify issues, inform of possible treatment
outcomes resulting from any planned treatment.
Consent and acceptance of the hygiene treatment plan
is confirmed
2.2 Accurately perform oral health assessment and
examination criteria, including plaque pH and saliva
testing kits to determine a dental hygiene treatment plan
for best practice oral disease prevention and therapeutic
intervention
2.3 Apply reflective analysis and critical thinking to
undertake a dental risk assessment
2.4 In consultation/collaboration with dental and specific
medical health practitioners identify and consider
polypharmacy with respect to oral health and/or
management implications for the special needs dental
patient
2.5 In consultation/collaboration with dental and/or specific
medical health practitioners identify and consider
medical and/or systemic conditions with respect to oral
health and/or management implications for the special
needs dental patient

2.6 Establish and use a database of resource personnel to
assist in care and management of the dental patient with
identified special needs
2.7 In consultation/collaboration with the dental and specific
allied health practitioners, recognise and understand a
range of preventive and therapeutic oral and health
interventions available in planning appropriate dental
hygiene management strategies
2.8 In consultation/collaboration with the dental patient and
the dental/health care practitioners, develop an
individualised dental hygiene treatment plan for the
patient with special dental needs
2.9 Refer to and analyse collected oral health data and
assessment tool findings to determine individualised
dental health education and oral hygiene instruction
required to address the individual needs of the patient
with special needs
2.10 In consultation/collaboration with dental and specific
medical health practitioners identify referral pathways for
specialised dental/medical services outside the scope of
dental hygiene practice

Element:

3. Work as part of the dental and allied health team(s) to provide preventive and therapeutic dental hygiene care to patients with special needs

Performance Criteria:

3.1 Incorporate an understanding of dental anatomy and
physiology, medicine and pharmacology, pathology and
oral pathology when providing preventive and
therapeutic dental hygiene care for the identified dental
patient with special needs
3.2 Plan for and prepare dental equipment and
materials/medicaments to suit the individual needs of
the dental patient and the dental/health care setting
3.3 Recognise and respond to identified medical health alert
status in communication with dental/medical
practitioners
3.4 Implement dental hygiene treatment skills in accordance
with legal, professional, ethical and organisation
requirements
3.5 Provide and apply dental hygiene treatment skills as
noted in the individualized dental hygiene treatment plan
3.6 Communicate effectively to inform, educate and provide
instruction to the dental patient and/or family
members/carer/guardian with relation to oral health
condition, specific oral and general health needs in
promotion of optimal oral health
3.7 Communicate and collaborate with medical/dental/allied
health care practitioners during the dental hygiene course of treatment
3.8 Report accurate data entry and notes of examination
findings and sequential treatment provision and
outcomes in the dental patient’s case file

Element:

4. Evaluate the outcomes of dental hygiene treatment for the dental patient with special needs

Performance Criteria:

4.1 Manage, monitor and apply reflective practice to dental
hygiene treatment plan outcomes and patient dental
health education and oral hygiene goals
4.2 Communicate/collaborate treatment outcomes with
medical/dental and allied health practitioners
4.3 Report and note required/situational changes to planned
treatment/goals/outcomes during or post treatment to
medical/dental and allied health practitioners
4.4 Communicate and collaborate with the dental patient,
dental/medical and allied health practitioners proposed
changes to treatment and management based on
outcomes

Learning Outcomes


On completion of this unit you will have developed the skills and knowledge required by the dental hygienist to manage individuals/groups with specials needs to improve and maintain their oral health.
 


Details of Learning Activities

Learning activities: Includes a combination of some or all of the following, Class attendance and participation, individual or group project work, e-learning, self-directed learning, Blackboard collaborate.
role-play/simulation, Pre-Clinical and clinical practice in the simulation lab / undergraduate teaching clinic
Learning Outcomes : To be able to practice effectively as a Professional Dental Hygienist, according to the guidelines and within your scope of practice.
 


Teaching Schedule

Timetable to be issued


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources


Overview of Assessment

Written.

Clnical.


Assessment Tasks

Assessment for this course forms part of the Advanced Diploma of Oral Health (Dental hygiene)
Refer to the Australian Dental Council June 2011 document “Professional attributes and competencies of the newly qualified dental hygienist for additional information”
Primary assessment involves on-going practical and applied assessment in a clinical workplace or simulated environment such as a supervised student clinic.
Assessment is typically based around written and/or online tests, assignments, reflective journals, evidence portfolio’s, logbooks and/or practical demonstrations.
Competency based training requires the student to be in attendance in order for assessment to be undertaken.
Assessment is undertaken through successful completion of all assessment activities and classroom, project & industry participation.
Assessments are spaced across the duration of the course, in order for your teacher to provide you with progressive feedback.
Feedback will be provided throughout the semester in class and/or online discussions, through individual and group feedback on practical exercises and by individual consultation.
If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or the Disability Liaison Unit if you would like to find out more.
An RMIT assessment charter (http://mams.rmit.edu.au/kh6a3ly2wi2h1.pdf ) summarises your responsibilities as an RMIT student as well as those of your teachers.
Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies and procedures which are described and referenced in a single document, the Assessment policies and procedures manual (http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=ln1kd66y87rc).
 


Assessment Matrix

Overview of assessment
May include:
Observation in the work place with questioning to address
appropriate application of knowledge
• written assignments/projects/exam
• case study and scenario as a basis for discussion of issues and strategies to contribute to best practice
• questioning – verbal and written
• completion of clinical log book
70% Pass mark
 

Course Overview: Access Course Overview