DT 221 - Professional Dental Therapy Practice I

Credits: 3
Variable Credit Course: No

Lecture Hours: 33
Lab Hours: 0
Worksite/Clinical Hours: 0
Other Hours (LIA/Internships): 0

Course Description: Professional expectations and responsibilities of an oral health provider are discussed. Laws and ethics that govern dental therapy practice are applied using critical thinking frameworks. The impact of historical trauma on patients, providers and communities is examined. Strategies to prevent malpractice, the responsibilities of a mandatory reporter, and healthy self-care practices are presented.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Dental Therapy (DT) coursework from previous quarter.
Meets FQE Requirement: No
Integrative Experience Requirement: No

Student Learning Outcomes

Discuss the importance of dental therapists following a code of ethics.
Describe the steps involved in ethical decision-making.
Apply the dental therapy code of ethics to case studies.
Explain the legal implications of working within and outside the scope of dental therapy practice.
Describe clinical indications of child and vulnerable adult abuse/neglect.
Explain the legal responsibility of dental therapists being mandatory reporters.
Describe the Portland Area CHAP certification process.
Differentiate between different types of clinical supervision.
Describe the concepts of informed consent, patient rights, privacy, confidentiality, release of information, standard of care, and patient abandonment.
Explain compliance protocols for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Apply malpractice risk management strategies to case studies.
Explain the impact of historical trauma on patients, providers, and communities.
Practice healthy self-care strategies.

Course Contents

Unit 1: Professionalism; Unit 2: Legal Regulations
Unit 3: Dental Ethics; Unit 4: Historical Trauma
Unit 5: Abuse and Neglect; Unit 6: Self-Care

Instructional Units: 3